Abstract
This study examined the influence of supportive and participative path-goal leadership styles, and the moderating role of task structure on employee performance of coffee trading companies in Kenya. The study was guided by the positivism philosophy and used a descriptive correlational research design. The population comprised 180 senior managers of coffee trading companies in Kenya, and a sample size of 139 was determined using stratified random sampling. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. The response rate was 84%. The descriptive statistics were means and standard deviations while the inferential analysis included factor analysis, correlational analysis, chi-square, and regression analysis. Results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that supportive leadership style did not significantly predict employee performance, R2= 0.001, F(1, 110) = 0.118, p? .05, ? = -0.040, p ? .05 but that participative leadership style significantly predicted employee performance, R2= 0.865, F(1, 115) = 735.111, p ?.05, ? = 0.943, p?05. Task structure was found to moderate the relationship between path-goal leadership styles and employee performance, R2= 0.094, F(5, 101) = 6.92, p ?.05, ? = 0.208, p? .05. The study recommends that leaders of coffee trading companies should apply a participative leadership style with their employees with constant communication and consultation in order to achieve optimal performance.
Highlights
Organizations exist to meet specific objectives and as a result, their success is highly dependent on the performance of employees in meeting their goals
Correlation analysis showed the relationship between supportive leadership style and employe performance was not significant, r(112) = -0.033, p ≤.05 and the Chi-Square test results revealed no association between supportive leadership style and employee performance, χ2(48, N=117) = 131.748, p ≤ 0.05
Correlation analysis indicated that participative leadership style positively and significantly predicted employee performance, β = 0.943, t(116) = 27.113, p ≤ .05 and the results of the Chi-Square test revealed a significant association between participative leadership style and employee performance of senior managers of coffee trading companies in Kenya, χ2(133, N=117) = 590.06, p ≤ .05The statistical evidence was sufficient to reject the second hypothesis that participative leadership style did not have a significant relationship with employee performance
Summary
Organizations exist to meet specific objectives and as a result, their success is highly dependent on the performance of employees in meeting their goals. With the evolvement of the leadership discipline, many theories have emerged One of these theories, the path-goal theory, advocates that the style of a leader has to fit with an employee and his or her work environment so that the leader can effectively guide the employees in the path to achieving the goals of the organization (House & Mitchell, 1974). The path-goal theory recognizes the moderating role of subordinate and environmental factors and postulates that a leader will complement what is missing in any situation for the optimal performance and satisfaction of the employee. There are four leadership styles under the path-goal theory that a leader can use and these are the directive leadership style, the participative leadership style, the supportive leadership style and the achievement oriented leadership style.
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