Corresponding Author: Dea Marsendah
E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
Leaders play an important role in generating
enthusiasm, improving the quality of the groups they lead, and raising the
degree of performance that may be achieved (Tania, 2017). A leader possesses abilities and strengths,
particularly in a specialized sector, and can collectively persuade others to
engage in activities to attain specified goals and outcomes (Bass, 2019).
Leadership cannot be isolated from the person who is
leading. Many people associate individual abilities with biological
distinctions, such as between men and women. This leads to gender inequity
through discrimination against women, even though women outnumber men globally (Heise et al., 2019). Today, gender is no longer the primary determinant.
Many previously performed by men are now well
performed by women, such as soldiers, drivers, mining equipment technicians,
project managers, petrol stations, etc. The phenomena of leadership styles in
Indonesia are fascinating topics with significant consequences for political
life and government. In business, leadership style impacts how an organization
runs and survives to fulfill its vision, mission, and goals (Maisyura et al., 2022). As a result, developing essential organizational
strategies is a challenge for the company and is dependent on leadership.
Executives have a significant impact on the performance of a company.
Leadership is an important aspect of organizational performance since an
organization's quality is reflected in the cooperation of its members and
leaders (Castelli, 2016).
Men typically lead organizations, although, in rare
instances, women must be able to lead an organization (Aulia, 2022). Many remarkable women have served as presidents,
commercial executives, organizational leaders, and other positions of power.
Leadership styles differ between men and women (Gipson et al., 2017). Men have a stronger belief in justice, whereas women
have a stronger belief in equality. Men also utilize more inclusive and
proactive techniques, and when women feel confident, disparities in leadership
are not noticed (Folkman et al., 2019). It was discovered by Eagly (1990) that women have
democratic tendencies and are valued as organizational leaders (Eagly, 2020).
Based on the background above, the objective of this
research is to determine and analyze the influence of female leaders'
communication styles on employee engagement. Thus, the benefits of this study
lie in providing a deeper understanding of how the communication style of
female leaders affects employee engagement. This opens a window of insight into
effective communication styles in the context of women's leadership. Other
benefits include providing valuable information for the development of more effective
leadership, particularly in gender contexts, and enhancing employee engagement.
This, in turn, can boost organizational performance and productivity.
METHOD
The study subjects
were several PT Biofarma employees who operated under the direction of women.
Women's transformational leadership styles (X1), communication
styles (X2), and employee engagement (Y) were the research objects.
Figure 1 illustrates how leadership style can directly impact employee
engagement. Leadership style can be moderated by communication style, thereby
influencing employee engagement.
To measure employee
engagement, questions based on a study conducted by (2015) were used to assess respondents' commitment to work and
commitment to the organization with a focus on transformational leadership
(idealizing influence, intellectual stimulation, personal consideration, and
inspirational aspects of motivation).
This research uses
primary data from a survey of company employees and secondary data from a study
using the library method to acquire data from books, related journals, and
electronic documents. This study's employee survey data were collected using
self-administered online questionnaires with a 6-point Likert scale; the
sampling method was designed specifically for employees who fulfilled the
criteria. The questionnaire consists of forty closed questions with answer
options that indicate the respondent's level of agreement or disagreement with
the questions posed.
The response
analysis of the questionnaire was conducted by gathering data based on the
results of the responses' recapitulation. SPSS is used to analyze questionnaire
response data. The SPSS procedure used in this study to display survey results
includes correlation analysis, regression analysis, and ANOVA tables. Validity
testing determines whether each statement item accurately measures the
variable. Pearson Product Moment is the correlation technique used to test the
validity of the statement items in this study (Obilor & Amadi, 2018). The instrument was also subjected to a single
reliability test, which was then analyzed using the Alpha-Cronbach method. Path
analysis was performed to determine causal relationships and direct or indirect
effects between dependent and independent variables. Regression testing with
intermediate variables aims to determine one variable's indirect effect on
other variables.
Figure 1. The
conceptual framework of the influence of women's leadership
�and communication style on employee engagement
at PT Biofarma
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A structured questionnaire sent via Google Forms was used
for data collection. From 143 responders, information was collected. Data from
respondents is required for this study to learn about respondents' backgrounds
so that the research findings may be explained. Based on factors including
gender, education, position, employee status, and present working time,
respondents are divided into various categories. The characteristics of
respondents are displayed in Table 1.
Table 1. Respondents' Characteristics
|
Respondents'
Characteristics
|
Frequency
|
Percentage
|
|
Gender
|
Male
|
77
|
53,85%
|
|
Female
|
66
|
46,15%
|
|
Age
|
≤ 20 yo
|
1
|
0,70%
|
|
> 20 - 30 yo
|
48
|
33,57%
|
|
> 30 - 40 yo
|
59
|
41,26%
|
|
> 40 - 50 yo
|
24
|
16,78%
|
|
≥ 50 yo
|
11
|
7,69%
|
|
Latest Education
|
High School
|
7
|
4,90%
|
|
D3
|
13
|
9,09%
|
|
S1
|
82
|
57,34%
|
|
S2
|
41
|
28,67%
|
|
Employment
Status
|
Biopharma's
employee
|
143
|
100,00%
|
|
Non-Biofarma's
employee
|
0
|
0,00%
|
|
Job Position
|
Head of
Division
|
3
|
2,10%
|
|
Head of
Department
|
18
|
12,59%
|
|
Head of
Section
|
46
|
32,17%
|
|
Staff
|
76
|
53,15%
|
|
Position of Women's
Direct Supervisor in the Company
|
Director
|
10
|
6,99%
|
|
Head of
Division
|
33
|
23,08%
|
|
Head of
Department
|
68
|
47,55%
|
|
Head of
Section
|
32
|
22,38%
|
|
Working Period
|
≤ 3 years
|
33
|
23,08%
|
|
> 3 to 5 years
|
11
|
7,69%
|
|
> 5 to 10 years
|
31
|
21,68%
|
|
> 10 to 15 years
|
38
|
26,57%
|
|
≥ 15 years
|
30
|
20,98%
|
|
Working Period with
Women�s Direct Supervisor
|
≤ 1 year
|
34
|
23,78%
|
|
> 1 to 3 years
|
45
|
31,47%
|
|
> 3 to 5 years
|
29
|
20,28%
|
|
> 5 to 10 years
|
24
|
16,78%
|
|
≥ 10 years
|
11
|
7,69%
|
Validity
Test
The validity of each statement in the measuring variables
was tested using the questionnaire. The approach utilized in this validation
test is Pearson Product Moment. The findings of the validity test show that all
propositional items on the three research variable instruments have validity
coefficients that are greater than the crucial value of 0,3; this indicates
that the statements on the instrument can be utilized as a measuring device in
research and for analysis.
Reliability Test
To assess the instrument's reliability, the
Alpha-Cronbach approach was applied. The questionnaire is considered reliable
if the reliability index is more than 0,7. The results of the reliability test
are as follows :
Table 2. Reliability Test Results of Research Questionnaire
|
Variables
|
Reliability Index
|
Critical Ratio
|
|
Transformational
leadership
|
0,947
|
0,7
|
|
Communication
style
|
0,941
|
0,7
|
|
Employee
engagement
|
0,947
|
0,7
|
Table 2 shows that the index consistency for 40 items on transformational
leadership by women was 0.947; for communication style, it was 0.941; and for
employee engagement, it was 0.947. It increases the value of the responses
obtained since the data is appropriate for analyzing the influence of women's
leadership on employee engagement with communication styles as an intervening
factor. These findings suggest that the questionnaire's statement items are
reliable for measuring their variables.
Path
Analysis
The
Influence of Transformational Leadership on Communication Styles
The results of calculations and data processing using SPSS 27.0 obtained
the path coefficient of each independent variable shown in the table below:
Table 3. Path Coefficient of Transformational Leadership to Communication
Styles
|
Variable
|
Path
Coefficient
|
t
|
p-value
|
R-Square
|
1- R-Square
|
|
X → Y
|
0,887
|
22,794
|
0.000
|
0,787
|
0,213
|
From Table 3, the total effect of transformational leadership variables
on communication styles is 0.787 or 78.7%. In contrast, the remaining 21.3% is
the influence of other factors outside the independent variables.
The
Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employee Engagement
The results of calculations and
data processing using SPSS 27.0 obtained the path coefficient of the direct
effect variable shown in the table below:
Table 4. Path Coefficient of Transformational Leadership
to Employee Engagement
|
Variable
|
Path
Coefficient
|
t
|
p-value
|
R-Square
|
1- R-Square
|
|
X → Z
|
0,886
|
22,683
|
0.000
|
0,785
|
0,215
|
From Table 4, the total effect of transformational leadership variables
on employee engagement t is 0.785 or 78.5%. In contrast, the remaining 21.5% is
the influence of other factors outside the independent variables.
The
Influence of Communication Styles on Employee Engagement
The results of calculations and data processing using SPSS 27.0 obtained
the path coefficient of the direct effect variable shown in the table below:
Table 5. Path Coefficient of Communication Styles to
Employee Engagement
|
Variable
|
Path
Coefficient
|
t
|
p-value
|
R-Square
|
1- R-Square
|
|
Y → Z
|
0,906
|
25,399
|
0.000
|
0,821
|
0,179
|
From Table 5, the total effect of communication styles on employee
engagement is 0.821 or 82.1%. In contrast, the remaining 17.9% is the influence
of other factors outside the independent variables.
Hypothesis Test
Table 6.
Summary Result of Hypothesis Testing
|
Variables
|
Path
Coefficient
|
t
|
p-value
|
H0
|
H1
|
|
The Effect
of Transformational Leadership on Communication Style
|
0,887
|
22,794
|
0,000
|
Declined
|
Accepted
|
|
The Effect
of Transformational Leadership on Employee Engagement
|
0,886
|
22,683
|
0,000
|
Declined
|
Accepted
|
|
The Effect
of Communication Style on Employee Engagement
|
0,906
|
25,399
|
0,000
|
Declined
|
Accepted
|
The
Influence of Transformational Leadership on Employee Engagement with
Communication Style as an Intervening Variable
Partial testing is carried out
with the following hypothesis.
|
H0
|
:
|
Transformational leadership
does not significantly affect employee engagement, with communication styles
as an intervening variable.
|
|
H1
|
:
|
Transformational leadership
significantly affects employee engagement, with communication styles as an
intervening variable.
|
By using the Sobel test, a Z value of 22,071 was obtained. When compared
to the Zconstant value of 1.98, Zvalue is more than Zconstant or 22,071 >
1.98, and H0 is rejected, indicating that transformational leadership has a
significant effect on employee engagement with communication styles as an
intervening variable.
Table 12. Sobel Test Result
|
Zvalue
|
Zconstant (5%)
|
Conclusion
|
|
22,071
|
1,98
|
H1 accepted
|
According to the data analysis findings, female superiors'
transformational leadership has a major impact on communication style. The
greater a leader's transformational leadership style, the better his or her
communication style. According to this study, a good transformational
leadership style includes demonstrating professional moral standards,
developing trust with superiors, receiving motivation and support from leaders
to do the best work possible, and expressing gratitude for the work done.
According to the findings of the data research, female superiors'
transformational leadership has a substantial impact on staff engagement. The
greater a leader's transformational leadership style, the greater the workforce
involvement. According to this study, an effective transformational leadership
style includes offering opportunities to learn and develop at work, providing
support to increase employee abilities, and displaying concern for health and
work-life balance (work-life balance).
The data analysis results also suggest that the female supervisor's
communication style substantially affects staff engagement. The more a leader's
communication style, the greater workforce involvement. According to this
study, good communication styles include opportunities to ask questions and
express opinions, opportunities to participate in decision-making, listening
skills, and assistance in recognizing needs and preferences in workplace
communication.
Providing a forum for employees to ask questions and express their ideas
is critical to enhancing employee engagement. According to Simon Sinek, a
researcher at 'Start with Why?' "A good listener has a huge
advantage." First, when they converse, they make people 'feel' heard. They
'feel' as if someone understands their wants, needs, and desires. Moreover,
with reason: good listeners want to comprehend" (Bessie, 2023).
Transformational leadership is believed to impact employee engagement
through communication style substantially (Kairupan, 2017). This demonstrates how a
transformative leadership style accompanied by effective communication can
encourage people to become more involved in the organization.
Employee engagement happens when employees are given resources to assist
them in meeting goals and are given the assurance that they are needed, valued,
and respected at work. This can lead to improved individual or group
performance as well as a solid foundation for organizational sustainability (Kim
et al., 2013). Employees who are highly
engaged are more likely to work harder for longer periods, to take proactive
action against emerging dangers and difficulties, to expand their role in the
workplace, and to adapt more quickly to change (Xanthopoulou
et al., 2013). Of course, these advantages
can improve team performance and do not rule out the possibility of improving
corporate performance.
CONCLUSION
Based on the research results, employee
engagement is influenced by transformative leadership. A similar effect is
observed regarding the intervention of communication styles on employee
engagement. Companies can utilize the information from this study as a resource
to drive the development of transformative leadership styles and enhance
communication skills to boost employee engagement. As a strategic and long-term
investment for the organization, leadership development programs for aspiring
leaders can be established as part of the development program. This is done to
enhance employee engagement in the company's operations. The transformative
leadership style of female superiors has a significantly positive impact on
staff engagement. Sustaining this leadership style and communication can
further improve staff engagement, thereby enhancing company performance. The
influence of transformative leadership styles on employee engagement was
studied through the growth of female executives, or "Srikandi," in
State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), particularly in Biopharma..
REFERENCES
Aulia, H. D. (2022). Kepemimpinan perempuan dalam lembaga
pendidikan islam: studi kasus di Pondok Pesantren Syaikh Zainuddin NW Anjani.
UIN Mataram.
Bass, B. L. (2019). What is leadership? Leadership in
Surgery, 1�10.
Bessie, P. A. (2023). Valence Translation Shift Found in
Start With Why into Indonesian. New Voices in Translation Studies, 28(2).
Castelli, P. A. (2016). Reflective leadership review: A
framework for improving organisational performance. Journal of Management
Development, 35(2), 217�236.
Eagly, A. H. (2020). Once more: The rise of female leaders. American
Psychological Association, Available at: Www. Apa.
Org/Research/Action/Female-Leaders.
Folkman, A. K., Tveit, B., & Sverdrup, S. (2019).
Leadership in interprofessional collaboration in health care. Journal of
Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 97�107.
Gipson, A. N., Pfaff, D. L., Mendelsohn, D. B., Catenacci, L.
T., & Burke, W. W. (2017). Women and leadership: Selection, development,
leadership style, and performance. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science,
53(1), 32�65.
Heise, L., Greene, M. E., Opper, N., Stavropoulou, M.,
Harper, C., Nascimento, M., Zewdie, D., Darmstadt, G. L., Greene, M. E., &
Hawkes, S. (2019). Gender inequality and restrictive gender norms: framing the
challenges to health. The Lancet, 393(10189), 2440�2454.
Kairupan, D. J. I. (2017). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan
Transformasional Terhadap Keterlibatan Kerja Karyawan Dengan Orientasi Budaya
Individu Sebagai Variabel Pemoderasi. Jurnal Manajemen, 7(2), 13�29.
Kim, W., Kolb, J. A., & Kim, T. (2013). The relationship
between work engagement and performance: A review of empirical literature and a
proposed research agenda. Human Resource Development Review, 12(3),
248�276.
Maisyura, M., Aisyah, T., & Ilham, R. N. (2022). Transformational
Leadership In Organizational Transformation. Jurnal Ekonomi, 11(03),
478�488.
Obilor, E. I., & Amadi, E. C. (2018). Test for
significance of Pearson�s correlation coefficient. International Journal of
Innovative Mathematics, Statistics & Energy Policies, 6(1), 11�23.
Sadeli, J. (2015). The influence of leadership, talent
management, organizational cultureand organizational support on employee
engagement. International Research Journal of Business Studies, 5(3),
195�215.
Tania, Y. (2017). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional
dan Motivasi Kerja terhadap Kinerja Karyawan pada PT. Premier Management
Consulting. Agora, 5(1).
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., & Fischbach, A. (2013).
Work engagement among employees facing emotional demands. Journal of
Personnel Psychology.
