Abstract:
Individuals are always more productive at their work places when they are operating under no pressure in the course of discharging their duties. As various studies have found out, a conducive working environment is always paramount to the productivity of workers. Therefore leaders in organizations should always endeavour to see their subordinates happy as they go around with their obligations. Stress on the other hand is described as the mental, physical or social, force or pressure that puts real or perceived demands on the body, emotions, mind, or spirit, and which may lead to a breakdown especially when it exceeds the stress-handling capacity of the individual. Sophistication at places of work has done little to reduce work stress, if not fanning it into a wildfire that has turned into an epidemic in this 21st century.
Work stress is harmful responses that occur mentally and physically when job requirements do not meet workers capabilities and resources. In Kenya, State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) managers have been put under intense pressure to meet the new regulations under the reform of state corporations. They are expected to meet high performance criteria through performance contracting and high service levels to the citizens. These high demands placed on SOE managers subject them to mental and physiological torture/excitement in their quest to meet the set targets, which has resulted into steady increase in work stressors such as job insecurity, work intensity and interpersonal conflict at work in the last one decade. Additionally, their leadership practices such as transformational leadership may increase work stress. However, there is limited literature focusing on how leadership practices influences work stress.
To fill in this gap, this study aimed at contributing towards the subject of leadership and managerial work stress in Kenya by investigating the influence of leadership practices, that is, transformational leadership on work stress in Kenyan SOEs. Specifically, the study critically analysed the effect of modelling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, encouraging the heart on work stress among the top managers of Kenyan SOEs. In addition to that, the study investigated the moderating effect of organizational and personal factors on the relationship between transformational leadership and work stress among the top managers of Kenyan SOEs.
To test the hypotheses, the study used interpretivism research philosophy. Additionally,
descriptive and explanatory research designs were used to describe and establish the relationship between each dimension of transformational leadership and work stress respectively. The target population of the study was 312 top managers in 52 commercial SOEs of which the study sampled 175 top managers. Simple random sampling technique was used to choose the sample 175 top managers from a population of 312 top managers. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire that was based on the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Self Scale, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Pressure Management Indicator (PMI) scale. The questionnaire was pilot tested to ensure it was reliable and valid. Data analysis comprised of factor analysis, correlational analysis, univariate and multiple linear regression analysis. Factor analysis was used to reduce data into few factors which were later used in correlation and regression analysis.
The results for multiple linear regression model show that model the way positively influences work stress while inspire a shared vision negatively influences work stress among top managers of SOEs in Kenya. However, challenge the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart leadership practices had no significant effect on work stress. Regarding the moderating variables, the study found that organizational factors positively influences work stress while personal factors had no significant influence on work stress but personal factors moderates the relationship between inspire a shared vision and work stress among managers of Kenyan SOEs. Finally, the study found that career development and organizational structure and climate were major sources of stress.
The study concludes that leadership practices, transformational leadership, of the top managers of Kenyan SOEs influences work stress that could ultimately affect performance of their organizations. The study recommends that state corporations’ advisory committee should encourage the training and retaining of the top managers of SOEs in order to reduce their work stress hence improving their performance. In addition, the study recommends that the top managers should explain the reasons behind their arguments and align their vision with practical implementation strategies. Further, organization structures and work climate should be streamlined to reduce the chances of interferences with the management of the SOEs.