Drivers of Employee Engagement: The Role of Leadership Style

The primary objective of this research article is to study the drivers of employee engagement especially the influence of leadership style. The article has used a multi-cross-sectional descriptive design. The empirical study is based on the data collected from 340 front-line employees from five organizations across the service sector in the Delhi—National Capital Region (NCR). The results from this study reveal significant relationships between leadership styles and employee engagement. A moderating influence of age and education was also found in the relationship between leadership styles and employee engagement. The study highlights the importance and the significant role of employee engagement and the role leadership styles play in developing a culture of engagement. Appropriate leadership styles and human resource (HR) practices that drive engagement need to be fostered in organizations to drive performance. The instruments used for the study are Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X Short Rater Form) for leadership style and E3 (Development Dimensions International [DDI]) to capture employee engagement.