The effect of inclusive leadership on job engagement, organizational trust and innovative behavior in search and rescue units

Search and Rescue (SAR) is a service whose standards are set by international organizations and is offered free of charge to individuals in danger, regardless of their nationality. SAR operations are sometimes conducted in small areas and sometimes in very large ones, depending on the magnitude of the disaster. While a few SAR units are sufficient for operations conducted in small areas, national and even international units work together in larger areas. Therefore, the unit leader assigned to ensure coordination among personnel from different organizations and to oversee assigned tasks and implemented procedures is considered extremely important in SAR operations. In this context, this study explores the relationship between the concepts of Inclusive Leadership, Job Engagement, Organizational Trust, and Innovative Behavior in the management of new units formed with personnel and volunteers from different organizations and structures. In the study, firstly, a detailed literature review was conducted on the concepts of Inclusive Leadership, Job Engagement, Organizational Trust and Innovative Behavior, then the purpose of the study and the research model were created and the hypotheses to be tested between the concepts were established. In order to test the validity and reliability of the survey prepared within the scope of the study, it was decided to conduct a pilot study. In the study where the cross-sectional method was used in the data collection process, simple random sampling method was applied and volunteering was taken as a basis, and the survey form prepared via googledocs was distributed through social platforms after the necessary permissions were obtained. As a result of the analysis of 118 valid surveys obtained within the scope of the pilot study, it was concluded that the Cronbach's Alpha values of all scales were above the accepted value of .70 for determining reliability (IL: .974; JE: .919; OT: .812; IB: .921), and it was decided to use the scale as in the pilot study. During the main study process, which employed the same methods and procedures as the pilot study, 386 valid surveys were reached, and Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Correlation Analysis and Hayes Process Macro analyses were conducted with SPSS and AMOS Statistical Programs to test the hypotheses and to determine mediation and serial mediation effects. When the relationships between the variables were examined, it was seen that all the hypotheses established within the scope of the research model were supported, the model developed within the research was verified and it was also determined that Innovative Behavior and Organizational Trust had separate and serial mediating effects between Inclusive Leadership and Job Engagement.