Organizational Trust as a Mediator for the Effect of Leadership Style on
Organizational Performance in Facilities Management Companies in Abu
Dhabi

Saeed Abdulla Salem Shantoof Alrashdi; Dr.Norsamsinar Binti Samsudin

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i01.004

Title: Organizational Trust as a Mediator for the Effect of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance in Facilities Management Companies in Abu Dhabi
Authors: Saeed Abdulla Salem Shantoof Alrashdi and Dr.Norsamsinar Binti Samsudin
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Publication Date: January 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i01.004
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Saeed Abdulla Salem Shantoof Alrashdi1 and Dr.Norsamsinar Binti Samsudin2 1. PhD candidate in Business Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia 2. Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia
MLA 8 Alrashdi, Saeed Abdulla Salem Shantoof, and Dr.Norsamsinar Binti Samsudin. "Organizational Trust as a Mediator for the Effect of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance in Facilities Management Companies in Abu Dhabi." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 43-56, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i01.004. Accessed Jan. 2026. APA 6 Alrashdi, S., & Samsudin, D. (2026, January). Organizational Trust as a Mediator for the Effect of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance in Facilities Management Companies in Abu Dhabi. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(1), 43-56. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i01.004 Chicago Alrashdi, Saeed Abdulla Salem Shantoof, and Dr.Norsamsinar Binti Samsudin. "Organizational Trust as a Mediator for the Effect of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance in Facilities Management Companies in Abu Dhabi." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 1 (January 2026), 43-56. Accessed January, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i01.004.
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ABSTRACT: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of leadership style on organizational performance in facilities management (FM) companies operating in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and to examine the mediating role of organizational trust. Grounded in leadership theory and social exchange theory, the study focuses on transformational leadership as a key factor in enhancing performance in service-oriented and knowledge-intensive organizations. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were collected from managerial and supervisory employees in FM companies. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis using SmartPLS software. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, with composite reliability values exceeding recommended thresholds and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values above 0.50 for all constructs. Structural model results indicate that transformational leadership has a significant positive effect on organizational performance (? = 0.265, t = 5.062, p < .001) and organizational trust (? = 0.475, t = 11.600, p < .001). Organizational trust also significantly influences organizational performance (? = 0.224, t = 4.292, p < .001). Mediation analysis reveals that organizational trust partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational performance, with a significant indirect effect (? = 0.106, t = 4.019, p < .001). The model explains 22.6% of the variance in organizational trust and 17.7% of the variance in organizational performance. This study contributes to the leadership and organizational behavior literature by empirically demonstrating the mediating role of organizational trust in the leadership–performance relationship.

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