Exploring the interrelationship between selected leadership styles, motivational stance and work engagement

Abstract

Orientation: In today's increasingly competitive and fast-changing world of business, organizations are under immense pressure to grow or even just to survive. Although it is important to have great products, brand and service, it is all for nothing if the employee does not execute in the field. Research purpose: This study aimed to explore the interrelationship between selected leadership styles, motivational stance and work engagement, viewing motivational stance as potential mediating factor that facilitates the link between leadership and work engagement. Motivation for the study: Sales professionals have long been remunerated by way of commission, mainly because previous studies have shown that the typical sales professional has a larger appetite for risk, and that such systems will potentially appeal to them. However, the SDT argues that although such commonly used extrinsic rewards can create short-term productivity increases, the resulting motivation is unsustainable. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative research design with a convenience sample (n = 128) was used. Questionnaires were distributed electronically to potential participants across 28 countries. The target respondent group was sales professionals in an engineering organization. The Servant Leadership Survey, Empowering Leadership Questionnaire, Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivational Scale, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were administered. Leadership styles were measured from a follower perspective, and did not include a self-evaluation of the leader's own style. Main findings: It was found that autonomous motivation correlates highly with work engagement among sales professionals. Moreover, mediation analysis revealed that autonomous motivation partially facilitates the influence of leadership on work engagement. Practical/managerial implications: The findings provide possible directions for how leaders can design the sales environment, utilizing the self-determination theory in order to facilitate higher levels of work engagement. Contribution/value-add: This study added value in that it investigated the influence of leadership on work engagement, viewing motivational stance as a potential mediating factor between the two constructs. This study further contributed to the literature in that it investigated the types of motivation that correlate highest to work engagement.