Transformational Leadership and Climate of Trust: The Mediating Role of Organizational Justice in Mellat Bank

Abstract

Despite widespread agreement on the positive outcomes of an organizational climate of trust, its antecedents have received comparatively limited scholarly attention. The present study examines the effect of transformational leadership on the climate of trust through the mediating role of organizational justice at Mellat Bank. This applied research employed a descriptive survey methodology. The statistical population consisted of employees from the Planning and Transformation Department and the Human Capital Department of Mellat Bank. Using stratified sampling, 274 employees were selected. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on both organizational justice and the climate of trust. Organizational justice also has a significant positive effect on the climate of trust and mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and the climate of trust. Strengthening transformational leadership alongside enhancing organizational justice can therefore serve as an effective strategy for developing a climate of trust in organizations.