Employee engagement and distance : a case study exploring the effects of directive and empowering leadership on employee engagement when employees are distant

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore the relationship between directive and empowering leadership styles and employee engagement when there is distance between leader and follower. In order to explore this relationship we employ a single-case study focusing on a multinational medical company. We anchor our study in existing research and definitions in order to make propositions that are in line with established theory. Based on qualitative interviews we propose that distance between leader and follower enhances negative effects on employee engagement caused by the leader’s actions. We also identify a relationship between expanded control functions within an organization and employee disengagement, where expanded organizational control leads to a decrease in employee engagement.