How Leadership Communication Shapes Employee Satisfaction and Assimilation: The Role of Psychological Safety Among Employees With Disabilities

Effective leadership communication is a part of organizational support, yet the mechanisms through which it shapes employee experiences remain underexplored. This study examines psychological safety as a mediating process linking leadership communication to job satisfaction and organizational assimilation among employees with disabilities. Drawing on organizational support theory and sensemaking perspectives, mediation models were tested using survey data from 201 employed adults who self-identified as having a disability. Results indicated that leadership communication was positively associated with both job satisfaction and organizational assimilation, and that psychological safety significantly mediated these relationships. To clarify the underlying processes, open-ended responses describing memorable leadership messages were analyzed. Participants who recalled messages emphasizing role clarity, guidance, and inclusion reported higher levels of satisfaction and assimilation, whereas generalized praise or motivational encouragement was associated with weaker outcomes. Together, the findings demonstrate that leadership communication influences employee experiences not only directly, but by shaping psychologically safe environments that support satisfaction and integration. This study advances theory by identifying psychological safety as a central relational mechanism through which perceived organizational support is enacted and highlights the importance of communication practices that move beyond policy compliance to support inclusive organizational design.