Abstract

Purpose: The research purpose is to examine the effect of task-oriented leadership on perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance in the logistics industry. Additionally, the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between task-oriented leadership and work motivation and organizational
performance variables is investigated.
Design/methodology/approach: In the research, factor analysis, PLS-SEM Path analysis and mediation effect analysis are carried out on the data collected from 346 white-collar (expert) employees working in logistics companies by using the Smart PLS 3.2 program.
Findings: The analysis results reveal that task-oriented leadership positively affects perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance. Additionally,
perceived organizational support significantly mediates the relationship between task-oriented leadership and both work motivation and organizational performance.
Theoretical implications: The research provides empirical evidence supporting the positive effects of task-oriented leadership on perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance. The research develops the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory (Graen and Uhl-Bien, 1995) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Deci and Ryan, 2000), and provides strong empirical validation for the Social Exchange Theory (SET) (Blau, 2017; Eisenberger et al., 1986) by confirming the mediating role of Perceived Organizational Support (POS). The research extends the application of LMX, SDT and SET by empirically demonstrating TOL influence on employees attitudes and performance through POS.
Practical implications: Findings show that companies in the logistics sector should adopt task-oriented leadership practices to improve employees' perception of organizational support, which in turn increases work motivation and organizational performance. Additionally, the importance of leadership development programs that focus on task-oriented strategies to foster a supportive work environment is emphasized.
Originality/value: The research is one of the few researches examination the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the logistics industry and provides new insights into how leadership styles can affect employee motivation and organizational outcomes.
Research limitations/implications: The fact that the research is limited to the logistics sector and white-collar employees may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future research may
expand the scope to include other industries and employee categories to confirm and extend current findings.