A study by Rahmi Andini Syamsuddin of Universitas Pamulang, together with Ima Amaliah and Nunung Nurhayati from Universitas Islam Bandung, finds that increasing distance between leaders and employees can weaken employee engagement unless it is balanced by strong organizational support. The study was published in January 2026 in the International Journal of Business and Applied Economics (IJBAE) and addresses a growing challenge faced by organizations operating in remote and hybrid work environments.
The authors highlight that post-pandemic work arrangements, digital transformation, and technology-mediated communication have widened physical, social, and psychological distance between leaders and employees. These changes directly affect trust, emotional connection, and employees’ willingness to stay engaged with their work.
Leadership Challenges in Remote and Hybrid Settings
In modern organizations, leadership distance goes beyond physical separation. It also includes hierarchical gaps, limited personal interaction, and a lack of perceived empathy. When leaders are seen as distant or inaccessible, employees are more likely to feel isolated, uncertain, and emotionally detached from organizational goals.
However, the study emphasizes that leadership distance is not inherently harmful. At moderate levels, distance can foster autonomy, professionalism, and independent decision-making. Problems arise when this distance is not supported by organizational systems that signal care and appreciation for employees.
Integrating Two Decades of Research
The study is based on an integrative literature review that examined approximately 90 peer-reviewed international articles published between 2000 and 2024. By synthesizing findings across multiple disciplines, the authors combined insights from organizational behavior research with established theoretical frameworks such as Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model.
This approach allowed the researchers to generate a comprehensive explanation of how leadership distance and perceived organizational support interact to influence employee engagement, without relying on new survey or experimental data.
Key Findings
The review identifies several consistent patterns across previous studies:
- High leadership distance tends to weaken trust, communication, and emotional connection, leading to lower employee engagement.
- Perceived organizational support (POS) plays a crucial role in reducing the negative effects of leadership distance.
- In organizations with strong support systems, leadership distance is often interpreted as trust and empowerment rather than neglect.
- When organizational support is weak, the same leadership distance is perceived as indifference and lack of appreciation.
Organizational support includes transparent communication, fair policies, recognition of employee contributions, and attention to employee well-being—both through direct interaction and digital systems.
Implications for Organizations and Public Policy
These findings carry important implications for businesses, educational institutions, and public-sector organizations. Maintaining employee engagement in remote and hybrid environments requires more than frequent leader–employee interaction. It also depends on how organizations design policies, communication systems, and workplace cultures that consistently demonstrate support.
The authors argue that organizational support can function as a substitute for close supervision when leaders are physically or psychologically distant. Clear communication, fair evaluation systems, and digital recognition practices help sustain motivation and trust even when face-to-face interaction is limited.
“When organizations clearly demonstrate that employees are valued and supported, leadership distance does not automatically lead to disengagement,” the authors note.
Author Profiles
- Rahmi Andini Syamsuddin, S.E., M.M. - Universitas Pamulang
- Ima Amaliah, S.E., M.Si.- Universitas Islam Bandung
- Nunung Nurhayati, S.E., M.Si.- Universitas Islam Bandung
Research Source
Syamsuddin, R. A., Amaliah, I., & Nurhayati, N. (2026).
Leadership Distance and Perceived Organizational Support: An Integrative Review Toward Employee Engagement in Modern Organizations.
International Journal of Business and Applied Economics (IJBAE), 5(1), 229–242.
DOI: 10.55927/ijbae.v5i1.563
URL: https://nblformosapublisher.org/index.php/ijbae
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