The mediating role of work engagement in the effect of humble leadership on employee performance

Leadership has been addressed through various theories and approaches over time; however, humble leadership differs from traditional leadership styles by emphasizing humility, a willingness to admit mistakes, recognizing employees' strengths, and fostering equal relationships with them. In this context, the study explores how humble leadership influences employees' work engagement and performance, particularly within the framework of healthcare professionals engaged in disaster response. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of humble leadership on employee performance and the mediating role of work engagement in this process. The Humble Leadership Scale, Work Engagement Scale, and Employee Performance Scale were employed in the study. The sample consists of healthcare and AFAD professionals actively involved in disaster response. Data were collected using the survey method, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The research utilized descriptive statistics, difference tests (t-test and ANOVA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and mediation analysis via Process Macro. The findings indicate that humble leadership has a direct positive impact on employee performance and that work engagement plays a partial mediating role in this relationship. Keywords: Humble Leadership, Employee Performance, Work Engagement, Disaster, Healthcare Sector.