The relationship between the leadership behaviors of managers in airline companies and the organizational commitment levels of company employees

This study aims to examine the relationship between leadership behaviors exhibited by managers and employees' organizational commitment levels in the airline industry. The research analyzes the relationships between the sub-dimensions of leadership behaviors—visionary leadership, participative leadership, autocratic leadership, coaching leadership, relationship-oriented leadership, and overall leadership satisfaction—and the sub-dimensions of organizational commitment—affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Additionally, the study investigates whether leadership perceptions and commitment levels differ according to demographic variables such as gender, age, educational level, marital status, tenure, department, years of experience in the sector, and years of experience within the current company. The sample of the research consists of 387 employees selected by simple random sampling from among the staff of Turkish Airlines. Data were collected through an online survey and measured using 5-point Likert-type scales. The relationship between variables was tested using Pearson correlation analysis, while differences in leadership perceptions and organizational commitment levels according to demographic variables were analyzed using One-Way MANOVA. In cases where the assumptions of MANOVA were not met, independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were conducted. The findings indicate a positive and significant relationship between perceived leadership behaviors and organizational commitment levels. In particular, visionary leadership, participative leadership, and coaching leadership were found to have stronger positive effects on organizational commitment. Furthermore, significant differences were identified in leadership perceptions and commitment levels based on demographic factors. The results contribute to the sectoral literature by highlighting the critical role of leadership practices in strengthening employee commitment within the airline industry.