Leadership Styles Dimensions and Organizational Commitment Nexus: Evidence from a Public Sector in Nigeria

Abstract

Scholarly works have shown that one of the outstanding factors of organizational commitment has been leadership, which relates to the style adopted by the leader and the impact it has on the commitment level of employees for performance. The aim of this research was to explore the effect of leadership styles on organizational commitment. Transformational, transactional, and laissez faire styles of leadership were examined. A cross-sectional survey of 151 employees at a public sector agency in Abuja, Nigeria, was conducted. The research employed a quantitative approach to the collection of data using questionnaire administration. All questionnaire items were assessed using the five-point Likert scale. Inferential statistics in research was carried out using multiple regression technique to substantiate the survey findings. Based on the Great man theory, Contingency theory and Behavioural theory, the study confirms that transformational, transactional and laissez faire leadership styles and organizational commitment were statistically associated. In terms of contribution to the model, the explanatory variables jointly contributed 68.2 percent in explaining organizational commitment. On individual contribution, transformational leadership style contributed the most, 58.6 percent to the model while transactional leadership style contributed 11.8 percent to the model and finally laissez-faire leadership style contributed 11.2 percent to organizational commitment in the study context. The study therefore recommends that AEA should use continuous transformational leadership style practices to sustain high employee commitment and organizational effectiveness. Also, AEA should apply a bit of both transactional and laissez faire leadership styles from time to time depending on the situation of things at the workplace as there is no particular leadership style that is one-size fit all but depends on situation at hand. One realistic implication that could be learned from this study is that in order to minimize employee turnover, managers need to implement affirmative strategies that will benefit the establishment.