The Relationship between Leadership Styles and Lecturers' Job Satisfaction in Institutions of Higher Learning in Kenya

Henry Kiptiony Kiplangat

doi:10.13189/ujer.2017.050315

Abstract

University management and academic staff have a critical role to diligently play in fulfilling university's mandate. Effective and efficient governance and management of both private and public universities have a direct bearing on the overall quality of the institutions. With management operating under laid down governance structures, it is crucial that specific leadership styles are adopted to make easier their roles. This paper examines the relationship between leadership styles and Lecturers' job satisfaction in higher learning institutions in Kenya. A target population of 2,773 administrators and lecturers in chartered public and private universities in Rift Valley Region of Kenya was considered. A sample of 605 participants was then obtained. The study employed convergent parallel mixed methods design with census, random and systematic sampling techniques to select the respondents. Purposive sampling was also used to select information-rich cases. Questionnaires, interview and document analysis were used for data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data was analysed. Pearson correlation coefficient, independent-samples t-test, One-way ANOVA and regression coefficients were employed with the use of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. It was found out that benevolent authoritarian leadership style was dominantly used. However, the study recommended practice of participative leadership style.

Highlights

A study by Narang and Dwivedi [16] developed a reliable and valid scale to measure the job satisfaction of knowledge workers (academicians, scientists and Information Technology (IT) professionals) in India
The leadership styles adopted by the university management as expressed by the lecturers indicated the adoption of exploitative authoritarian style, benevolent authoritarian style, consultative style and participative style at 4%, 50%, 43%, and 2% in that order, with benevolent authoritarian style being the dominant
Dean’s and lecturers’ opinions on whether lecturers may have engaged in behaviours that were counter to organisational goals due to exclusion showed majority indicating strongly disagree and disagree at 22% and 25.4% in that order, with an average of 24%

Summary

Introduction

A study by Narang and Dwivedi [16] developed a reliable and valid scale to measure the job satisfaction of knowledge workers (academicians, scientists and Information Technology (IT) professionals) in India. Repressive management practices and supervision and guidance were the last two in order of importance, at the same time both were negatively correlated and statistically insignificant with job satisfaction. This pointed to a need to find out the leadership styles employed by university administrators and their influence on lecturers’ job satisfaction in Kenya’s universities. The findings showed a direct and significant relationship between participative and consultative styles and the personnel job satisfaction rate This meant the leadership quality affected institutions’ different processes like decision-making, cooperation of staff, communications, constructing an appropriate and desired environment which provides personal needs and reaches the organizational goals effectively

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion