The Impact of Transformational Leadership Behavior on Employee Work Engagement at Afghanistan Selected Commercial Banks

Employee work engagement remains a critical challenge for organizations operating in volatile and fragile environments, particularly within developing economies. This study examines the impact of transformational leadership behavior on employee work engagement in selected commercial banks in Afghanistan: Azizi Bank, Afghanistan International Bank (AIB), and Islamic Bank of Afghanistan (IBA). Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the research investigates the effects of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration on employee work engagement. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted, and primary data were collected through structured questionnaires from 348 employees working in three major Afghan commercial banks. Data were analyzed using reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, and simple and multiple linear regression techniques with SPSS 2024. The findings reveal a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership and employee work engagement. All four leadership dimensions significantly predicted employee work engagement, with inspirational motivation emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by individualized consideration, idealized influence, and intellectual stimulation. The results underscore the critical role of transformational leadership behaviors in fostering employee vigor, dedication, and absorption within the Afghan banking sector. The study contributes empirical evidence from an under-researched, fragile-state context and offers practical implications for bank managers by emphasizing the need to integrate transformational leadership practices into leadership development initiatives to enhance workforce engagement and organizational sustainability.