ABSTRACT

This study is specifically aimed at examining the leadership style adopted by the organisation with the particular reference to College of Education Agbor and Delta State University Abraka, Delta State.

In accomplishing this task the writing surveyed the opinion of leaders of the above organisation and got the necessary information about the style of leadership they adopt.  The growth of their business compared with their leadership styled, communication system adopt by the leadership problems encountered by the leaders in performing their task, grievance and motivation as criteria for high employee commitments.

The research method used to descriptive based on the information generated from primary and secondary data collection.

However, observation showed that democratic style of leadership is preferable to other styles but situation in the organisation could equally determine when other styles can be combined to compliment the democratic style, hence no particular leadership style suits all situation.

Therefore, the success or failure of any organisation relies more on the style of leadership adopted at any interval.

Thus, the problem of leadership style is determined by the quality of the leader and his relationship with his workers.  In proper channel of communication as well as lack of motivation factors and grievance mishandling also contributes heavily to the leaders failure.

Based on the findings, understanding every situation and administration the leadership style that best suits each situation will eventually make organisation to achieve their objectives. However, motivating employees and the use of a proper channel of communication in accordance with their organizational structure will reduce conflicts in the organizations and at the same time enhance effective leadership in their organisation.

CHAPTER  ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

There are several reasons why organizations are establishing.  These reasons

could be for either profit making purpose on not profit making purposes charitable organizations that are philanthropic in nature and not profit making oriented.  While on the other hand, profit making oriented organizations which as into business may be set up either by the government or by individuals or it could be a combination of both the government and the individuals.  In which ever case, their main purpose is to make profit by providing goods and services to people either in large or small scale.  One of the most vital objective of setting up business in any organisation is profit making among others.  For actual success of any set objective of any organisation, it would depend on the activities functions and contributions of management in terms of leadership.

Nwabuoku (2003) defined leadership as a term used to described capabilities or qualities of a person who organizes, directs and control others for the purpose of attaining the set goals for a group or society.  It is the processes of influencing the activities and behaviour of an individual or group in and effort to attain a goal for the group.  It is also used to describe a person’s status or position of authority or power.  In this way, the success or failure of the group or society is in most times attributed to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the leader.  For example, strong political parties or effecting government or discipline shows are traced to those in position of authority or leadership in these institution.

Leadership is an important function in any organisation and it has been viewed from different perspectives by different people. Different approaches are been applied to its study.

The researcher is therefore concerned about the examination of the different leadership styles adopted by management in their aim to achieve the objective or their aorganisation with reference to college of education Agbor and Delta state University Abraka, Delta State.

There are many leadership styles in existence adopted by the different organisation all over the world.  According to Kurt Lewin (1938), he said that leadership can be autocratic, participative and laisserfame.  He went further to explain that since each leadership style has it’s attendant problems, the choice of the particular style that should be adopted universally in organizations so as to achieve growth and efficiency becomes a crucial decision facing any management.

However, the function of a leader as many and varied, depending on the basic problem a group has to deal with.  The function usually pertain to the manner in which a established and works towards it’s goals, the problems that arise in maintaining a cohesive of a common symbol which the organisation member can identify with and the way in which the group itself relates to other group of individuals.

The leader may serve as a policy maker, helping the group to defines it’s tasks and establish it’s goals.  Having done this, the leader may formulate a plan that would enable the task to be completed and the goals reached.  As an executive, it is his duty to coordinate the activities of the various sub-group members in accordance with the over all plan.  As possessing more knowledge and better view of the “big picture” the leader may serve as an expert in directing the management toward it’s goals.

Management or group member sometime need a common symbol with which to identify the organisation like a sign, slogan and a flag, etc.  The leader may serve as model whose member can emulate and identify with.

The leader represents the group when dealing with other group and also helps solve inter-management/group problems while protecting the interest of her group.

There are two major types of leadership:

-        Transactional leadership – helps the group to accomplish various transaction

and objective.

-        Transforming leadership – that recognizes the underlying motivation of

members and fully engages them in such a way as to transform them to potential leaders.  That is to the extent that the leader is able to perform, transforming function, group members are helped to transcend their ordinary role of the following and become agents of leadership itself.

Thus the function of leadership is therefore to induce all subordinate to contribute willingly to organizational goals in accordance with the maximum capabilities.

1.2                                 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

One of the most researched and least understood variables of the management process is leadership.  For century is scholars have been speculating on the nature of leadership.  Only in recent year’s have researchers conducted systematic investigation that have yielded useful.  In sight into the dimensions of leading yet, there are still difficulties in establishing the fact that leadership achieves desired result.

A leader who is the person that occupies a position in a group influence other’s in accordance with the role expectation for that position and coordinate and directs the group in maintaining itself and reaching it’s goals.  But there are still failure, in attaining the objectives of organisation.  Why?  Is the problem with the leader or the lead?

At a time organisation choose the wrong leadership style which is counter productive.  How can an organisation choose the right leadership style to operative with?

Organisation structure affects the realization of goals.

 The functional structure adopted by many organisation is line-staff, structure, staff structure is advisory in role while the managements.  The line structure gives orders to subordinate manager who because of nature of the position management attain it’s goals.  As a result, this line-staff structure produces the ultimate decision in the scheme of things and who plays the advisory role.  Why these conflicts and what solutions should been remedy them?

Some leaders or managers lack the leadership qualities.  How can one identify the visionary, charismatic tolerant, intelligent and humble leader?

There are the personality traits that a good leader will possess.  Can we seen it in our leaders today?  How can we plea our leader’s, it’s by individual personality, intelligence and aptitude determined inheritance or is the individual primarily a product of his environment and experience pertinent, this research work is aimed at determining who structure, individual/personality characteristic and how it affects the realization of the organisation objectives.

The work is also intend to find out whether leaders organize the position in  a way as to carry management and staff along in the organizational set-up and they do to what extent do they exercise the leadership power and style to elicit positive attitude from the employees toward increased commitment.

This question may be asked:  Is there one leadership style that can suit every organisation?

1.3                                           PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this study is a critically examine the leadership style adopted by organisation with College of Education, Agbor and delta State University Abraka, Delta state as a case study.

Efficiency and effectiveness is the bedrock of any management cum objectives of any organisation and an examination of the style of leadership adopted by the managers is expected to profit them, their subordinates and in fact the entire society in appreciating and coming in terms with the reality of solution.

The ability of a leader is seen on a wider scale since their mere physical existence does not satisfy the needed requirement from them in order to enhance the growth and attainment of organisation and employees objective.

The input of this study will help leaders identify the types of employees they have and as will determine the leadership style to adopt in order to suit worker’s to enhance their productivity.  On this premise this work has become a veritable instrument in ascertaining which of the leadership style is best for the academic institution with particular reference to College of Education Agbor and Delta State University Abraka, delta State to enhance good working relationship between leaders, workers and student manager and subordinate.

1.4                        IMPRTANCE OF STUDYING THE AREA

Every research work is usually very significant in discovering hidden, doubtful, unknown and necessary concept.  In this regards, this study will expose a lot of management practices and leadership style which are recommended for an effective leadership especially in organisation lie College of Education, Agbor and Delta State University Abraka.  It will therefore expose more leadership styles that are not peculiar to Nigeria scene but which can still be practiced effectively in Nigeria business environment.

This study therefore, will help organisation leader identify the secret of those business concern that have grown to a very large scale.  It will equally be of immense assistance to any person that takes interest in the management pattern of organisation with regards to leadership.

1.5                        SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

This study is centred on the leadership styles adopted by organisation using college of Education Agbor and Delta State University Abraka as a case study.  This involves the study of selected organisation that they are from a good representative sample.

This study will also identify the factors that militate against leadership in achieving the desired result.  It will also try to find out who one leader is, leadership qualities, organisation structure. The role of leaders and subordinate etc.

It will also examine various leadership styles and it’s applicability in College of Education, Agbor and Delta State University, Abraka, both higher institution of learning in Delta State.

This study is limited because of certain constraints associated with the prevailing circumstance.  Time being the bane of every work  Such as this, is a major constrain since the work has to be combined with class work.  The little available time has to be shared between lectures and this field of work.

There exist also problems associated with respondents to the questionnaires.  Some of them in most cases were not available on their seats to fill in the required information and one has to repeat on miss such respondents.  Instances abound where respondents evade the questions or intentionally give biased responses making the analysis very difficult.  There were cases of unreturned or misplaced questionnaires.

Financial burden which cannot be burn adequately by the writer make her to restrict the study to College of Education, Agbor and Delta State University, Abraka.

1.6                                           NITION OF TERMS

LEADER                      :         This is one who occupies a management position

and gives directive to his subordinate in a meaningful way.                      

MOTIVATION            :         This is an individuals inner state that causes

him/her to behave in a way that ensure the accomplishment of some goal.  It explain an incentives.

TRAIT                           :         Trait is the distinguishing quality or characteristics

allegedly posed by a leader.

GRIEVANCE                :         Real or imagined cause for complaint or protest.

DISCIPLINE                  :         The achieving and maintain orderly employee

behaviour because the people understand and believe in the established code of conduct.

ORGANISATION                   :         This is a system having an established structure

and conscious planning which people work and deal with one another in a co-ordinate and cooperation meaner for the accomplishment of recognized goals.

 

REFERENCES

Agu, N. M. and Eluka M. (1996):     Understanding Man.  Selected Topic in

Psychology and Management, London, Mc-Graw-Hill.

Brach, F. L.(1975):        Principle and Practice of Management, London;

Longman.

Davis Reith N.P.:Human Relation at Work.  The Management of Organisation

Behaviours, London, McGraw-Hill

Fiedler, E. E. (1976):     A Theory Of Leadership Effectiveness, New York;

McGraw-Hill Book Company.

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