AN EVALUATION OF THE LEADERSHIP STYLE
AND ITS EFFECT ON THE EMPLOYEES ATTITUDE
(A CASE STUDY OF NIKE RESORT HOTEL, ENUGU)
ABSTRACT
The theme of the study is an evaluation
of leadership style and its effects on employee’s attitude (a case study of
Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu).
Inadequate information and
misconceptions about leadership styles that is appropriate in organizational
structure perse have led to several ugly consequences strike actions, creation
of informal group etc.
In order to achieve the above aims, research
questions were used. The findings of the
researcher were presented in tabular form and analyzed using simple
percentages. The findings of the study
revealed the following:
– That
employees attitude to greatly affected by leadership style adopted by their
leaders.
– That
employees react to leadership style by creating informal group
– That in
all respect employees is contingent on leadership which integrate, organization
and employees objectives.
– The
resultant effect of unpopular leadership in an organization results in workers
strike and uncooperative attitude of the employees.
Based on the above findings the
following were recommended:
– There
should be awareness of the fact that employees at all levels evaluate their job
and their leadership behaviour. Leaders
should always try to influence and motivate employees for the survival of the
organization.
– When
formulating organizational polic, it is necessary that employees needs and
aspirations are integrated.
– Management
should encourage employees participation at lest in the work group, to partake
in decision – making on areas that affect them most.
– The
consent of those over whom the acquired power is exercised is necessary because
of background, education and orientation that determine best leadership.
– The
management should also endevour to establish and maintain a nice conflict
resolving devices.
It is therefore believed that if the
aforementioned recommendations suggested be seriously taken into consideration,
it will go a long way in proffering solutions to some of the problems faced by
organizational goal.
TABLES OF CONTENT
Title
page
Approval
page
Acknowledgement
Dedication
Abstract
List
of table
Table
of contents
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
Statement
of problem
Purpose
of the study
Research
questions
Significance
of study
Scope
of study
Limitations
of the study
Definition
of terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
The
concept of leadership
Nature
of leadership
Leadership
as the process of management
The
concept of power as it relates to leadership
Leadership
styles
Apaches
to leadership theory
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH
DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Source
of data collection
Procedure
in gathering data
Population
of the study
Data
treatment technique
Research
method used
Administration
and retrieval of questionnaire
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION,
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONOF DATA
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY
OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
of findings
Conclusion
Area
of further study
Recommendation
Bibliography
Appendices
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Leadership is an area of managerial
responsibility that is needed to develop plans, set objectives that help the
organization cope with the future and to meet the demands of the
environment. The technical, economic,
social and political characteristics of organization brings about continuing
need for the innovation, creativity and imagination of a leader. Leadership ability therefore is a valuable
skill and those who possess or have it reap high rewards. The universal dearth
of effective leaders causes organization to scout constantly for them and
fosters development and better utilization of existing leadership.
Leadership is the ability of an
individual to influence others to work beyond ordinary level to achieve a goal
or an objective. Leadership is generally
defined as influence, the art or process of influencing people so that they
will strive willingly towards the
achievement of group goals. To
lead is to guide conduct and direct.
Leaders act t o help a group achieve objectives with maximum application
of its capabilities. They do not stand
behind a group to prod; they place themselves before the group as to facilitate
progress and inspire the group to accomplish organizational goals.
A
pertinent example is that of the orchestra leader, whose function is to produce
coordinated sound and correct tempo through integrated effort of the
instrumentalist.
Leadership has an effect on the
performance of any organization. It
affects both the employees attitude and productivity of the organization.
Employees
at all levels tend to evaluate the jobs and their organizations according to
the kind of leadership behaviour their bosses exhibit, for a leader to lead
effectively and efficiently he needs to understand his followers and the
situation in t he organization. The
situational variably which influences the effectiveness of a followers and the
task organizational climate power available to the leader and leader – follower
relationship.
Basically, people tend to follow those
they see as a means of satisfying their needs.
The task of a leader is to encourage people to contribute effectively
and willingly towards the accomplishment of enterprise goal, and to satisfy
their own needs in the process.
The leader must always be aware of the human problems a as sensitivity
towards the hopes and aspirations of those whom he supervised and a capacity
for analysis of emotional forces that motivate their conduct, if this is not
achieved the projects entrusted to him will not work out, no matter how often
wages are raised.
The survival of every organization
depends on the performance of its leader.
He moves the group within the constrains of its maximum compatibilities
to attain certain specified objectives.
He handles people, motivate them to work with them to do. In order not
to loose him identity he takes his place before the group as he inspires the
group to accomplish organizational objective.
In fact
he is an architect of the performance, and hence tries to increase the moral of
his employees always. Research findings
however suggests that leadership effectiveness is not depended on the source of
power alone but with situational factors, climate or any particular style.
From the foregoing, the question is
that, how effective is the leadership style in bringing about a good reaction o
employees towards organization, work and their environment.
It is
the aim of the research to give due to the question.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
One of the most researchers and lest
understood variables of the management process is leadership.
For centuries
scholars have been speculating on the nature of leadership to adopt. Only in the recent years have researchers
conducted systematic investigations that have yielded useful insights into
dimensions of leading. Even with this,
there is still an increasing difficulties to establish the fact that leaders
achieve the desired result as and when is need.
The prosperity, if not the survival of
any organization depends on the performance of its leader and their
styles. The quality of leadership style
shapes the behaviour of their employees at all levels tend to evaluate their
job and their organization according to the kind of leadership behaviour their
bosses exhibit. Theoretically, in
appropriate usage of some style result to workers negative attitude to work,
absenteeism, conflict, unrest and confrontation. All these are reampant in most
of the organization today.
This research work aims at evaluating
the type of leadership in existence and why they vary in their method of
operation. The work also intends to find
out whether leaders recognize their position
in the organizational set of and if they do, to what extent do they
exercise their leadership power and style to exhibit positive attitude from the
employees for an increased productivity.
Some leadership styles in themselves are retrogressive and generate
ill-feelings among employees. Most
leaders always think that all employees should be treated the same but each
individual background, orientation education largely determine the best of
leadership with which they could be led.
On the whole the research will
critically assess the reaction of employees to the styles used by their
leaders.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Leadership roll is said to be very
useful tool in the life of an organization which has influence on both
employees attitude and organization’s productivity. In spite of this fact leaders themselves seem
to over-look its importance. The purpose
of this research therefore is to evaluate and have in depth knowledge of the
leadership styles practiced in the organization selected and their effects on
employees attitude.
This
evaluation will be done by the following ways to:
i.
Determine whether the type of styles
used by the leaders in
the organization affect employees.
ii.
Determine the problems facing the terms
of these leadership
styles.
iii.
Recommend possible solution to the
problems identified.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This is an attempt by the researcher to
reflect the general purpose of the research work. Most often, it grows out of the management
question of which its successful answering provides the researcher the desired
research information and to this end, the following research questions were
asked:
a. Do you
recognize leadership as a factor that affect the employees attitude to work?
b. Are the
employees attitude dependent on the leadership style?
c. Does
the employees in this organization react to leadership style by creating
informal group?
d. What
leadership problems often result from the improper implementation of the
conditions of services?
e. does
the employees base their loyalty to the organization on the basis of leadership
style the management is using?
SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY
The existence of a good leadership style
in any organization is crucial and will ultimately affect every body either
directly or indirectly. This study will
be of greater significance to the management team of various organizations and
that of Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Limited in particular.
This research work will also be helpful
to future researchers as reference purpose or academics literature and in
particular to students of management as well.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This research is meant to cover many
organization in Enugu
metropolis, but because it is not easy for the researcher to visit all the
organizations due to certain constraints such as lack of time and money. The study has been limited to one selected
organization which is the case study – Nike Lake Resort Hotel.
It is critical analysis and evaluation
of leadership style and effects on employees attitude in the company with
regards to effective and efficient management and productivity.
In this case, therefore many things t o
investigate on by the researcher namely, the concept of leadership, nature of
leadership, leadership as a process of management, the concept of power as it
relates to leadership, leadership style and finally approaches to leadership theories.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
In order to facilitate effective
understanding of the content of this study, the following important terms have
been defined.
LEADERSHIP
The art or process of influencing people
so that they will strive willing toward achievement of group goals.
EVALUATION
This is a method of appraising the value
of a particular thing in the course of study.
It is a situation where the authenticity of study is examined and
logical conclusion drawn.
OBJECTIVE
This refers to the end – target set to
be achieved by the organization in the course of operation
STYLE
These are various approaches leaders
adopt in dealing with subordinates for accomplishing the set objectives of the
organization.
ORGANISATION
This means a purposeful social unit. It is defined establishment or corporate
entity public, private or services or produce goods and set-up to render
services or produce goods and to carry out more precisely policies and
programmes inspired.
INFLUENCE
This is the power to effect subordinates
characters, beliefs or action through example, fear or admiration with or
without forces.
POWER
This refers to one who applies sanctions
that requires or prohibits the commission of an act.
EMPLOYEEES
Employees is a general term referring to
one who work for wage and salary and perform services for an employer.
ATTITUDE
Attitude is referred to as manner of
placing or holding the body and way of feeling, thinking or behaving.