IMPACT OF MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION STYLES ON EXECUTIVE LEVEL EMPLOYEE SELF-ESTEEM: THE MODERATING EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE AND MANAGER GENDER

Abstract

Effective managerial communication is crucial in shaping employees' self-esteem within organizations. This study investigates the impact of managerial communication styles—passive, aggressive, and assertive—on the self-esteem of executive-level employees at ABC Tire Manufacturing Company in Sri Lanka, with a focus on the moderating role of employee gender and manager gender. Grounded on social exchange theory and organizational support theory, the research posits that managerial communication is a key determinant of employees’ self-esteem within the organization. Adopting a positivist research philosophy and a deductive approach, the study employed a quantitative, mono-method design, collecting data via structured surveys from executive employees, with 169 valid responses. Data were analyzed using SPSS, incorporating descriptive statistics, moderation analysis, correlation, regression and Andrew F. Hayes’s Model 01 were used to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that positive managerial communication style significantly boosts employee self-esteem, while gender moderates this relationship, “i.e.,” male employees exhibit a stronger positive response to effective communication, whereas female managers exert a greater influence on employees’ self-esteem compared to male managers. These findings enrich social exchange and organizational support theories by highlighting the interplay of communication styles and gender in fostering employee self-esteem. The study offers practical implications for organizations, advocating for gender-sensitive communication strategies to enhance employee self-esteem.