Chief Petty Officers’ Leadership Behaviors as a Predictor of United States Navy Enlisted Sailors’ Organizational Commitment

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to examine if and to what extent enlisted sailors’ perceptions of their Chief Petty Officers’ (CPO) transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership behaviors combined predicted the enlisted sailors’ organizational commitment within USN commands located in the United States. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) measured transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership. The Three-Component Model (TCM) Employee Commitment Survey measured affective, continuance, and normative commitment. From a target population of approximately 32,500 enlisted sailors, the final was 418. A multiple linear regression analysis examined the predictive relationship between CPOs' leadership behaviors and enlisted sailors' organizational commitment. The linear regression model results were significant for all three psychological components of organizational commitment; affective organizational commitment: F(3, 414) = 82.993, p < .0005, adj. R² = .371, continuance organizational commitment F(3, .414) = 16.616, p < .005, adj. R² = .056, normative organizational commitment F(3, 414) = 52.102, p < .0005, adj. R² = .274. The null hypotheses were rejected since the linear regression model results were statistically significant for all three psychological components of organizational commitment. These findings suggest using the full range leadership model in training may strengthen organizational commitment among enlisted sailors.