LEADERSHIP STYLES AND IT IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY
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LEADERSHIP STYLES AND IT IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
The existence, stability, and continuity of any organisation, whether economic, political, social, or business enterprises, draws its strength and ability to fulfil its ultimate aims and objectives from the successful guidance and use of human resources. ”
An organisation is a structured process in which people interact to achieve goals” (Hicks and Gullet 1981). In formal organisations, interactions are naturally coordinated and directed on a constant basis. In this scenario, the person(s) in charge of directing the efforts of others is the leader.
The term “leadership” can be defined as influence, which is the art or practice of persuading people to work willingly towards group goals. This includes not just a willingness to work, but also a desire to work with zeal and confidence (Blanchard, 1990).
As a result, leadership is usually defined as a leader’s (influencers’) attempts to alter (influence) conduct in a certain situation or activity.
Leadership has been frequently employed by politicians, business leaders, social workers, and academics. However, there is substantial debate over what it signifies. Leadership theory as developed by social scientists.
The notion has continued to change from one to another. At times, the emphasis was on a leader’s characteristics, while at others, it was on the finest leadership style.
It is vital to distinguish between leadership as a human trait and leadership as an organisational role. The first involves a unique combination of personal attributes that prompts one to analyse the qualities and skills of persons.
The second refers to power distribution and decision making, which leads to an examination of power and authority patterns inside the organisation.
Management researchers have adequately recognised leadership styles and extensively studied them in terms of situational relevance. The growing requirement for increased productivity in any business, as well as the responsibility of leaders in achieving productivity, is significant.
To develop effectively, a leader must have a variety of tools and understand what they are intended to do. It is absurd to believe that one tool is all that is required to manage well. A leader must understand and be able to use many tools when leading and managing people to get greater results.
It is also worth noting that real-life situations are never static, and are always changing. Things are either improving or worsening. Leadership effectiveness and efficiency improve when leaders learn and practise the skills.
Every organization’s manager or leader must perform a variety of responsibilities at some point, including planning, regulating, directing, activating, manipulating, coordination, and assessment (Liversey et al, 1983).
If an organisation’s efficiency and production are to improve, each management, supervisor, and operator must give their fair share to this positive development.
“Perception” is the only aspect that influences the effectiveness of leadership style. Perception refers to the process of making short-term behavioural changes in reaction to the impact of the work environment.
This process consists of two fundamental actions: attention to incoming stimuli and the translation of such stimuli into messages that lead to a behavioural change in response (Szillagy 1980). This perception is a type of behaviour impacted by at least one of the following elements.
The features of the item or source of receiving stimuli (for example, a supervisor issuing instructions at work), the setting and condition in which the stimuli occur (for example, the timing of the message), and finally the characteristics of the person who is proceeding.
Perception is influenced by an individual’s motivation, previous learning, and personality. Leaders should consider how people may view their acts and directions.
Another component that influences leadership style is motivation. According to Ikemefana (1994), motivation relates to a worker’s associated behaviour, internal energising drive, perseverance effort, and direction that, when sustained, increases productivity. Motivation can assist executives understand why people behave the way they do and how it affects employee performance.
According to Koontz (1988). He identified leadership styles depending on the exercise of authority. He named autocratic, democratic, and free-rein leaders. He defined autocratic leaders as dogmatic and positive, with the capacity to withhold or provide incentives or punishment.
While the democratic system consults with subordinates on proposed actions and decisions, it also encourages their participation. The free-rein, also known as the Lassaz-faire style of leader, uses their influence sparingly and gives employees a high degree of autonomy in their operations.
It should be emphasised that Koontz concluded that the use of the three leadership styles listed above depends on the circumstances. A leader is responsible and tasked with managerial duties such as planning, organising, leading, and controlling the work.
Though Stoner et al. (1982) define leadership as the activity of directing and influencing the task-related activities of group members.
The foregoing definition has three key implications: first, leadership must engage other people (workers), and second, leadership entails an unequal distribution of power among leaders and group members. Third, they can persuade employees in a variety of methods.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
The underlying difficulty of this study is that most managers use a variety of leadership styles to improve employee performance and efficiency, but they still fail. It is widely assumed that several commercial banks in the country have performed poorly, which can also be ascribed to the leadership style.
Most executives blame failures in productivity on sources other than themselves. Managers frequently fail to use effective leadership styles to influence their subordinates in order to achieve established goals and objectives (Byham, 1988).
The production of goods and services is typically prioritised over the leadership styles used in production (Blanchard, 1990). The issue is neither a shortage of well-trained personnel, nor a lack of funds, as is frequently assumed, but rather a lack of good leadership and the inability of the few prepared to lead successfully.
Against this background, the researcher seeks to investigate the influence of leadership styles and their effects (good or negative) on staff productivity.
1.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY
This study’s aims are as follows:
To provide solutions to issues coming from leadership style.
To examine why leaders display behaviours that are detrimental to the performance of their subordinates.
To assess the impact of poor leadership style on production.
Also, provide ways for managers and staff to work together to achieve corporate objectives and goals.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
For the purpose of this study, the following research questions were desirable and were developed:
What role does effective leadership play in increasing productivity?
Do incentives contribute to increased productivity?
What leadership style would lead to an improvement in productivity?
What function does communication play in improving productivity?
1.4 Hypothesis.
The study hypothesis, as described below, will be thoroughly investigated and assessed.
Workers’ productivity rises when they compare themselves to the impact of leadership styles found in similar organisations.
The more happy people are with the specific tasks involved in their jobs, the higher their productivity.
Workers’ productivity tends to be high when they receive appropriate monetary compensation on the job.
Workers’ productivity rises when the leadership style is effective.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The question of leadership is critical to the survival of any institution. In light of the foregoing, this study is vital, as it seeks to examine the role of leadership in productivity, the benefits of leadership styles, and who benefits from them. It will also highlight the kind of leadership strategies that may be used to maximise success when working with individuals.
It is also hoped that the conclusions of this study would be extremely useful to both the corporation’s employees and managers. It will improve their relationship, providing a positive environment for higher production.
Furthermore, the research findings will be useful to individuals interested in conducting further research on this or a comparable topic.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research will be primarily focused on leadership style indices and their impact on Zenith Bank workers’ productivity. This study will look into how these indices or styles quantitatively affect worker productivity; nevertheless, the provision of conducive working conditions will be assumed to be the same in high productivity.
Limitations of the study
This study was limited by a number of factors, including time constraints, insufficient funding to conduct the research, a lack of materials, and a refusal by some respondents to disclose information that could probe or question their personal or organisational interests.
1.8 Organisation of the Study
This study effort will be divided into five chapters for ease of understanding and clarity.
The first chapter will have the following sections: introduction, problem statement, study objectives, research questions, hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the investigation, study limitations, study organisation, and term definitions.
The second chapter will focus on a literature study that includes management functions, leadership theories, leadership styles, the notion of leadership, and managing subordinates in the company. The concept of performance and its evaluation.
The third chapter is about the research methodology.
In chapter four, all of the obtained data is presented, evaluated, and interpreted using tables and figures to thoroughly explain the results.
However, Chapter 5 is the final stage, which summarises the entire write-up, recommendation, and conclusion.
1.9 Definition of Terms
During the course of this investigation, the following notion was clarified to remove any confusion about what the researcher intended by their application:
Productivity is defined as the ratio of output to effort expressed in man-hours.
Communication is an intentional act in which someone (the source) passes or transmits information to another person or group of people (the receiver(s)) with the intention of changing their conduct.
Leadership is the practice of influencing people or groups of people in a certain environment, at a specific moment, and under a specific set of circumstances in order to motivate them to strive willingly and guide their efforts towards the attainment of organisational goals and objectives.
Managers are individuals in a company who primarily direct the work of others by doing all or some of the following functions: planning, organising, leading, and controlling.
Management is the practice of getting things done through others.
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