Inclusive leadership and job satisfaction in Omani higher education: the mediation of psychological ownership and employee thriving

Abstract

PurposeThrough the lens of social exchange and self-determination theories, this paper proposes and tests a model to explore how inclusive leadership practices foster employee job satisfaction at higher education institutions. It also explores the intervening roles of psychological ownership and employee thriving in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed a positivist worldview and a quantitative methodology. The authors collected data from a sample of 329 academic and nonacademic staff working at Omani higher education institutions. The authors utilized partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the model and test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThis study's findings reveal that inclusive leadership is related to job satisfaction. They also show that psychological ownership and employee thriving mediate between inclusive leadership and job satisfaction at Omani academic institutions.Practical implicationsSince employees at Omani academic institutions come from different cultures, academic leaders should manage and promote inclusiveness by developing and enforcing relevant policies. They should carefully select the workforce that stimulates growth and effectiveness, create an atmosphere to foster acceptance and exchange of ideas, improve performance appraisal practices, and embed inclusiveness in their vision and mission.Originality/valueThis research helps researchers and practitioners better understand how inclusiveness fosters vitality and learning in the higher education sector. It also sheds more light on how psychological ownership and employee thriving mediate between inclusive leadership and job satisfaction. This research is also important due to its context, as it was implemented in a multicultural environment with a diverse workforce.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: Influence on Organizational Performance

“…To develop a comprehensive conceptual model that describes the interactions between diversity, inclusion, employee retention, and job satisfaction, we can draw insights from several key references. Dahleez et al (2023) propose a model that links inclusive leadership to employees' job satisfaction through the mediating mechanisms of thriving at work and psychological ownership. This suggests that inclusive leadership plays a crucial role in influencing job satisfaction.…”

Inclusive Leadership and Workplace Bullying: A Model of Psychological Safety, Self-Esteem, and Embeddedness

“…Inclusive leaders provide a supportive and safe environment in which employees can voice their opinions. Research has demonstrated various positive outcomes arising from inclusive leadership such as happiness at work (Jha et al, 2023), structural empowerment (Lu et al, 2023), green innovative service behavior (Asghar et al, 2023), meaningful work (Shafaei & Nejati, 2023), organizational identification (Naseer et al, 2023), thriving at work (Dahleez et al, 2023), and resilience capacity (Gong et al, 2023), to name a few.…”