Effects of employees’ sense of coherence on leadership style and work engagement

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which employees’ sense of coherence (SOC) mediated their perception of their leaders’ style and work engagement. Study participants comprised a convenience sampling of 200 employees of the manufacturing sector industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (females = 40%; age range 40 to 55; mean years of work experience = 12.5; SD = 41.9). They completed the Leadership Behaviour Descriptive Questionnaire (LBDQ), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ). Data was analysed by means of a hierarchical regression analysis to determine the influence of employees’ self-reported SOC on their perceived leadership style and work engagement. The results indicated that employees’ SOC explains perceived leadership style and work engagement only among those with high SOC. By implication, high SOC is an organisational culture resource for the leader–followers relationship, psychological health, and organisation productivity.

Keywords:

• consideration leadership
• initiating structural leadership
• leadership
• sense of coherence
• work engagement