The relationship between Task Leadership Behaviour, Organisational Leadership and Work-Life Balance in the Private-Sector during COVID-19

Abstract

The catastrophic COVID -19 pandemic impact on business communities globally has brought about the need for the creation of pandemic-proof workplaces and management consciousness towards establishing wellbeing-centric workplaces.

The study demonstrates through empirical evidence to leaders in management the impact of task leadership behaviour and organisational leadership behaviour on employee work-life balance and provides recommendations based on these objective findings that will inform best practices for improving employee wellbeing in the workplace.

This study adopted a cross-sectional design and conducted correlation and linear regression analysis to assess how a combination of task leadership behaviour, organisational leadership and work-life balance are related. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the homogeneity of mean scores between the projects and Cronbach’s alpha to test for reliability.

The results showed that task leadership behaviour, organisational leadership and work-life balance have a positive relationship. Furthermore, it was established that although the relationship between task leadership behaviour and work-life balance has a slight effect in the private-sector, this relationship is strengthened by the addition of organisational leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recommendations for private sector managers include obtaining team leaders with an aptitude for emotional intelligence, using software platforms to ensure the appropriate use and monitoring of workplace resources and responsibilities, and curating workplace efficiency through role specification and measurable deliverables were among the practical recommendations made. Furthermore, to create wellbeing-centric workplaces, an Employee Wellness Committee must be established to drive this culture and human resources (HR) capabilities must be empowered to include flexible work arrangements.