Abstract

Organizations are headed by managers who are expected to lead their subordinates towards greater performance that meets or exceeds organizational goals. Depending on the situation, managers could employ democratic, autocratic or laissez-faire leadership styles to get organizational goal and objectives achieved. Thus the main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of leadership style on employee work behavior in Buea Council. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the type of leadership practice at Buea Council, to determine the effect of leadership style practice on employees work behavior at Buea Council and to determine the issues, face by council with the present form of leadership practice at Buea Council. The study made used of a Descriptive survey design and employed quantitative data analysis to sampled 95 staffs and employees of the Buea Council using a structured-questionnaire. The study employed a random sampling techniques, results were analysed in SPSS (21.0) using descriptive statistics and regression test. Findings shows that the major form of leadership that managers or leaders employed at the Buea Council was the Autocratic leadership style in which leaders’ express authority to subordinates by making all the rule, not involving employees at decision making, continuous monitoring of employees and used of rewards system to punished and rewards employees job output. Regression analysis show that a significant positive relationship between leadership style practiced at the Buea Council and employees work behaviour. The study also concluded as a results of the type of leadership practiced, management are faced with a number of challenges which included the lacked of necessary resources needed by the employees to execute their daily task. Poor communication between employees and their leaders, frequent occurrence of conflicts at the council, employees’ absenteeism and employees’ turnover. It was recommended that the management of the Buea Council should encourage managers and supervisory leaders to adopt democratic form of leadership styles in the course of discharging their managerial responsibilities.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The advent of 21st century has introduced significant changes within the workplace environment. The organizational leaders are dealing with many pressures created by the globalization, technology advancement and social changes. In today’s turbulent and chaotic environment, the real power to act comes from recognising the pattern of change and seizing the windows of opportunity. Consequently, leaders’ jobs have changed from mainly supervising and giving orders to subordinates to forming and leading cross-functional teams, providing services to subordinates, and developing sustainable relationships with the clients in the field.

In this kind of environment, the organisational leaders need many competencies to survive. This means that leaders have to learn to manage complex situations by integrating all the interactions with their subordinates, peers, and superiors into a cohesive whole. As each individual represents a unique conglomerate of knowledge, skills, weaknesses, and strength, this aspect represents a challenging issue and organisational leaders must address all this diversity to accomplish the performance objectives of the organisation.

Therefore, every organisation and every team believes they need leadership. Leadership inside the organisation affects the behavior of the employees (Naile and Selesho, 2014). Successful leaders are the iconic characters who influence their followers and subordinate’s behavior to achieve organisational goals and objectives. Michael (2010) mentions that leaders in an organisation can make a change or design the culture of the organisation, values, change tolerance and motivation of the employees. It shapes the organisation strategies including their effectiveness.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The central theme and problem of this study is that, we often think of a manager or leader is expected to exhibit a right behaviour towards employees or subordinates. Yet it is realised that in most organisations in Cameroon particularly municipal councils, work schedule are task-focused and routine, with no flexibility, and yet decisions and policies are imposed on subordinates. In such organisations where the leadership perceives employees as mere hands to get job done, employees would pretend to do well due to the standards and measure being assigned to them.

Nevertheless, employee’s performance includes executing defined duties, meeting deadlines, employee competency, effectiveness and efficiency in doing work to a major extend is all a function of the employee’s behavior at work. various organisations need strong leadership) style that stimulates the employee’s performance. For employees to accomplish their work, managers must encourage individuals who reports to them, co-workers, and supervisors or customers. Because of this for effective and efficient organisations leadership, the human factor must be critically looked out from the employee performance.

Importantly, we observed that the employees of Buea Council demonstrate poor attitude to work thereby affecting the quality of services provided by the council at the detriment of the general public. Employees’ poor attitude to work could be attributed to poor leadership style. A good leadership style is expected to direct workers behaviours toward achieving organisational predetermined goals. Therefore, this study investigates how different leadership styles (e.g. autocratic, democratic and liaises faire) affect employees’ work behaviour at Buea Council.

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.3.1 Main Objective

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of leadership style on employee work behavior in Buea Council.

1.3.2 Specific Objective

The study seeks to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. To identify the type of leadership practice at Buea Council
2. To determine the effect of leadership style practice on employees work behavior at Buea Council
3. To examined the challenges, encountered by the council with the present form of leadership practice at Buea Council

1.4 Research Question

1.4.1 Main Research Question

What is the effect of leadership style on employee work behavior in Buea Council?

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What is the type of leadership practiced at Buea Council?
2. What is the effect of the practiced leadership style on employee work behaviour at Buea Council?
3. What challenges are faced by the Buea council as a results of the type of leadership practiced?