PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, TRUST IN LEADERS AND ENGAGEMENT: A COGNITIVE-RELATIONAL MODEL OF LEADERSHIP ACROSS ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

This study examines how employee perspective-taking enhances employee engagement through trust in leader, comparing these relationships across public and private hospitals in Sindh, Pakistan. Grounded in social exchange theory and relational leadership perspectives, the model proposes that understanding others’ viewpoints fosters stronger leader–employee trust, which subsequently promotes higher engagement. Data were collected from 530 doctors using a cross-sectional survey and analyzed through PLS-SEM with multi-group analysis. The findings show that perspective-taking significantly increases trust in leader in both sectors, and trust in leader strongly predicts engagement. The mediating effect of trust is also significant across groups, with private hospitals demonstrating slightly stronger pathways. These results highlight trust as a central mechanism linking cognitive interpersonal processes to engagement, offering theoretical refinement by clarifying how perspective-taking operates within leader–employee dynamics. Practically, the study underscores the importance of fostering relational competencies and trust-building behaviors within healthcare settings. The research contributes original evidence from a non-Western, high-pressure professional context and demonstrates sector-level differences that extend current leadership and engagement literature.