Publication
Title
Leader attentive communication : a new communication concept, validation and scale development
Author
Abstract
Effective communication is a foundational leadership skill. Many leadership theories implicitly assume communication skills, without investigating them behaviorally. To be able to research leader communication as a building block of effective leader behavior, we propose a new concept, i.e., leader attentive communication which refers to “an open-minded, attentive demeanor while in a conversation with an employee”. Instead of focusing on the content or form of the communication, we propose to study the communication skills of the leader from the viewpoint of the employee. In this article, we both validate a questionnaire and test LAC's influence on employee wellbeing in four different studies. We use information from 1,320 employees and their leaders, in 422 teams, in 3 different datasets. The result is a 10-item questionnaire with 2 dimensions consisting of general attention (towards the employee) and attention to non-verbal cues. We also find that LAC is associated with work engagement, psychological needs and Kahn's conditions for work engagement. With this questionnaire, we contribute to calls for a more behavioral, detailed view on leader communication behavior.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies
Publication
2022
ISSN
1548-0518
1939-7089
DOI
10.1177/15480518221100922
Volume/pages
29 :4 (2022) , p. 424-442
ISI
000799391300001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 19.05.2022
Last edited 04.03.2024
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