MOTIVATIONAL LANGUAGE AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES AND EMPLOYEES’ JOB SATISFACTION

Abstract

Job satisfaction is important in organizational behavior as it relates to positive or negative feelings of employees towards their job. Feelings culminate into attitudes which, at large, contribute in the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of employees in an organization. The review of extant literature indicated positive relationship between autocratic, democratic leadership and job satisfaction. This positive relationship calls for looking into what makes this relationship positive? Communication or language used by leaders is the foremost tool that forms the basis of this relationship. Based on Motivational Language Theory, the novelty of current study is inclusion of a mediator i-e motivational language between leadership styles and employees’ job satisfaction. Data was collected from private sector high schools and colleges in Punjab, Pakistan. Results revealed that leadership style is a predictor of job satisfaction which is mediated by motivational language. This research contributes to the body of knowledge as the findings of the study will provide knowledge on importance of training for leaders, guide management to hire trained staff, helpful for higher education commission (HEC) Pakistan and help leaders to communicate effectively with employees for high satisfaction and better performance.