Date

4-7-2026

Department

Graduate School of Business

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Organization and Management (PhD)

Chair

Curtis Brandt Smith

Keywords

employee retention, leadership styles, aerospace and defense (a & d), leader-member exchange (lmx), contingency theory, job satisfaction, turnover intent

Disciplines

Human Resources Management | Leadership Studies

Abstract

This fixed-design quantitative study evaluates the predictive influence of management leadership styles on employee retention within the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry in Northern Virginia. Addressing a critical decline in industry retention that impacts organizational productivity and profitability, the research utilizes a post-positivist paradigm to analyze data (N = 773) from participants across seven major A&D organizations. The study measures four primary constructs: Intent to Stay, Management Leadership Styles, Job Satisfaction, and Leader Support. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to isolate the predictive power of leadership style after controlling for demographic factors, including age, gender, role, and years of service. Findings indicate that leadership style is a powerful and independent predictor of retention intent, explaining an additional 14.8% of the variance beyond demographics. Specifically, supportive and participative leadership behaviors significantly reduce intent to leave. These results provide empirical validation of Contingency Theory and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, offering A&D organizations actionable insights to foster a corporate culture that stabilizes the highly skilled workforce necessary for national security and organizational success.

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