IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED TRANSPORT COMPANIES IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

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Department of Business Administration and Management

100 Pages 11,025 Words 1,723 Views PDF Format No. of Chapters: 1 to 5 Chapters

ABSTRACT

This study surveyed the impact of leadership style on the

performance of selected transport companies in Benue State,

Nigeria. Three transport companies were drawn in Benue State for

the study, namely: Benue Links Nigeria Limited with its headquarters

located at Wurukum, Makurdi, the Benue State capital. Denjim

Transport Company has its own corporate headquarters at 97 Gboko

Road Makurdi, Benue State while Iwiene Nigeria Limited has its head

office located at 55 Onitsha Street, Wuru Makurdi, Benue State,

Nigeria. Inherent to poor leadership style which had impeded on the

performance of these companies had led to this study. The

researcher adopted a survey design, with a population of 120 drawn

from the selected companies. This was achieved through proportional

stratified random sampling techniques. A five points rating scale

questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the research

population. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted using

percentage and mean statistic while the hypothesis were tested with

chi-square. The study discovered that leadership style affect

organizational performance of any given company. That the style of

leadership a manager adopted has a direct effect on the

organizational performance of the employee. The study among others

things discovered are, that participatory style of leadership and

delegation of duties enhances the employee performance and

attainment of corporate goals and objectives. The study therefore

concludes that achievement of organizational goal and objective

depends solely on the leadership style an organization adopted. It

therefore recommends that, since leadership style is one of the basic

tools used in attainment of organizational goal/objective, every

organization should ensure that the right leader man their

organization in order to achieve their set goal/objective.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i

Declaration ii

Approval Page iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgements v

Abstract vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables viii

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction 1

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 6

1.3 Objectives of the Study 10

1.4 Research Questions 10

1.5 Research Hypotheses 11

1.6 Significance of the Study 11

1.7 Scope of the Study 12

1.8 Limitations of the Study 13

1.9 Contextual Definition of Terms 13

References 14

CHAPTER TWO

Review of Related Literature 15

2.1 Conceptual Framework 15

2.1.1 Concept of Leadership 15

2.1.2 Important Implication of the Definitions 17

2.1.3 Principles of Leadership 18

2.2 Theoretical Framework 21

2.2.1 Theories of Leadership Styles 21

2.2.2 Leadership Factors 25

2.3 Leadership Styles 27

2.3.1 Transformational Leadership Style 28

2.3.2 Transformational Leadership Critics 31

2.3.3 Transactional Leadership Style 33

2.3.4 Abraham Maslow’s Context 34

2.3.5 Qualities of Transactional Leadership Style 37

2.3.6 Laissez-Faire Leadership Style 38

2.3.7 Transformational versus Transactional leadership 40

2.3.8 Determinants of Leadership Style 42

2.4 Organizational Performance 45

2.4.1 Importance of Organizational Performance 46

2.4.2 Leadership Style and Organizational Performance 48

2.4.3 The Role of Leadership in Organizational Performance 55

2.4.4 Management and Organizational Performance 55

2.5 Empirical Study 57

2.5.1 Benue Link Nigeria Limited 57

2.5.2 Denjim Transport Company 58

2.5.3 Iwiene Nigeria Limited 59

References 61

CHAPTER THREE

Research Methodology 65

3.1 Research Design 65

3.2 Population of the Study 65

3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique 66

3.4 Instrument for Data Collection 67

3.5 Method of Data Collection 67

3.6 Test of Validity and Reliability 68

3.7 Method of Data Analysis 68

References 70

CHAPTER FOUR

Data Presentation and Analysis 71

4.1 Data Presentation 71

4.2 Test of Hypotheses 75

4.3 Discussion of Findings 78

CHAPTER FIVE

Summary of Findings, Conclusion and

Recommendations 80

5.1 Summary of Findings 80

5.2 Conclusion 80

5.3 Recommendations 81

5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies 82

Bibliography 93

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Leadership is conceived as a process where one or more persons

influence a group of person to move in a certain direction. The word

leadership has been used in various aspects of human endeavour

such as politics, business, academics and social works. Messick and

Krammer (2004) argue that the degree to which the individual exhibits

leadership traits depends not only on his characteristics and personal

abilities, but also on the characteristics of the situation and

environment in which he finds himself. Therefore, an individual will

support the organization if he believes that through it his personal

objective and goals could be met, if not, the person’s interest will

decline.

Among the objectives of any organization are profit making and

attainment of maturity and liquidity status. In the pursuit of these

objectives, organizations allocate scarce resources to competing

ends. In the process they provide employment, provide goods and

services, purchase goods and services and, thus contribute to the

growth of the society and economy at large. Unamaka (1995)

observes that, the effectiveness of this process is greatly determined

by the availability of and access to personnel, finance, machinery,

raw material and possibility of making their goods and services

available to their customers.

The extent to which members of the organization contribute in

harnessing the resources of an organization equally depends on how

well the managers or leaders of the organization understand and

adopt appropriate leadership style in performing their roles as

managers and leaders. Thus efficiency in resource mobilization,

allocation, utilization and enhancement of organizational productivity

depends, to a large extent, on leadership styles among other factors.

Chuang (2005) explains that the excellent leader not only inspires

subordinates’ potential to enhance efficiency, but also meets their

requirements in the process of achieving the common target of the

organization. Fry (2003) states that leadership as a use of leading

strategy to offer inspiring motive and to enhance the staff’s potential

for growth and development in the organization. Burn’s (1975)

approach is that leadership influences subordinates to exert greater

effort in the pursuit of higher-order needs; support a greater vision for their work group or organization and in the course perform beyond

expectations.

Stoner (2000) defines leadership as a process of directing and

influencing the task of related activities of group members. It can also

be seen as the process of influencing other people to achieve

organizational objectives. Bass (1982) defines leadership as an

interaction between members of a group. Leaders are agents of

change, persons whose act affect other people more than other

people’s act affect them.

Leadership occurs when one group member modifies the motivation

or competence of others in the group. Also, Nongo (2009) states that

leadership entails an unequal distribution of power between leaders

and group members. Group members have power, but leaders

usually have more powers. According to Rachin (2001) leadership is

directly connected to the practice to which people are dedicated. The

most substantial of leaders is their influential personality that has

positive relation with the follower, job satisfaction and the

performance (Joseph, 2011). Leadership style is the manner and

approach of providing direction, implementing plans and motivating

100 Pages 11,025 Words 1,723 Views PDF Format No. of Chapters: 1 to 5 Chapters

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