Leadership Styles and Communication and Their Effects on Workplace Culture
Session Title
Poster Session 1
Faculty Mentor
Melissa Carsten, Ph.D., Tracy Griggs, Ph.D., Darren Ritzer, Ph.D.
College
College of Business Administration
Department
Management & Marketing
Abstract
Having a positive workplace culture is an important aspect for all organizations. Since COVID-19, many organizations are trying to refresh and revamp their companies’ workplace culture to integrate pre-COVID-19 norms of the in-person workplace. In order to assess how this revamping and integration might best proceed, this research examines a mid-sized, privately held firm in the southeast USA. This company is seeking to improve the workplace culture through their management’s leadership practices. Surveys were completed by 459 employees and 96 supervisors with questions about communication, leadership practices, and overall workplace culture. Results show that participative leadership was not related to workplace culture, however, leadership style was strongly related to communication and trust in employees. The results point to incongruence between perceptions of managers and perceptions of employees when considering participative leadership styles. The implications of this research can aid businesses in their efforts to realign culture with leadership after the pandemic.
Honors Thesis Committee
Melissa Carsten, Ph.D., Tracy Griggs, Ph.D., Darren Ritzer, Ph.D.
Previously Presented/Performed?
Winthrop University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023.
Type of Presentation
Poster presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
Leadership Styles and Communication and Their Effects on Workplace Culture
Having a positive workplace culture is an important aspect for all organizations. Since COVID-19, many organizations are trying to refresh and revamp their companies’ workplace culture to integrate pre-COVID-19 norms of the in-person workplace. In order to assess how this revamping and integration might best proceed, this research examines a mid-sized, privately held firm in the southeast USA. This company is seeking to improve the workplace culture through their management’s leadership practices. Surveys were completed by 459 employees and 96 supervisors with questions about communication, leadership practices, and overall workplace culture. Results show that participative leadership was not related to workplace culture, however, leadership style was strongly related to communication and trust in employees. The results point to incongruence between perceptions of managers and perceptions of employees when considering participative leadership styles. The implications of this research can aid businesses in their efforts to realign culture with leadership after the pandemic.
