Leadership styles and employee performance of Kampala Capital city authority: a case study of Nakawa Urban council

Abstract

The study sought to determine the relationship between leadership style and employee performance with lessons drawn from Nakawa urban council. The main objectives of the study were; 1). to examine the relationship between participatory style of leadership and employee performance in Nakawa Urban Council, 2). to establish the relationship between laissez-faire leadership style and employee performance in Nakawa Urban Council, and 3).to analyze the relationship between authoritative leadership style and employee performance in Nakawa Urban Council. The study adopted a cross sectional survey research design. Data was collected using a questionnaire and structured interviews and collected data was analysed using statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) package and thematic themes were used for qualitative and quantitative method of data analysis. Results revealed that there is a significant relationship between participatory leadership style and employee performance (r =.600**: p= .000). Findings also revealed that there is a significant relationship between authoritative leadership style and employee performance (r =.758**: p= .000). Results further showed that there is a significant relationship between laissez-faire leadership style and employee performance (r =.808**: p= .000). In conclusion, participatory leadership style has a positive relationship on employee performance in urban councils. The adoption of participatory leadership style leads to improvement in employee performance, efficiency and effectiveness. Authoritative leadership style leads to significant improvements in employee performance. This was shown by performance is limited by dictatorial leadership of the supervisor, performance is not limited by dictatorship of the supervisor. Laissez faire leadership style has also got significant improvements in employee performance. This was seen in the view that people/employees manage themselves. The study recommended that Laissez faire leadership style should be embraced in Nakawa Urban council because it allows workers to manage themselves and therefore flexible. The leaders at Nakawa urban council should apply management styles that best suit the condition and the environment.