Leadership Styles and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Organizational Trust

Abstract

Leadership is considered the main asset for organizational success, as it leads to the work-life satisfaction of employees. Since employees are the backbone of any organization, workforce analytics are also believed to be of paramount importance in this competitive world. This research aims to investigate the influence of leadership styles (autocratic, visionary, and ethical leadership) on work engagement. The framework of the study was underpinned with Theory X and Theory Y. Total of 191 finalized responses out of 250 were gathered from professionals working on leadership roles in national and multinational organizations of the beverages industry of Pakistan. SMARTPLS was used for analyzing the validity and reliability of constructs and hypothesis testing. All hypotheses were accepted which shows the significant relationships of the proposed framework of the study, except the relationship between autocratic leadership and work engagement along with its mediating correlation with organizational trust. In practical terms, the findings of this research will assist management and organization in enhancing their focus on policy-making based on the perspectives of professional workers.