CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Improved productivtity has been described as
providing more effective or higher quality services at the same cost or the
same services at the lowest cost effects. Effectiveness and efficiency are the
key concepts of productivity measurement in organisations. The problems of
productivity are of great concern because of its financial implications. As far
back as 2001, scholars had started showing interest in productivity. For
instance, Munstaberg (1913, p. 14) cited in Nwizu (2002, p. 63), an industrial
psychologist started indicating interest in -productivity. According to him, he
worked to determine how to find the best man possible, how to produce the best
possible work and how to ensure the best possible effects.
The famous Hawthorn experiment conducted by Elton
Mayo, and colleagues were also undertaken in between 1920 – 1930 to determine
the factors responsible for high productivity. Thus managers need to study
their workers with a view to understanding them and their behaviours, why they
behave the way they do and what need to be done in order to direct their
behaviours towards the attainment of organisational goals. This therefore means
that all those who are responsible for the management of any organisation must
build into the centre system those things that induce workers to contribute as
effectively and efficiently as possible.
Management literature mentions leadership styles
like autocratic leadeship, bereaucratic leadership, or participate leadership,
laizefaire leadership, task-oriented leadership, transactional leadership,
people oriented leadership or relations-transformational leadership. Each style
of leadership, impact organisational performance differently, some of them
helping organizations evolve and achieve success, others only hindering their
development and being a source of dissastifaction and de-motivation. For
example, laizefaire is a hands-off approach where no one sets any objectives,
directions, restrictions, etc. hence the lack of motivation, poor work
practices and lack of performance. Another leadership style which can have a
negative impact upon the performance of an orgnisation is the autocratic style.
It is an extreme form of leadership where the leader exerts power upon the
staff, offering them very few opportunities of saying what they think or of
involving themselves actively in the way the activity is developed. Therefore,
the level of performance is very low. On the other hand, transformational
leadership, which is one of the most modern and most successful styles of
leading, is the style in which the leader plays the role-model. He inspires his
followers and challenges them to be more involved in their work.
Transformational leaders communicate with their people, deegate
responsibilities, try to know their staff, to understand their strength and
their weak-points in order to fin the best way to optimise, tus optimising
entire organisations performance. Tranformational leaders change an employee
from a worker who carries out task nto a valuable team member.
Thus, they can modify the employee, think and feel
about their work and the orgnisation by creating an ownership mindset.
Transformational leadership can help employeestrust
the organisations and its mission and thus stop questioning the objectives of
the organisationand work harder to achieve results.
A tranformational leader can elicit a stronger sense
of commitment from the staff, which will have a positive impact on
effectiveness and efficiency of their work and consequently of the
organisation. They believe in delegating responsibility, getting the staff
involved in important decisins and showing confidence in the ability to make
the right choices.
Accordingly, there are four key dimensions of
leadership that are used to accomplish the transformation of subordinates, and
of the organisation. They include:
chrisma and idealized influence, inspirational motivation,
individualized consideration and intellectual stimulations. Organisations have
had to spend a lot of resources to train leaderhip to handle the challenges of
the modern times, especially as compounded by the dynamic of global business.
It is based on this that this study aims to exmine
the impact of leadership style on employee productivity.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
One of the most researched and an undeerstood variable
of the management process is leadership. For years, scholars have investigated
on the nature of leadership; only in the recent year have researchers conducted
systematic investigation that gave useful insights into dimensions of leading.
Even with thhis there is still an argument difficulty to estalish the fact that
leadership achieves the designed result and when needed because of the
imperative necessity of leadership to productivity and the subsequent failures
of organisation caused by lack of this, this research study aims to ask such
questions as:
1)
What is the
essence of leadership to organisation productivity;
2)
What efforts can
orgaisation make to attain good leadership, and
3)
What ae the impact of good leadership on
workers in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwana.
A good quality of leadership style modifies the
behaviour of their employees. Employees themselves always like to back their
job performance and their organisation according to the kind of leadership
style of their boss portrays. Inappropriate use of some style and negative
attitude of the workers towards their productivity of the organisation/firm,
all these are rampant in most application of good leadership style. Most
organizations have folded while some more pass through curtlers industrial
crises. The negative effects of this impact upon several countries, especially
in the developing countries.
1.3
Research Questions
The questions that will be posed in the
course of this research are:
1.
What is the
essence of leadership to organisation?
2.
Does leadership
style have impact on staff productivity?
3.
How can
organisation obtain good leadership?
1.4
Objective of the Study
The broad objective of this study is:
1.
To examine the
essence of leadership to organisation productivity;
2.
To examine the
impact of leadership styles on staff productivity in Akanu Ibiam Federal
Polytechnic Uwana;
3.
To examine how
organisation could attain good leadership.
1.5
Scope of the Study
The research work will examine good leadership and
its effects on workers in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwana. This topic was
chosen due to the convenience in obtaining data by the researcher.
1.6
Significance of the Study
The significance of this study is basically a
definite scope which will help elicit all the problems and effects of different
leadership styles. Also it will assist in highlighting how management and
employees react to stereotyped conditions.
In
addition, all the mentioned and determined effects, problems and solutions will
be critically viewed to serve as possible recommendations to today’s manager
who may be willing to employ a particular leadership style. It will create a
better situation for the leader to select best types of leadership sstems. This
study will also reveal to the government the need to improve the productivity of
employees in any business organisation be it private orpublic sector. It will
expose them to understand that the personnel management is the hallmark of any
organisation. The reading public will also gain from this work because some of
them wishing to establish their own organisations will also know the kind of
leadership style to adopt that will improve the employee productivity in their
organization. If employee productivity is improved through the use of the
factors suggested in this study, all thing equalthe growth and development of
all other aspects of the organisation is assured.
1.7
Limitations of Study
In pursuing the investigation about this study, the
researcher had to surmont a lot of challenges. These challenges ranged from
lack of relevant data due to poor responses from the respondents, time
constraints and finance.
1)
Time Constraint:
Time was a matter to grpple with during the course if this research work as the
researcher had to create time for the study and other academic related
activities.
2)
Financial Constraints: another challengethat was surmonted in the course
of this study was finance. This was needed for the trips to the area of study,
gathering of materials and typping of the project work. The fund raised
therefore, involved reducing to a large extent other forms of expenditures to
create adequate funds for the work.
3)
Respondents:
many of the respondents were unwilling to release the much needed information
they were being asked to release were cllassified on the image of the
institution if it does not portray the unstitution in positive light.
1.8
Definition of Terms
Leadership: can be defined as the art or process of
influemcingpeople in a positive way so that they are willing to co-operate with
the leader to achieve organisational goals.
Productivity: is the state of being productive, fertile or
efficient.
Organisation: can be defined as a group of people who are united
by a common purpose.