Abstract:

As global organizations sought to remain operational during lockdowns and avoid employee losses, many considered new approaches to work patterns which allow people to work from home or remote locations (Brynjolfsson et al., 2020). Remote working has been one effective way to mitigate the detrimental effects of isolation on public health while facilitating business continuity and reducing the need for physical movement in the workplace. Many of the studies conducted focus on the pros and cons of remote working, such as how it affects the culture of the organization and the behavior of the employees. While there are studies that investigated how leadership does affect remote working, most of their focus is on gender and diversity. Very few have looked specifically into leadership and its effect on the implementation of the remote working environment. This study, therefore, sought to fill this gap in the literature by examining the impact of leadership styles and communication methods on the implementation of the remote working environment in the higher education sector at a Canadian university. It also explored the role of the behavior of the employees and the culture of the organization in determining how the employees and management respond to and implement the remote working environment. In the university context, we discuss four different leadership models in this study, Servant-Leadership, Authentic Leadership, Transformative Leadership, and Laissez-Faire Leadership, and in the same context also discuss Leadership Communication and how it plays a role in fostering an organizational culture that keeps employee satisfaction, commitment, motivation, and engagement foremost in mind, particularly when many of the employees are working from home remotely or in a hybrid manner.

A combination of quantitative surveying and in-depth interviews are used in the research to collect data from university employees and leaders. The demographics of the samples are teaching professors and university employees. There were 122 responses but only 84 datasets were usable. Analysis from the survey gathered from the employees of the university indicates that the leadership style and communication from leaders are pivotal in keeping them satisfied, engaged, and motivated. Furthermore, the employees felt that both style and communication, as well as their satisfaction, engagement, and motivation, are essential in the fostering of a positive organizational culture within the university. When it comes to remote work, the employees believed that the style of the leaders impacts the team’s communication and in contrast, the communication of the leaders forms the basis of the success of the team. The analysis from the interview study conducted with the leaders of university (Deans, Directors, Department Chairs) shows that most of the current leaders tend to utilize a combination of Transformational, Authentic, Servant, and Laissez-Faire leadership style when it comes to managing their employees remotely. Despite the challenges they faced such as limited interactions and lack of resources, when implementing these styles, they believed that the way they treat their employees being genuine, providing autonomy, constantly showing concerns, and celebrating accomplishment, helping to keep the employees motivated and keeping them constantly engaged with the team, which aligns well with the leadership theories reviewed in this study.

Keywords:

Leadership Style, Leadership Communication for Remote Work, Employee Satisfaction, Commitment, Motivation, and Engagement.