Leadership influence on the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction in computer-mediated communication environments

Abstract

The growth of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has influenced the communication process channels and the possible effects of the interaction between job satisfaction, communication satisfaction, and leadership. The aim of the current research is to test how transactional, transformational, and level 5 leadership styles influence the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction in CMC environments. The sample included 103 participants from Colombian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tertiary sector. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, SPSS was used to determine the relationships between variables and test the moderating effects. Results show that 65.4% of organisational communication is performed via the Internet. Findings also demonstrate that level 5 leadership is the only style that influences the relationship. Results also indicate that the influence of level 5 leadership increases the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction. Implications are particularly relevant during the current global COVID19 pandemic when people have been required to move to a virtual work environment. In this scenario, the findings are valuable for scholars and managers as contributions for literature, research, evaluation, decision-making, and policy creation that help to understand and improve communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and leadership practices in CMC environments. Outcomes offer new insights in the literature about leadership styles on SMEs in CMC environments. Level 5 is a recent leadership approach which has not been widely studied by researchers and scholars. The moderating effect of level 5 in relation to transactional and transformational leadership styles is an important theoretical input for literature.