The effect of transformational leadership and personality on employees’ work engagement in a consumer goods company
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Date
2019-12
Authors
Motlhabane, Gloria Kgalalelo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Consumer goods companies experiences various challenges due to poor labour markets, inflexible recruitments, employment termination practices, and tensions in employee-employer relationships. Further, challenges arise owing to competition from other service providers and unexpected threats, dealing with the competing demands and increased customer demands. These challenges impact consumer goods companies and can result in reduced productivity, reduced employee engagement, low employee commitment, low performance, lack of job satisfaction and higher intention to quit work. Consequently, failure to address these leads to a persistent lack of engagement within the consumer goods companies. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the possible effect that transformational leadership and personality have on work engagement. The secondary aim of the study was to determine whether there are gender differences concerning work engagement. The study’s data was collected from five stores of a large retail organisation in Bloemfontein. The individuals, who participated, from the study’s set sample of 200 participants, were 150 and their participation adhered to ethical standards such as informed consent, anonymity, and voluntary participation. The data gathering instruments used in this study were the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), the Leadership Behaviour Scale (LBS), the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Self-liking and Competence Scale-revised (SLCS-R). The results of the current study revealed that the variables (transformational leadership and personality) had a significant relationship with work engagement. Specifically, the results indicated a significant relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement. The results also indicated a significant relationship between psychological capital, as a measure of personality, and work engagement. Furthermore, the results showed a significant relationship between self-esteem and work engagement. The results from a multiple regression analysis also carried in the study showed that only three variables, hope, articulating a vision and self-efficacy, were significant predictors of work engagement. Moreover, personality (as measured by PsyCap) seems to have a greater influence (31%) on employees’ levels of work engagement than leadership (9%). Finally, females scored higher than males and yet, the present results indicated that there were no significant difference between male and females concerning work engagement. The study had a small but significant sample that reflected the willingness of the individuals to participate, the nature of study results and in suggesting possible future studies on work engagement. Self-competence and self-liking, which forms part of self-esteem had low reliability estimates. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale has been identified as an alternative measure of self-esteem that could be applied by future researchers. In addition, future research should focus on the type of work (masculine versus feminine) that might be of interest. Future research can also consider developing interventions of work engagement that will focus on both individuals and the organisation at large.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2019, Transformational leadership, Organizational changes, Leadership -- Psychological aspects, Leadership -- Gender