The relationship between leadership behaviors and organizational commitment: A study in 112 Emergency Call Centers in Turkey

In areas where personnel work under intense stress and pressure, such as 112 Emergency Call Centers, ensuring and increasing employee commitment to the organization is crucial for business productivity. In this context, examining the relationship between leadership behaviors and organizational commitment is crucial for understanding employee motivation in fast-paced, emotionally demanding work environments like emergency call centers and developing management strategies accordingly. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the leadership behaviors of 112 Emergency Call Center managers in Turkey and the organizational commitment of their personnel. For this purpose, a survey was administered to 112 Emergency Call Center Directorate personnel (N=1,367) in the provinces of the Marmara Region (Yalova, Istanbul, Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Sakarya, Edirne, Bursa, Kırklareli, Çanakkale, and Balıkesir). 303 personnel participated in the survey. The survey used the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5–X Short, MLQ - Multifactor Leadership Scale, developed by Bass and Avolio (1985), and the Organizational Commitment Scale, developed by Meyer and Allen (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Wasti (2000) for validity and reliability. The data obtained were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, ANOVA tests, correlation, and regression tests. The results revealed a strong positive relationship between the employees' organizational commitment and leadership behaviors. When the results were examined in the context of the sub-dimensions of leadership behaviors, a strong positive relationship was found between extra effort and organizational commitment. Furthermore, a moderate positive relationship was found between effectiveness and satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results obtained from this study will contribute to future research conducted in 112 Emergency Call Centers.