Cross-Cultural Leadership, Organizational Commitment, and Customer Satisfaction: The Moderating Role of National Culture in Global Firms

Abstract

This study examined how national culture moderates the relationships among leadership perception, employee commitment, and customer satisfaction in multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Ghana. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 370 frontline employees and 1,110 customers across seven MNCs in the banking, telecommunications, and hospitality sectors. Leadership perception was measured using the GLOBE leadership scales, employee commitment was assessed using Meyer and Allen's three-component commitment scale, customer satisfaction was measured using SERVQUAL-derived scales, and national culture was operationalized through Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression with moderation analyses were conducted. Results revealed that national culture significantly moderated the relationship between leadership perception and affective commitment (β = -0.21, p < .001) and between leadership perception and customer satisfaction (β = -0.18, p < .01), such that these relationships were stronger in high collectivism contexts. Ethical leadership attributes demonstrated consistent positive effects on commitment across cultural contexts, suggesting universal applicability of certain leadership behaviors. The findings highlight that culturally congruent leadership practices enhance employee commitment and customer satisfaction. Implications for cross-cultural leadership development and service quality management in Ghanaian MNCs are discussed.