Influence of Leadership Style on Tutor Job Satisfaction of Primary Teachers Training Colleges in Lake Victoria Region of Kenya

Abstract

Leadership seems to be the number one factor in determining the success or failure of organizations globally. In primary teachers’ colleges, principals have the mandate to dispense leadership function. The purpose of this study was to investigate empirically the influence of principals’ leadership styles on tutor job satisfaction of primary teachers training colleges in Lake Victoria Region of Kenya. The independent variable wasleadership styles, namely laissez faire and autocratic leadership styles. On the other hand, the dependent variable was tutor job satisfaction. The study employed a mixed method approach. The target population for this study included all the 245 tutors and 9 principals in the selected 5 public and 4 private primary teachers training colleges in the Lake Region of Kenya. The study sample was 225 tutors and all the nine principals. Leadership styles were measured using the adapted version of the Multi-factor Leadership Style Questionnaire. Questionnaires, observations and interviews were the instruments for data collection. The questionnaire used a 5-point Likert scale while semi-structured questions were used in the interviews. The analysis of quantitative data was carried out using SPSS version 20, while qualitative data was analyzed using Microsoft word. Leadership styles were determined by examining their frequencies, means, standard deviations, percentages. The influence of leadership styles on job satisfaction was examined using regressions. The study found that laissez faire and autocratic leadership styles were less exhibited by principals of PTTCs in Lake Victoria Region of Kenya. Laissez faire leadership style was least exhibited. The study also revealed that both laissez faire and autocratic leadership styles negatively influenced the organizational climate of PTTCs.