Visionary leadership at a Thai apparel manufacturer: Surprising evidence

Abstract

Corporate leaders are exhorted to espouse vision, but little is known about how vision is realised by leaders at different levels in Southeast Asian manufacturing sector. The present study tests relationships between perceived vision communication, motivation of employees and organisational alignment among supervisors, and satisfaction of their immediate subordinates at a leading Thai apparel manufacturer. Findings indicate that aligning organisational systems to suit vision is directly predictive of enhanced employee satisfaction while, surprisingly, motivation and empowerment of employees, and vision communication are not significantly associated with employee satisfaction. Future research directions and managerial implications are discussed. © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.