The mediator role of organizational commitment in the effect of organizational trust perception on job performance: A study on seafarers working overseas

This study aimed to determine the mediating role of organizational commitment in the effect of organizational trust perception on job performance in oceangoing seafarers. The research design used in the study was the survey model, a quantitative method. The study population consisted of seafarers working overseas in affiliation with Turkish shipowners, while the sample was comprised of 316 ship crew members who voluntarily participated in the study. Organizational trust, employee performance, and organizational commitment scales were employed as data collection tools. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS program. Parametric tests were used to analyze normally distributed data. According to the study's two-group and multiple-group comparison findings, significant differences were detected in certain scales and subdimensions for the variables of age, ship type, length of service in the company, and time on board ship (p < .05). No significant differences were observed in any of the scales or subdimensions for the variables of marital status, educational status, ship class, service class, or length of service at sea (p > .05). Based on the correlation test results, positive significant relationships were observed between the seafarers' perceptions of organizational trust, organizational commitment, and job performance (p < 0.01). The regression test results showed a positive and significant effect of organizational trust perception on job performance (β = .259) and organizational commitment (β = .668) (p < .01 for both). Organizational commitment was also determined to have a positive and significant effect on job performance (β = .281) (p < .01). According to the findings on mediating roles obtained using the PROCESS macro, the effect of organizational trust perception on job performance (total effect β = .259; direct effect β = .142) decreased when the mediating variable, organizational commitment, was included in the model (indirect effect β = .117) (p < .01). In conclusion, organizational commitment was determined to have a partial mediating effect on the impact of organizational trust perception on job performance.