Stay positive, keep them committed: extending the link between positive leadership and affective commitment

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of positive leadership (PL), a theory originating from positive psychology, on affective commitment (AC), an important outcome in times of skilled labor shortages. This study also examines psychological need satisfaction (PNS) and well-being as serial mediators between PL and AC. Design/methodology/approach A 2-wave-study with 282 employees of a German company in the finance and insurance sector was conducted. The data were analyzed using covariance analytic structural equation modeling with RStudio. Findings The results suggest that PL improves AC. Additionally, PNS and well-being mediate this relationship individually and serially. Originality/value Our study is one of the few to examine PL as a leadership style in its own right and not a synonym for various leadership styles (e.g. transformational leadership) and one of the first to emphasize its importance for employee retention. Moreover, we make a unique contribution by combining work design theory and self-determination theory to examine the underlying mechanisms of the influence of PL on AC. Therefore, this research is the first to investigate a serial mediation between PL, PNS, well-being and AC.