1.1 Introduction
Leadership covers a very conspicuous position of group or organizational conduct. It is the heart of an organization, which without; organization or group cannot properly function. It is obvious, that leadership ensures orderliness in an organization when an economic venture is undertaken by an organization with a view to maximizing economic opportunities it calls for person to supervise, direct, control, and co-operation to ensure effectives. Leadership cannot be completely delineated from management, though the former can be spoken of in relation to unorganized groups, while the later exist in an organized structure.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Leadership styles are leader's methods of providing direction, implementing plans and motivating people. Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. In other words, leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiascally. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done (Dwight &Eisenhower, 2002).
Globally, individuals with requisite educational background have been appointed to carry out roles and responsibilities in different organizations. Today leaders occupying positions in universities, polytechnics, hospitals, business organizations, civil service as well as military formations. The need for leadership in all spheres of life dated years to be the time of bible leadership and administration. The first five books of the bible tell us how the Jews as nomadic wonderers in to the civilization of Egypt. Which was old and sophisticated settled in Egypt. They have their own God called Yahweh or Jehovah, and this respect, they differed from the people around them. (Parkes, 2003). The believed that their God had promised them a land of their own and that they must leave Egypt and attain the autonomy and freedom in Palestine. These autonomy and control were provided by the leadership of Moses (Cottrell, 2003). The management style was theocratic which is essentially authoritarian. Management practices were excellent in Egypt before the Jews came as the Egyptians had learnt how to control the flooding of their river to produce an increasing abundance of food for an increasing population. The pyramids of pharaoh's Djoser and Khufu were erected and Khufu's successors built pyramids at Saggara, Abusir and Dahsur all intended to preserve to eternity the bodies of their royal builders.
Modern writers in construction management are perplexed at the planning that went into the construction of pyramids (Goldhabe, 2002). They needed thought out project ideas, procuring of materials like stones and arranging for their movement to the sites, development of workers, scheduling and sequencing are all important aspect of project planning, staffing and controlling in operation (Uriyimadu, 2007; Oguche,2014).
Management principles abound in the first five books of the Bible. Acase in point was when Moses at the advice of his father in-law, Jethro, chose wise men out of all Israel and made some heads of 1000s, some heads of 100s, some heads of 50s and some heads of tens. This shows the principle of span of control and even hierarchy. He judged the persons at hard time and brought hard cases to Moses. This shows the exception principle. Moses had the authority but the overall authority came from God (Fuller, 2009).
Although it had been from the beginning, intellectual capital was not identified as a key company asset until just a few years ago, in 1994, fortune magazine carried out several articles about intellectual capital or brain power based on pioneering efforts operating in the United States and Scandinavia. The result were phenomenal. In each case study, fortune was able to identify the gap between a company's market value of all its tangible assets has broadened significantly over the past two decades. Fortune reported that market –to book ratios of most U.S companies were 2-10-1, roughly double the average between 1945 through 1990. Price/earnings ratios in the U.S were at 25 as against a historic average of 17. At the same time, corporate investment in tangible capital stock was declining. Fortune concluded that the average value of U.S companies typically ranges from two to nine times the book value. These results were directly related to the intellectual capital the companies had in their employees (Maddocks & Beaney, 2002).
Therefore, in Veritas University, Abuja where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in Private Universities in Nigeria.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that leadership style in some Nigerian Universities is supposed to motivate the staff into been productive and perform optimally. Also, it is supposed to create a conclusive environment that enhances the productivity of the staff. Personal observation has shown that the staff of the library has not performed effectively and their productivity has not been encouraging.
There is a difficulty in determining the effect of autocratic type of leadership on the occupational health aspect of work climate, the influence of transformational leadership in the work place on the employee perceptions of the attitude aspect of the work climate. These difficulties (challenges) that lead to lack of gateways or barriers that lead to a problem which this study will attempt to solve. Transformational, autocratic (authoritarian), laissei-faire (delegative), democratic etcetera are types of leadership styles that pose challenges on the employee perceptions on the attitude aspect of work climate in some Nigerian Universities.
If these challenges are not properly handled, they could lead to negative employee perceptions if the appropriate managerial styles are not adopted, the situational management may become inefficient and ineffective. When things are done wrongly and not right, the performance of the staff of the Universities may be hampered. There is need to determine whether these independent variables have positive or no positive effect on the dependent variable of the work climate of some Nigerian Universities. There is need to determine the extent of the effect if any.
1.4 Aim and Objective of the Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in Private Universities in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To evaluate the effects of transformational leadership on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja.
- To evaluate the effect of transactional leadership on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja.
- To evaluate the effect of laissez-faire leadership style on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja.
- To evaluate the effect of autocratic leadership on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja.
- To proffer solutions to the identified problems.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What is the effect of transformational leadership style on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja?
- What is the effect of transactional leadership style on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja?
- What is the effect of laissez -faire leadership style on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja?
- What is the effect of Autocratic leadership style on employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja?
- What are the preferable solutions to the identified problems?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: The Autocratic leadership style positively does not affect employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
- H1: The Autocratic leadership style positively affects employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
Hypothesis Two
- H0: The Transactional leadership style positively does not affect employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
- H1: The Transactional leadership style positively affects employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
Hypothesis Three
- H0: The laissez-faire leadership style does not affect employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
- H1: The laissez-faire leadership style affects employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
Hypothesis Four
- H0: The Autocratic leadership style positively does not affect employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
- H1: The Autocratic leadership style positively affects employee performance in Veritas University, Abuja
1.7 Significance of Study
This study is important because it will generate information on the Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in Private Universities in Nigeria that will be useful to;
- The management and staff of Veritas University, Abuja and by extension to other private university.
- Members of the governing council of the private universities who formulate policies.
- The vice – chancellors of the private universities studied who do day to day administration of the universities.
- The academic and non-academic staff who earn their living and work in the universities.
- The public at large who are the stakeholders of the universities.
- The student and researchers of management, organizational behaviour, service management and education who procure materials on the subject matters of the study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The study focuses on Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in Private Universities in Nigeria using Veritas University, Abuja as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
Leadership Style: As use in this study, implies the way which influence process is exercised. It is the characteristics ways in which the leadership relates to his subordinates or employees.
Effectiveness: This implies the ability of an organization in achieving its objective. It is doing the right thing.
Efficiency: This is the optimum level o9f a given resources which the organization may fully utilize to produce a given unit of output/ waste. However, it is act of doing things right.
Employee Performance: This is the employee's behavior directed towards the requirement of the job as well as productivity and profitability of the organization. It involves the employee utilized potentials towards attainment of the organizational goal.
Goal Congruence: This is as used in this work refers to the agreement of employer and employee towards the achieving the goal of the organization. It is harmonious activities between the organizational policy and the employee so as to obtain the required targets.
Organization: This is the coalescing of sub-system so as to achieve specified objectives. It is a system of critically co-ordinate activities of two or units.
Situational Leader: As used in this study mean leadership styles depending on the circumstances that arise at particular time in a given organization so as to attain the organizational target.
Employee productivity: It is the quantity of work done with respect to the time used.
Leadership: The process or act of influencing staff to work with zeal and confidence towards achieving the objectives of the library.
