AUTHOR=Zhou Xiang , Bai Xue , Yang Xin , Chen Yan 

TITLE=The effect of authentic leadership and organizational climate on job embeddedness in Chinese nurses: the mediating role of affective commitment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1572684

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1572684

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=IntroductionJob embeddedness is beneficial for promoting nurse retention, positive organizational behavior, and patient outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to give more attention to the job embeddedness of nurses. This study aims to explore the mediating role of affective commitment in the perception of authentic leadership, organizational climate, and job embeddedness among Chinese nurses.MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed 716 clinical nurses from hospitals in northern China. The data analysis methods included a descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, and Bootstrap mediation effect test.ResultsWe found a significant positive correlation between authentic leadership, organizational climate, affective commitment, and the job embeddedness of nurses. Affective commitment partially mediates authentic leadership and job embeddedness and fully mediates organizational climate and job embeddedness.DiscussionAuthentic leadership style is an important factor affecting the job embeddedness of nurses; affective commitment as a mediating variable more clearly reveals the impact of authentic leadership and organizational climate on job embeddedness. Nursing managers should develop an authentic leadership style, improve organizational climate, effectively enhance affective commitment, strengthen nurses’ job embeddedness, and promote nurse retention.