Wijesiri, N.G.T.D.2021-10-052021-10-052015UWU/ENM/15/064http://www.erepo.lib.uwu.ac.lk/bitstream/handle/123456789/7066/ENM%2015%20064-03032021142332.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yMaintaining and increasing employee engagement is one of the critical problems in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. Novel organizations have become aware that leadership styles are a determinant which can increase the employee engagement. Leadership styles create intercommunication between the leader and the subordinates in the organizations. Thus, the study empirically evaluated the job stress as the mediator between leadership styles and employee engagement of the middle and operational level employees in key apparel players in Sri Lanka. Questionnaires were distributed by using convenient sampling method to collect data from 100 middle and operational level employees working for first 05 key apparel firms in Sri Lanka. The data were analyzed using correlation coefficient, regression, Baron and Kenny mediator assessment method and Sobal test. The results of the study indicated that there is a positive relationship between leadership styles and employee engagement. Mediator assessment and Sobal test identified that job stress partially mediate the relationship between the leadership styles and employee engagement. The findings show the importance of managers to building a positive and trusting relationship with their middle and operational level employees to maintain and increase the employee engagement within the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. The study also makes a number of recommendations to managers based on the findings of the study. Key words: Leadership Styles, Employee Engagement, Job StressenEntrepreneurship And Management Degree Programme (ENM)Thesis