Transformational leadership to improve the intrinsic satisfaction of public workers in northern Peru

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of transformational leadership on intrinsic motivation at work, taking as a Sample workers from the municipalities of three cities in the department of Tumbes, Peru. A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used, and a sample of 305 employees with an average age of 35 years was studied, comprising 51.8% men and 48.2% women. To evaluate transformational leadership and intrinsic job satisfaction, properly adapted instruments were applied, which demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability. The results obtained through structural equation modeling revealed a moderate and positive relationship between transformational leadership and intrinsic satisfaction. Additionally, regression analysis indicated that transformational leadership can explain up to 50% of the variability in intrinsic job satisfaction. It is concluded that effective leadership not only contributes to increasing workers' internal motivation but also improves their overall psychological well-being. This, in turn, positively impacts their job performance, job satisfaction levels, and the quality of services they provide within their organizations. From a practical perspective, these results highlight the importance of training leaders and supervisors in transformational skills to foster more motivating, healthy, and productive work environments. Implementing leadership development programs can be a key strategy for improving both organizational climate and institutional results.