Home / Palimpsest: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies / Article
Exploring the Influence of Leadership-Oriented Liberation on Employee Job Satisfaction and Performance: A Quantitative Study of Mid-Sized Enterprises in North Kerala
Author:
Deon Bablu Thomas ORCID: 0009-0003-5144-3258
Department of Professional Studies, School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy, CHRIST University, Bangalore, India.
Co-Author:
Narasimha Murthy H ORCID: 0000-0001-7921-0454
Department of Professional Studies, School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy, CHRIST University, Bangalore, India.
Keywords: Leadership-Oriented Liberation - Job Satisfaction - Employee Performance
Abstract
Liberation leadership as the intentional cultivation of freedom, participation, and empowerment in the workplace has become a dominant approach in contemporary management literature. In the fast-changing organizational contexts of medium-sized enterprises, such liberator leadership practices are being recognized as having the power to impact the experiences and outcomes of employees. This study investigates the impact of liberation leadership on worker satisfaction and performance, targeted at organizations in North Kerala. As business organizations deal with changing employee needs and competitive pressures, liberation-based leadership can be utilized as a strategic tool to construct employee participation and productivity. Through an empirical investigation of the relationship between liberation leadership and the major employee outcomes, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge that speaks to liberation as not only a theoretical, but also an operational and quantifiable element of successful management. The findings are intended to inform leadership development programs, organizational policymaking, and the general conception of empowerment in regional and cultural contexts.
Author Biographies
Dr. Deon Bablu Thomas is an accomplished academic specializing in Commerce, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Professional Studies at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Yeshwanthpur Campus, Bangalore. He holds a Master of Commerce (MCom.), MPhil, and a Ph.D., underpinning his strong foundation in commerce education and research. Dr. Thomas has actively contributed to academic discourse through participation in national and international conferences. Notably, he presented at the International Conference on Sustainable Synergies: Technological Innovation and Resilience in Global Business Practices, where he delivered insights on “Digital Literacy and Socio-Economic Transformation: An Empirical Study in Tumkuru District, Karnataka.” In his role, Dr. Thomas is engaged in scholarly activities spanning research publications, conference presentations, and mentorship. His commitment to teaching and academic excellence enhances the learning experience of commerce students and supports the department’s academic objectives.
References
- A. Amundsen and A. Martinsen, —Empowering leadership: Construct clarification, conceptualization, and validation of a new scale,‖ The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 3,pp. 487–511, Jun. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.03.003
- M. Ahearne, J. Mathieu, and S. Rapp, —Empowerment and performance: A review of literature and meta-analytic examination,‖ Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 104, no. 3, pp. 379–395, Mar. 2020. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000365
- S. Sharma and P. Singh, —The role of empowering leadership in job satisfaction: A study on Indian SMEs,‖ South Asian Journal of Business Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 52–69, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SAJBS-01-2021-0010
- H. Kim and Y. Beehr, —Empowering leadership and employee attitudes: A meta-analytic review,‖ Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 235–251, 2021. [Online].Available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.2476
- R. Kundu and S. Gahlawat, —Effect of leadership style on employee satisfaction in Indian organizations,‖ Management and Labour Studies, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 369–386, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042X19868040
- N. Gupta and M. Pathak, —Empowering leadership and turnover intention: The mediating role of job satisfaction,‖ Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 175–186, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-11-2019-0098
- Y. Li, S. Zhang, and X. Yang, —The relationship between empowering leadership and performance: A mediation model,‖ Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, p. 654678, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654678
- P. Aryee, C. Budhwar, and Z. Chen, —Trust as a mediator of the relationship between leadership and performance,‖ Journal of Management, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 1415–1442, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211012539
- M. Menon and S. Joseph, —Leadership empowerment and organizational performance: A study of SMEs in South India,‖ International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 70, no. 5, pp. 1102–1119, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-06-2020-0309
- F. Wang and T. Wang, —Empowering leadership and performance: The mediating role of job satisfaction,‖ SAGE Open, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020927412
- R. Liu, Y. Chen, and H. Lee, —Psychological empowerment and work performance: A cross-cultural investigation,‖ Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 89–108, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00276-8
- A. V. Thomas and S. Rajeev, —Leadership challenges in Kerala’s SME sector: A qualitative insight,‖ Asian Journal of Management Cases, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 101–116, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/09728201211024027
- R. Banerjee and V. Singh, —Leadership styles and cultural contexts in Indian organizations,‖ Global Business Review, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 1121–1139, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150919842035
- K. R. Patel and S. A. Patel, —Leadership structure and employee engagement in Indian SMEs,‖ Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 405–423, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-12-2020-0367
- L. Zhang and H. Sun, — Empowerment, innovation, and performance: A multilevel study of leadership in SMEs,‖ Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 1207–1225, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-02-2021-0062
Information
General Information