An investigation of the influence of leadership style on employee performance in Kenya. A case study of Coffee research foundation in Ruiru

摘要

The purpose of the research project was to carry out research to find out the influence ofudleadership style on employees performance in Kenya with a case study, of Coffee ResearchudFoundation (CRF) in Ruiru. The research paid a special attention to the influence of leadershipudstyle to employee performance in CRF, Ruiru. It sought to find out whether there was audrelationship between the leadership style practiced in CRF and the performance of theudemployees. The research sought to find out whether the leadership style adopted in CRFudinfluenced employees performance in terms of their productivity, turn over intention, motivationudand commitment to offer effective and quality services. The target population was the 200udemployees of CRF. A Sample of 100 employees was selected for the study. The employees whoudresponded were 90. Data was collected by conducting face to face interviews and administeringudquestionnaires with a specified time limit to be filled. The questionnaires were administered byudthe researcher and some by the help of the research assistants. The data was collected from theudtop, middle and lower management as well as from the subordinates. Data was further collectedudfrom the three departments in CRF to find out whether the leadership style adopted positively orudnegatively influenced the performance of the employees. The collected data was analyzed usingudSPss. The data was presented using tables and pie charts. The research expected to find audrelationship between the employees' performance and the leadership style adopted by theudorganization. If the leadership style was effective the researcher expected 'to find an efficient andudeffective staff committed to provide the best quality, reliable, adequate and appropriate servicesudand vice versa. The research found majority of the respondents being on the view that there wasuda relationship between the leadership style adopted and the performance level of the employees.udThe research found out that majority of the respondents were on the view that the leadershipudstyle adopted by CRF influenced positively to employee motivation, commitment andudproductiyity. It however influenced negatively to employee turnover intention. The researchudfindings are helpful to policy makers, the government, university lecturers and students, and theudCRF staff as it provides important resource of reference. The government and the policy makersudcan use the findings of this research project to make the requisite adjustments in order to improveudservice delivery. The research may also help the human resource managers to know theudleadership style gap existing in their institutions and provide the requisite training anduddevelopment to the management staff to. improve their leadership skills which can largelyudcontribute to improved performance in institutions of Kenya. The research project report isudhelpful to the CRF management as it exposes the leadership deficit which the human resourceudmanagers of CRF may find as potential area for further training and development of theirudmanagement staff in order to facilitate improved performance of employees and coffee industryudin Kenya.