Leadership Styles and Occupational Stress in Sri Lanka's Event Management Industry

Sri Lanka’s event management industry has expanded rapidly in recent years and now plays an important role in the national economy. Despite this growth, the sector faces persistent challenges, particularly high employee turnover and elevated levels of occupational stress among professionals. This study examines how transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles influence employee stress within the industry, with additional attention to gender differences and the role of workload pressures. A quantitative study was conducted among executive-level employees from leading event management firms across three major urban centres in Sri Lanka. Leadership styles were assessed using the Full Range Leadership Model, while workplace stress was measured using a standardised psychological instrument. Data analysis explored overall patterns and predictive relationships between leadership behaviours and employee well-being. Findings reveal that transformational leadership is associated with reduced stress, creating a more supportive and motivating work environment. Transactional leadership demonstrated mixed outcomes, suggesting that its effectiveness depends on how it is applied in practice. Laissez-faire leadership emerged as the most detrimental style, contributing to increased stress, particularly in high-pressure and fast-paced organisational settings. Female employees reported higher stress levels than their male counterparts, and heavy workloads without adequate managerial support intensified strain across the sample. The study concludes that leadership style plays a critical role in shaping employee well-being in Sri Lanka’s event management sector. Organisations are encouraged to strengthen transformational leadership capabilities, introduce gender-responsive support mechanisms, and implement structured workload management to enhance retention, performance, and long-term industry sustainability.