Rethinking leadership in remote work: a thematic analysis of employees’ perceptions of transactional and passive-avoidant leadership on work engagement

Abstract

Purpose – This paper explores how remote employees perceive transactional and passive-avoidant leadership styles in the context of their work engagement in fully remote environments. While research on these styles and their relationship with work engagement exists in traditional contexts, limited attention has been given to their impact on distributed teams, especially from a qualitative perspective. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study was conducted in Ireland and the UK, drawing on nineteen remote employees recruited via purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online and were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to capture employees’ perceptions of transactional and passive-avoidant leadership in relation to remote work engagement. Findings – Transactional methods (e.g. rewards and structured feedback) offer short-term engagement and motivation benefits but can suffer without empathetic, context-aware management. Surprisingly, passive-avoidant behaviours benefit experienced, self-motivated employees if supported by trust and open communication, though less experienced or confident staff may feel neglected. Research limitations/implications – The limited, region-specific sample (Ireland and the UK) and cross-sectional design affect broader generalisability. Future research should utilise larger, more diverse samples and longitudinal methods to track how leadership styles and engagement evolve in distributed teams. Originality/value – This study is among the first qualitative inquiries into transactional and passive-avoidant styles in fully remote environments. It expands our understanding of how remote leaders can mitigate the global challenge of workforce disengagement by balancing autonomy, transactional methods, empathy and appropriate oversight.