The Influence of Effective Leadership on Organizational Performance (A Case of Selected Small-Scale Industries in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research work is aimed at achieving the following end.
- To find out the relationship between leadership and organizational performance in an organization
- To determine the pattern of leadership and the extent it has affected organizational performance.
- To identify the factors that are responsible for worker’s low performance in the organization.
- To find out how leadership style has affected labor-management relations and productivity in the selected area of study.
- To identify the set goals or objectives of the organization under study and to ascertain whether the organization is achieving that ideal leadership.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter shall give a literature review of what leadership is all about; traditional meaning, the concept and the relationship between leadership and organizational performance.
There are many ways of looking at leadership and interpretations about what it means. Leadership means different things to different people.
Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Leadership is the potential to influence behaviour of others. It is also defined as the capacity to influence a group towards the realization of a goal. Leaders are required to develop future visions, and to motivate the organizational members to want to achieve the visions.
THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP
The state of the art focusing on problems of leadership and organization is covered in this chapter. Just as humans, the needs of an organization are numerous. Therefore it is important for an organization to effectively coordinate the behavior of people in order to achieve its aims and objectives.
According to London (2001), objectives assist executives in performing leadership roles by providing the basis for uniting the efforts of the workers within the organization. It was further stressed that achieving set objectives help to give identity to an organization as well as recognition and status.
As mentioned by Dubrin (2007), there are different classes of needs.
These include: physical, social and egoistic needs. However, job satisfaction is often associated with human need and condition.
Leadership has been linked to management as it involves directing, controlling to an extent the nature, degree, extent and passé of activities and changes occurring within the organization. Management as a process is rooted in the interactions of people at work directed towards maximization of efficiency and scarce resources: labor, machines, raw materials and information (Hoover HW_DO_, 2001).
Importantly, leadership of an organization should be given adequate attention, if the organization intends to achieve its objectives. The practice of leadership as it were involves taking charge and streamlining the activities of organization members to ensure that desired results are achieved.
In context, leadership development can be viewed as the planned experience, guided growth and training opportunities provided for those in position of authority. To this effect the leader of a small scale business should recognize that their responsibilities include performing management function, which according to Dubrin (2007) are planning, organizing, directing, controlling and co-ordination of all activities as they relate to the activities of the firm in order to achieve the firm’s objectives.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
Research methodology refers to different ways, methods, designs and system a researcher uses in administrating and collecting data in research work.
In this chapter, the researcher shall be looking into ways and methods of administering the questionnaires; the statistical tool that will be used in analyzing the research data and the techniques applies in testing the research hypothesis.
RESEARCH DESIGN
In studies of this nature, coherent and logical arrangement of materials is very vital. This chapter handles how data is collected for this study.
To buttress the initial statement, this chapter deals with the description of procedure adopted in carrying out the study. It describes the research design, source of data, instruments for data collection, establishment of research questions, population for the study, sampling and sampling technique, sample size and technique of data analysis.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population of the study is made up of 380 comprising of all employees (management, senior and junior staff) in the selected small and medium scale enterprises in Abia State.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, the data generated from the field would be presented and analyzed. Questionnaires were produced and taken to the field for completion. A total number of fifty (50) questionnaires were retuned from the field study. The table below shows the distribution and return of the questionnaires. A simple percentage is used for the calculation. The formula is as follows:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
- The primary aim of the research is to establish the relationship between effective leadership style and effectiveness. This focused further on the degree or extent to which it facilitates adequate or high services to the organization. The leadership pattern used in the selected companies in this study contributed to the ineffectiveness of the organizations based on the following reasons:
- Inadequate materials and equipment to work with, under staffing, break down of machinery and tools, insufficient raw materials, lack of performance measurement and lack of motivation for staff amongst other factors.
During this study, the following areas of managerial inadequacies were noticed:
- Poor spread of executive skills and delegation of power: Power is poorly delegated among staff. This results to inability to take decisions when the manager is not available. Also, use of own initiative by the staff is hampered. Thus, most work is monotonous and lack innovative: since the workers have to carry out their duties according to laid down rules.
- Rulership by one man: It was observed that the owner of the business is in his own world. Most times he only gives directives and watch: doing a little of everything. There are no formal controls mechanisms employed in these companies and level of expertise of the manager in all areas of the business in questionable. For instance, it was noticed that the owner of the business addresses issues such finances, marketing, distribution, recruitment and production himself. Certainly his degree of expertise will vary in these fields. Thus his over all competence in handling the business is questionable.
Other issues that were of importance in this study are mentioned below:
- The small-scale industries had more of the relations of the owner of the business working there. Most times, this could be seen as a favor to the family members. In another sense, the employer places them in different units of the business to act as checks to other employees.
CONCLUSION
Organizations are set up for specific purpose and objectives. People join the organizations because they believe that their personal goals could be met, while they strive to achieve the organization’s objectives. It is the duty of every responsible leader to build an organization that will function effectively. To achieve this, the leader must combine these attributes:
Believe in one-self, will give the leader self-confidence to take up new challenges and ability to motivate others to take up pristine challenges.
The leader must have and show passion for the job. This provides energy and focus needed to drive the organization.
Efficiency is a function of perceived reward. Good motivation is critical for achieving organizational objectives. Therefore recognizing workers needs is an essential step to planning and motivational efforts.
Hence, every action taken by a leader stimulates a reaction in the employees.
Therefore, we are of the opinion that attainment of the objectives of small-scale industries in Aba, Abia state Nigeria would be borne out of the fact that leadership recognizes the needs of the workers, employ appropriate motivational tool such as promotion of staff based on merit and skills, provide suitable working environment and provide an appropriate leadership style that will encourage free flow of information among employer, superior officers and other employees.
RECOMMENDATION
- Due to cultural diversity and peculiar history of the major tribes in Nigeria, the members of each cultural groups are known to have different disposition and attitudes towards work and business activities. Therefore it is important that studies of this nature should be carried out among the other cultural groups in Nigeria; Yoruba and Hausa cultural groups. The success of such study will enable a general conclusion to be made on evaluation of leadership and organizational performance in small-scale industries in Nigeria as a whole.
- In achieving the above task, it would be necessary to focus on the level of motivation of employees by employers in the other ethnic or cultural groups in Nigeria. It will also be of interest to study how and determine the extent to which high performance variables promotes maximization of objectives in small scale industries in Igbo land as well as how high performance of small scale industries contribute to the nations economy as a whole.
- Comparative studies that will focus on the attitude of employees to work as well as their level of commitment in small scale industries will also be of interest. This aspect is of importance, because irrespective of the cultural heritage of most Nigerians, their background, education and exposure often affect the way and manner they respond and carry out their duties at work.
- Focusing into the future of small scale industries in Aba, Abia state, Nigeria, it is important to aspire for leaders who are ready to accommodate and respect their subordinates. The leaders of tomorrow in this area of study need to compensate all staff according to their contributions to the organization. The readiness to motivate and provide adequate training as well as freedom to use individual discretion at some specific levels by employees will further enhance leaders’ role in small scale business in this area.
- The future leaders in this area need to have extraordinary level of perception and insight into the realities of the word and themselves.
- They also need emotional strength to manage their own and other’s anxiety because learning and change becomes more and more a way of life. Willingness and ability to share power and control according to people’s knowledge and skills is also of necessity if their will be a bright future for leaders in this area of study.
- Lastly, championing a course to assist employees meet their personal needs and aspiration by the leader will enhance commitment of the employees to the organization. In effect, this will bring about improved performance, satisfaction of all parties and increase in bottom line of the organization.
REFERENCES
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- Andrew J. Dubrin (2007) Leadership research findings, practice, and skills 5th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company.
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