LEADERSHIP STYLE, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT, AND WORK ENVIRONMENT AS DETERMINANTS OF EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION: EVIDENCE FROM THE BANKING SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Employee job satisfaction has emerged as a critical concern for organizations operating in highly competitive service sectors, particularly in emerging economies. This study investigates the influence of leadership style, organizational commitment, and work environment on employee job satisfaction in Pakistan’s banking sector, drawing on social exchange theory and organizational support theory. A quantitative research design was employed, using a stratified sampling approach to distribute 600 questionnaires to bank employees across Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from which 255 valid responses were obtained. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression techniques. The findings reveal that leadership style, organizational commitment, and work environment all exert a positive and statistically significant effect on employee job satisfaction. Among these factors, organizational commitment and work environment emerge as the most influential predictors. The regression model explains approximately 69% of the variance in employee job satisfaction. This study contributes to the literature by providing national-level evidence from a developing-country context using a provincially stratified sample. The findings also offer important managerial and policy-relevant insights for improving employee well-being and workforce stability in Pakistan’s banking sector.