CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Leadership style is one of the factors for a successful business organization. Hence, every successful business organization established must take into cognizant the environmental factors and leadership style, Andrew (2010). Leadership has been defined in different ways by management experts. Dubrin (2010) defines it as the process influencing other people to achieve certain objectives. Belts (2009) asserted that leadership includes making people feel responsible or inducing inspiring enthusiasm and influencing positively individual behaviour. Mulks (2011) provided a simple definition of leadership that it involves getting others to follow or gathering others people to things willingly.
Leadership styles may be classified according to the approach a leader adopted in handling human problems and getting things done, Mbah 2009). Theoretically, leadership style may be classified into autocratic style, democratic style and Laisser Faire style.
Democratic leader allows the subordinate to make contributions in the decision process though the leader retains the final authority to make decision without due consultation, particularly on sensitive issues. In Laisser Faire; leadership style, the leader allows the workers complete freedom to make decision at work (Tyson 2009). This type of leadership is adopted when there absolute confidence on the workers or when the manager has no confidence on his/her ability.
An important factor in the leadership process in the relationship that a leader has with individual followers. Previous researchers have shown that successful interaction between leader and their followers are central to the overall functioning of a company (Noormela and Syed (2010). High quality leader-follower relationships have been found to have impact on employee performance, organizational commitment, delegation, empowerment and job satisfaction. This research therefore seeks to assess the effect of leadership styles on the productivity of an organization.
