The Relationship Between the Inclusive Leadership of School Principals and the Occupational Commitment of Teachers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Trust

This study aims to examine the effects of inclusive leadership (IL) behaviors on teachers' professional commitment (PC) and the mediating role of organizational trust (OT) in this relationship. The research was conducted with 425 teachers working in the Pendik, Sultanbeyli, and Kartal districts of Istanbul in the 2024–2025 academic year, and data were collected using the simple random sampling method. The Inclusive Leadership Scale, Professional Commitment Scale, and Organizational Trust Scale were used to collect data. Correlation analyses and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used for data analysis. Model fit indices show that the proposed structure has a high level of fit with the data (χ²/df = 2.49; GFI = 0.970; AGFI = 0.944; NFI = 0.973; TLI = 0.975; CFI = 0.984; RMSEA = 0.059). According to the analysis results, the effect of inclusive leadership on organizational trust is strong and significant (β = 0.879). The effect of OC on professional commitment was also significant (β = 0.456). While the direct effect of IL on OT was not significant (β = -0.096), the indirect effect (β = 0.401) through OC demonstrated full mediation. These findings suggest that the effect of inclusive leadership on professional commitment is largely mediated through organizational trust. The results of the study indicate that school administrators' adoption of an inclusive leadership approach plays a critical role in increasing teachers' organizational trust and professional commitment.