Say, stay or thrive : the effects of leadership style and psychological safety on employee engagement
Authors
Nelson, Stuart
Issue Date
2016
Degree
BA (Hons) in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of leadership style and psychological safety on employee engagement. It further examined if these variables differed in organisations that carried out initiatives such as Lean or Six Sigma and the impact they on the program success. A self-selecting sample (N=122) completed a series of questions including the MLQ rater, UWES and Team Learning Psychological Safety instruments along with demographic information. A mixed design was used, part-correlational and part cross-sectional. Results found that Transformational leadership style and Psychological safety predicted Employee Engagement and that Quality Initiative organisations scored significantly higher on Transformational leadership, Psychological Safety and Engagement. These factors also predicted the success of the Quality Initiative. This research demonstrated the importance of transformation leadership and a psychologically safe environment to improve engagement, moreover, both can be learned. Author keywords: Transformational Leadership; Employee Engagement; Psychological Safety; Lean; Six Sigma