Influence of Leader Communication on Employee Motivation

摘要

Ineffective communication is a chief contributor to business leaders' ineffective leadership. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the communication strategies that 4 business leaders in the retail industry used to improve employee motivation. The business leaders, including owners and senior leadership from 3 organizations in the retail industry in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, were purposefully selected for study participation. Transformational leadership theory shaped the conceptual framework of this study. Transformational leaders use effective communication to influence employee motivation positively. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with the business leaders, public reports, organization documents, and text message correspondences. Data analysis involved identifying reoccurring phenomena and coding meaningful and common keywords, phrases, and statements to form themes. Data analysis also involved triangulating information. Through data analysis, 5 themes emerged, including the following: respectful communication, 2-way communication, and charismatic communication. Business leaders' practice of effective communication strategies could contribute to social change by enhancing the well-being of employees, which might promote the improvement of economic conditions of individuals, families, and communities.