Workplace social capital mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and three dimensions of organizational commitment of hospital nurses: A cross-sectional study

Aim This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of workplace social capital on the relationship between authentic leadership and the three dimensions of organizational commitment: affective, normative, and continuance.Methods In January 2019, anonymous self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1220 nurses working in the general wards of two university hospitals in Japan. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating effects of workplace social capital on the relationship between nurse managers' authentic leadership and the three dimensions of organizational commitment.Results Six hundred and fifty-nine data points were analyzed (valid response rate = 54.0%). Participants' average age was 28.6 years (standard deviation: 6.6), and 93.3% were female. The mediation indirect effect of workplace social capital between authentic leadership and organizational commitment was statistically significant in the models of affective organizational commitment and normative organizational commitment, but not in the model of continuance organizational commitment.Conclusions The effects of authentic leadership and workplace social capital had different impacts on each of the three dimensions of organizational commitment. Nurse managers' authentic leadership and workplace social capital can enhance nurses' positive commitment to the organization.