This summary is provided by the IPR Organizational Communication Research Center.
Dr. Renee Mitson, Dr. Yufan “Sunny” Qin, and Dr. Rita Men examined the role of vigilant leadership communication on employee well-being during difficult or turbulent times. Vigilant leadership communication was defined as direct, inclusive, threat-seeking, and open-minded dialogue that is beneficial during organizational turbulence.
An online survey of 393 American full-time employees was conducted in May 2020. The mean age of participants was 33 years old and 82% of respondents reported working remotely at the time.
Key findings include:
– When leaders effectively used vigilant leadership communication, employees reported higher levels of trust in the leader.
– When employees trusted their leaders, they were more likely to report higher levels of personal well-being.
– When employees felt that leaders effectively used vigilant leadership communication language, they were also more likely to have higher trust in their employing organization.
– The combination of employee trust in their leaders and in their organization allowed for vigilant leadership to be most effective in improving overall employee well-being.
Authors:
Mitson, R., Qin, S., & Men, R. L. (2024). The Value of Employee Trust During Turbulent Times: Exploring Vigilant Leadership Communication and Employee Psychological Well-Being. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2024.2331300Dr
