Leadership theories and the concept of work engagement: Creating a conceptual framework for management implications and research

Abstract

During the past decade, a great deal of research has been carried out on the importance of employee engagement. In various studies, engagement is viewed as a positive state of mind of overwhelming satisfaction, which is characterized by feelings of vigour, dedication and absorption. In this article, ‘vigour’ refers to a state of mind in which individuals feel energetic, fit, strong and indefatigable. ‘Dedication’ refers to a state of mind in which individuals feel highly engaged by their work, which inspires them, and makes them feel proud and enthusiastic. ‘Absorption’ refers to a pleasant state of mind in which individuals are fully immersed in their work. This article provides an overview of a number of perspectives on leadership and discusses which leadership factors are likely to be the most effective in ensuring that employees remain engaged and productive. It also provides a conceptual model for further research on the relationship between leadership styles and work engagement.

How to improve ship crew’s work effectiveness through the leadership style, work life balance and employee engagement in Indonesia national shipping

“…Research gives understanding of some perspectives on leadership style and discusses which leadership factors may be the most effective to ascertain that the employees are still engaged and productive. A conceptual model is needed for further research on the relationship between leadership style and work engagement (Blomme et al, 2015). Appropriate leadership styles and Human Resource practices that encourage engagement need to be nurtured in the organization to drive performance (Popli & Rizvi, 2016).…”

Ethical Leadership, Affective Commitment, Work Engagement, and Creativity: Testing a Multiple Mediation Approach

“…Likewise, successful organizations regard employees' work engagement (WE) as one of the most important elements for their survival [13] and improved organizational performance [14]. Employees' WE is connected with positive institutional and individual outcomes, such as improvement of productivity and organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, and strengthening managerial efficiency and effectiveness [15]. In contrast, these individual and organizational outcomes decrease with employees' dis-engagement [13].…”

Better leadership, higher work engagement? Comparative study on Finnish and Russian private sector employees

“…It is clear that organizations should invest in leadership quality to enhance work engagement, and therefore, to get a competitive advantage. Taking important roles leaders play in promoting engagement of their followers into account, we would agree with Blomme et al (2015) that the level of work engagement may well be indicative of the effectiveness of a manager's leadership style.…”

“…Much less empirical studies (e.g., Allen and Rogelberg, 2013) used facet-based approach revealing what a leader actually does, and what concrete leader's actions contribute most to subordinates' work engagement. As it was recently mentioned by Blomme et al (2015), the literature on this issue is scarce. Meanwhile, exploring certain facets of leadership in facilitating work engagement seems to be very promising since it shifts focus from a leader's personality to the quality of management in a workgroup or in organization as a whole.…”