The effect of leadership style on sustainable performance in UAE Ministry of Interior : The role of work engagement and organizational commitment

Leadership style plays a critical role in shaping sustainable performance, yet existing studies have predominantly focused on developed countries and the private sector, yielding mixed findings. This study investigates the impact of transformational and transactional leadership on sustainable performance and work engagement within the police forces of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study also examines the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating effect of organisational commitment between transformational and transactional leaderships and sustainable performance. The study targets middle management within the police forces, collecting 321 responses through an online questionnaire. Data were analysed using Smart Partial Least Square (Smart PLS 4). The findings reveal that both transformational and transactional leadership positively influence sustainable performance and work engagement. Moreover, work engagement fully mediates the effect of transformational leadership on sustainable performance, while it partially mediates the effect of transactional leadership on sustainable performance. Additionally, organisational commitment moderates the impact of both transformational and transactional leadership on sustainable performance. To enhance the validity of the quantitative results, expert interviews were conducted with three experts in organizational studies, who confirmed the statistical findings and provided real world contextual insights. The study underscores the importance of developing a balanced leadership approach that integrates transformational and transactional elements to optimize sustainable performance. Strengthening work engagement and fostering organisational commitment are essential strategies for improving sustainability outcomes within the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Future research should explore sustainable performance in different countries and sectoral contexts to deepen understanding in this field