Enhancing job satisfaction through behavioral leadership and time management skills: insights from the chemical sector

Purpose This study examines the relationships between behavioral leadership, time management skills (as a mediator) and job satisfaction in the chemical industry in Istanbul, Türkiye. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a quantitative approach using structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 608 middle and senior managers in 86 companies. A survey was designed to measure the constructs of behavioral leadership, time management skills and job satisfaction, and Jamovi (v2.3) was used for analysis. Findings The results indicate that behavioral leadership has direct positive effects on both time management skills and job satisfaction, and time management skills partially mediate the relationship between behavioral leadership and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The study is based on cross-sectional, single-source survey data from chemical industry firms in Istanbul, which limits causal inference and may constrain generalizability to other sectors and regions. Practical implications The findings point to how firms can improve job satisfaction by developing managers’ behavioral leadership behaviors (clear priorities, role clarity, coordination and timely feedback) and strengthening time management as a core managerial competency through training, coaching, and performance appraisal. Social implications The study advances theory on behavioral leadership by showing that its relationship with job satisfaction operates through both direct and indirect pathways, with time management skills functioning as a key mediating mechanism. The findings underscore a competency-based explanation of leadership effects and highlight that, in hazardous, process-intensive production contexts, employee satisfaction depends not only on supportive leadership climates but also on leaders’ capacity to strengthen employees’ self-regulation and time control under sustained operational pressure. Originality/value Using SEM, this study identifies time management as a competency-based mechanism linking behavioral leadership to job satisfaction in a high-risk, time-sensitive industry context.