Unveiling the Mediating Role of Personality: Exploring the Nexus Between Transformational Leadership and Work Stress in Public Organizations

Abstract

This study investigates the interplay between transformational leadership, personality, and work stress in public organizations, focusing on public servants in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur. Data from 702 public servants in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, out of 800 distributed questionnaires, were analyzed. Rigorous analysis employed a structural equation model (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) methodology. Our empirical analysis challenges the conventional belief of a positive correlation between transformational leadership and work stress in public organizations, revealing no direct link between transformational leadership and increased work stress in this context. Our study highlights a significant positive correlation between personality and work stress among public servants, emphasizing the role of individual personality characteristics in shaping work-related stress levels. Finally, personality emerged as a crucial mediator in the transformational leadership-work stress relationship, indicating that transformational leadership indirectly influences work stress through its impact on personality. This underscores the importance of considering personality as a mediating factor in understanding the transformational leadership-work stress dynamic in public organizations. In summary, our research provides insights into the relationship between transformational leadership, personality, and work stress in public organizations. These findings challenge conventional assumptions, emphasize individual differences in stress levels, and underscore the mediating role of personality in addressing work stress among public servants.