7. Hayes Process Macro Model 5 - Multiple Mediators and a Moderator

Collaborative culture improves organizational performance through two parallel mediators—assurance and perceived organizational support—but that direct culture-to-performance link weakens as role ambiguity rises. The analysis uses Hayes Process Model 5 to test a setup with one independent variable (collaborative culture), two mediators (assurance and perceived organizational support), and one moderator (role ambiguity) that specifically moderates the direct path from culture to performance.

In SPSS, the model is run with organizational performance as the dependent variable, collaborative culture as the independent variable, assurance and perceived organizational support as mediators, and role ambiguity as the moderator. Variables are centered to reduce multicollinearity, and the interaction term between collaborative culture and role ambiguity is created. The output is organized so that each mediator gets its own model summary, followed by a combined outcome model for organizational performance.

For the mediator stage, culture significantly predicts both assurance and perceived organizational support (paths A1 and A2 are significant). In other words, higher collaborative culture is associated with stronger levels of both mediators. The next stage tests whether those mediators carry effects into organizational performance. Both mediator-to-outcome paths are significant: assurance significantly predicts organizational performance (B1), and perceived organizational support significantly predicts organizational performance (B2). Importantly, the direct effect of culture on performance remains significant even after accounting for both mediators, indicating that mediation does not fully explain the culture–performance relationship.

The moderation results focus on the interaction between collaborative culture and role ambiguity. The interaction term is significant, meaning role ambiguity changes how strongly culture translates into performance. Johnson–Neyman analysis and simple slope tests show a clear pattern: at low and average levels of role ambiguity, the effect of collaborative culture on organizational performance is statistically significant and relatively stronger (the reported effect is higher at the lower moderator value and declines at the average value). As role ambiguity increases, the culture effect diminishes and eventually becomes non-significant beyond a threshold moderator value (reported around 1.1642 in the Johnson–Neyman region). The practical takeaway is straightforward: when role ambiguity is high, increasing collaborative culture no longer produces the same performance gains.

Finally, the mediation results are quantified through indirect effects. The indirect effect through assurance (A1×B1) is significant, and the indirect effect through perceived organizational support (A2×B2) is also significant. Because the direct effect stays significant alongside significant indirect effects, the mediation is partial. The combined interpretation is that collaborative culture boosts performance both directly and indirectly—yet the direct pathway is contingent on role clarity. A reporting section is also outlined: state the moderation hypothesis, note the interaction’s significance and the centered variables used to avoid multicollinearity, describe the Johnson–Neyman/simple slope findings, and then report the two supported mediation hypotheses with evidence of partial mediation.