EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS’S POSITIVE MOOD, SATISFACTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT – EVIDENCE FROM VIETNAM

The study aims to examine the correlations among leadership styles, employee job satisfaction, positive moods, and organizational commitment in the public sector in Vietnam. A quantitative approach was implemented using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The questionnaire was distributed to 457 respondents working in public agencies in seven southern provinces of Vietnam. The findings concluded that three leadership styles (task-oriented, relation-oriented, change-oriented) directly predicted positive moods, but only task-oriented and change-oriented leadership directly affected employee job satisfaction. Further associations were also confirmed, including the positive effects of positive mood and job satisfaction on organizational commitment. Consequently, the indirect influences between the independent variables (leadership styles) were also indicated. Perceiving the significance of organizational commitment as well as job satisfaction and positive moods from the empirical results, public leaders are able to establish their own appropriate strategies and policies to improve organizational performance in the public sector. Moreover, this article would provide a basis for further analyses in public administration, as this paper is one of the very first leading academic studies in Vietnam public sector.