The Mediating Role of Employee Well-Being in the Relationship Between Secure Base Leadership and Employees’ Organizational Outcomes: A Multi-Source PLS-SEM Study

Drawing on attachment theory, this study examines the relationship between Secure Base Leadership (SBL) and key organizational outcomes through the mediating role of employee well-being. Data were collected using a multi-source correlational design within a single multinational organization through two independent surveys administered at different points in time. SBL was assessed via follower ratings of 115 leaders in the early stages of their managerial roles, while employee well-being, work engagement, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion were measured using an internal organizational climate survey. Structural Equation Modeling using Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) revealed that SBL was positively associated with employee well-being. In turn, employee well-being showed strong and positive relationships with engagement, learning and development, and perceptions of diversity and inclusion. Indirect effects analyses supported employee well-being as a theoretically grounded indirect pathway linking SBL to these organizational outcomes, highlighting its central role as a psychological mechanism linking attachment-based leadership behaviors to broader employee experiences. From a practical perspective, the results suggest that developing SBL behaviors may represent a coherent lever associated with employee well-being and may improve key organizational climate indicators in complex and uncertain work environments.