Effect of Leadership Style, Job Satisfaction, Training and Development, and Job Engagement on Employee Performance Among IT Employees in Chennai, India

Abstract

Background: The highly competitive and dynamic nature of the Information Technology (IT) sector in India, particularly in major hubs like Chennai, necessitates a deep understanding of the factors that drive sustained employee performance. Organizational factors such as leadership style, job satisfaction, and training and development are theorized to be critical antecedents.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the direct effects of leadership style, job satisfaction, and training and development on employee performance, and to examine the mediating role of job engagement in these relationships among IT employees in Chennai.

Methods: Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, this study utilizes a structured survey questionnaire based on established scales. The theoretical framework is grounded in the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. Data is synthesized from a systematic literature review of Q1/Q2 journal articles published between 2021 and 2025, focusing on the IT sector.

Results: The synthesized evidence strongly suggests that transformational leadership, high job satisfaction, and robust training and development initiatives positively influence employee performance. Crucially, job engagement is confirmed to act as a significant mediator, translating the benefits of these organizational resources into superior performance outcomes.

Conclusion: Organizations in the Chennai IT sector should prioritize fostering a transformational leadership culture, investing in continuous training, and enhancing job satisfaction to maximize employee engagement. This engagement, in turn, is the most potent mechanism for achieving high employee performance and maintaining a competitive edge.