Enhancing Subordinates Engagement through Women Leadership Styles in the Health Sector of Ghana: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Communication.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how women leaders enhance their subordinates’ engagement using interpersonal communication as a mediating variable. Specifically, the study examines the extent to which women leadership styles help to engage subordinates in the health sector of Ghana. Additionally, the work tries to ascertain whether interpersonal communication mediates the relationship between transactional and transformational leadership styles and subordinate engagement. The study adopts a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional research design is used to collect data from six health facilities in the Accra metropolis. Three hundred respondents are purposively sampled and structured questionnaire is the main primary data collection tool. Data from the field is analysed using regression and Structural Equation Modelling. Results from the study reveals a significant relationship between leadership styles and subordinate engagement. Interpersonal communication mediates the relationship between both transactional and transformational leadership styles and the physical, cognitive and emotional engagement of subordinates. The study recommends that supervisors should focus attention to communicate with their subordinates to enable them get the needed information and direction to carry out their work.