The role of compassionate leadership in predicting employee engagement: the influencing role of job clarity and implications for human resource development
Ryan Lauerman, Brad Shuck, Jason ImmekusPurpose
The study aims to examine the influence of compassionate leadership and role clarity on employee engagement based on data obtained from a large, multi-site banking organization in the Midwest United States. This research is an extension building upon a theoretical model based on Shuck et al. (2019), re-examining key constructs used in the initial study as a form of replication. Using the data set from the original study, this research shifted analytical approaches to assess the predictive power of role clarity and compassionate leadership with overall employee engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a multiple regression approach, both compassionate leadership and role clarity significantly contributed to higher employee engagement levels.
Findings
Compassionate leadership was shown to positively impact employee engagement, along with role clarity, which helped employees understand the boundaries of their overall work-related responsibilities.
Practical implications
Specific implications for research, theory and practice are discussed in relation to connection to current trends in HRD.
Originality/value
The novelty of this research highlights the importance of leadership and clear role definitions in Human Resource Development (HRD) strategies to foster employee engagement and reduce turnover.