Impact of Leaders’ Communication Styles on Employee Engagement in Commercial Banks

This study examined how various leader communication style (LCS) dimensions influence employees engagement in the commercial banking sector. Using a self-administered survey of 200 employees from multiple branches of commercial banks of Khairpur in Sindh, Pakistan, we tested an integrated six-dimensional LCS model (expressiveness, preciseness, questioning, verbal aggressiveness, emotionality, and impression manipulativeness) against employee engagement outcomes. Data was analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SmartPLS 4). Results revealed that all six communication style dimensions had a significant positive association with employee engagement. For example, the emotional dimension showed the strongest effect (β=0.430, p<0.001), while questioning and impression manipulativeness showed smaller but significant effects. These findings suggested that leaders who communicate clearly, emotionally, and inclusively tend to foster higher engagement among subordinates. Practical implications include the need for banks to train leaders in transparent, empathic communication and active listening to boost motivation and organizational performance. The study contributes to leadership communication theory by validating the positive role of leader communication behaviors in a banking sector.