Inclusive Leadership and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of High-Performance Practices and the Moderating Role of Climate for Inclusion

This study aims to examine the impact of inclusive leadership on job satisfaction through the role of high-performance practices. Moreover, it investigates the moderating role of climate for inclusion in the relationship between inclusive leadership and high-performance practices in the context of employees at various organizational levels, with a sample of 371 employees from the United States. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, our model suggests a mechanism, high-performance practices, through which inclusive leadership influences employee job satisfaction. In addition, climate for inclusion will moderate the relationship between inclusive leadership and high-performance practices. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Path Modeling. The findings show that high-performance practices partially mediate the relationship between inclusive leadership and job satisfaction, and inclusive leadership indirectly impacts job satisfaction through high-performance practices. In the meantime, climate for inclusion moderates the relationship between inclusive leadership and high-performance practices and the indirect effect of inclusive leadership on Job Satisfaction via high-performance practices. This study suggests that adopting inclusive leadership and fostering a supportive climate can significantly improve employee job satisfaction and organizational performance. In addition, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of our conclusions.