THE ROLE OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL ON EFFECTING INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS PERFORMANCE THROUGH LEADER-MEMBER INTERACTION: A RESEARCH ON RETAIL SECTOR

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how the perseverance work of employees and especially leader-member interaction affect their business performance, if the employees in an organization are happy, their interactions with their managers are healthy, they have self-confidence, and they maintain their optimism and hopes even against negative situations. Conceptually, in this study, the relationship between the positive psychological capital of the employees and their perceptions of individual performance and work performance was observed, and the mediator effect of leader-member interaction on this relationship was examined. Home textile retail sector of Turkey was taken as universe and the employees of the biggest company in this sector were taken as sample of this universe in order to conduct the questionnaire of the research. In order to measure positive psychological capital levels of employees, the psychological capital scale developed by Luthans et al. was used which was translated into Turkish by Erkmen and Esen. In order to determine the perception levels of the employees regarding leader-member interaction, the multidimensional leader-member interaction scale developed by Liden and Maslyn was used which was translated into Turkish by Baş, Keskin and Mert. And the individual performance perception scale developed by Erben was used to measure individual performance perception levels. As employees' performance scores, the arithmetic average of store sales targets realization percentage and the percentage of mystery shopper evaluation points, prepared by an independent company, were used. According to the findings, positive psychological capital affects individuals' perceptions of performance through leader-member interaction and affects the business performance results of employees both positively and negatively. In this interaction, it was determined that the positive or negative contribution of the leader affected the business performance results directly, proportionally and strongly.