The Effects of Leadership Styles on Employee Motivation in Auditing Companies in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This research chose auditing field as a case study to investigate and evaluate the overall leadership styles effects on employee motivation. The research applied quantitative method with a sample size of 320 respondents -auditors working in Ho Chi Minh City. The independent variables were task-oriented leadership, relation-oriented leadership, change-oriented leadership, charismatic leadership, participative leadership, ethical leadership, ethic-based contingent reward leadership and autocratic leadership and employee motivation was the dependent variable. These independent variables could explain 64.5 % of the variation within employee motivation. This result implied a strong influence of leadership styles in retaining and developing employee motivation. In addition, this research indicated that charismatic leadership, relation-oriented leadership, and ethic-based contingent reward leadership were positively associated with employee motivation.