Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Amy Stevens

Keywords

affective commitment, servant leadership, bottom line mentality, Theory X and Theory Y, Social Determination Theory, meaningfulness

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

This quantitative correlational study examined how servant leadership (SL), bottom-line mentality (BLM), Theory X/Y orientation (XY), and Theory X/Y manager–worker congruence relate to affective commitment (AC) in contemporary workplaces. In response to persistently high turnover and low engagement, even amid widespread wellness initiatives, this study positions AC as a vital, yet often overlooked, contributor to organizational resilience. While grounded in a Christian worldview, this research was applied within secular workplace contexts to examine how leadership styles and orientations, such as SL, BLM, and XY, may reflect relational and psychological conditions that shape a worker’s AC. Participants included individuals who were currently employed or had been employed within the past two years, across a wide range of sectors and organizational roles. The study captured diverse perspectives by recruiting 102 individuals through SurveyMonkey, using outreach strategies designed to reach professionals from varied geographic and occupational backgrounds. Statistical procedures included Spearman correlations and simple linear regression analyses to examine the predictive relationships between leadership orientations, leadership behaviors, and affective commitment. Additional regressions using congruence scores assessed the influence of alignment between workers’ and managers’ leadership assumptions on affective commitment outcomes. Results indicated that servant leadership was positively associated with affective commitment, bottom line mentality was negatively associated, worker Theory X and Theory Y orientations showed strong, theoretically consistent relationships with affective commitment, and manager–worker congruence significantly predicted affective commitment. Findings may inform more effective human resource strategies, reinforcing the power of leadership orientations and behaviors grounded in empathy, purpose, and relational trust to counteract performance centric environments. The results indicate that affective commitment is cultivated rather than extracted, positioning servant leadership as a redemptive alternative to transactional management.

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