The Moderating Role of Ethical Leadership In the Relationship Between Person-Organization Fit and Organizational Commitment: A Case Study In Accomodation Establishments

Abstract

Ensuring the organizational commitment of employees in accommodation establishments significantly impacts business performance and efficiency. The concept of person-organization fit, which entails the alignment between the values and goals of employees and the goals of the organization, plays a crucial role in securing organizational commitment. Employees who have achieved person-organization fit are more likely to embrace their organizations, willingly transfer their knowledge and experience, and demonstrate creativity. Furthermore, the presence of fair, honest, and ethical leaders who motivate them within the organization is a key factor in fostering employee loyalty. With this perspective in mind, the aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the organizational commitment levels of employees in accommodation establishments in Izmir and their person-organization fit. Additionally, it seeks to investigate whether ethical leaders play a moderating role in this relationship. This study is believed to fill a gap in the literature as it is the first to incorporate these three variables together within the context of accommodation establishments. Ethics committee permission for the research was received by Izmir Katip Çelebi University Social Research Ethics Committee on the date of 22.05.2020.The research sample comprises employees working in 4 and 5-star hotels in the city center of Izmir, Turkey. A total of 447 questionnaires were collected, and the data were analyzed using the quantitative research method. According to the results of the Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis, ethical leadership has a significant impact on person-organization fit and organizational commitment. It has been revealed that ethical leadership has an effect on commitment, and person-organization fit also affects organizational commitment. On the other hand, while there was a statistically significant effect among the study variables, it was determined that ethical leadership did not play a moderating role in the relationship between organizational commitment and person-organization fit.