Leadership Styles and Employees’ Performance in University System: The Case of University of Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper assessed the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance of the University of Abuja, based on the arguments propounded by modern leadership theory. It adopted a survey research design and made use of primary data obtained from structured questionnaires distributed to a sample of 380 non-academic staff members of the University. Using the OLS regression technique, the study found strong evidence in support of a positive and statistically significant association between transformational and transactional leadership style in the University of Abuja. Specifically, the result of the analysis suggests that leadership style plays crucial role in the overall performance of the employee of the University. The study concluded that leadership style be it transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire, influences employee performance. In line with the above findings, the study recommended, among others that leaders (managers) at the University of Abuja should project inspiration, encourage creativity and innovation, and reward hard work but never abdicate its responsibility to drive performance. Keywords: Employee Performance, Leadership Styles, Organisational Outcomes.