Effects of Organizational Climate and Servant Leadership on Work Engagement Among Japanese Nurses: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety.

BACKGROUND: Work engagement is a pivotal concept associated with nurses' occupational well-being, performance, and retention. According to the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, work engagement is enhanced by job resources in the workplace. In nursing settings, hierarchical structures and interpersonal sensitivities may inhibit open expression, suggesting that psychological safety plays an important role in workplace interactions and work engagement. However, the mechanisms through which organizational climate and leadership influence work engagement via psychological safety have not been sufficiently examined. AIM: This study examined the mediating effect of psychological safety on the relationships between organizational climate, servant leadership, and work engagement among Japanese hospital nurses. METHOD: A questionnaire survey was conducted among nurses working in hospital wards in Japan. The study analyzed data on 306 participants, using the Japanese Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9, Japanese Psychological Safety Scale, Ward Organizational Climate Scale, and Servant Leadership Scale, Japanese version. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the mediating effect of psychological safety. RESULTS: Organizational climate had a significant positive association with psychological safety, which, in turn, was significantly associated with work engagement. Organizational climate showed a significant indirect association with work engagement through psychological safety. Servant leadership, however, did not demonstrate significant effects on either psychological safety or work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that organizational climate is associated with nurses' work engagement through psychological safety. Within the tested model, organizational climate showed a stronger association with psychological safety than servant leadership. These findings also extend the application of the JD-R model by suggesting that psychological safety may function as an interpersonal mechanism linking organizational climate to nurses' work engagement. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the development of a workplace environment that allows nurses to speak openly and seek consultation with confidence.