Situational Leadership Style and Employee Commitment within Non-Governmental Organizations in Kenya

Abstract

The general objective of this study was to determine the influence of situational leadership style employee commitment within non-governmental organizations in Kenya. The study’s specific objectives were to determine the influence of telling situational leadership style on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya; selling situational leadership style on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya; participating situational leadership style on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya; and delegating situational leadership style on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. The study also sought to assess the moderating effect of working environment on situational leadership style and employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. The study adopted the positivism research philosophy and used a descriptive correlational research design. The target population was 80,299 employees of active NGOs in Kenya and a sample of 383 was picked using stratified sampling. A response rate of 94.5% was realized. Primary data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS program. Descriptive statistics focused on percentages and frequency. Inferential statistics included correlation and regression analysis. Data was presented using tables and figures. For the first objective, results showed that employee commitment had a positive and significant moderate relation with telling situational leadership style, r (362) = .472, p<.05. Linear regression analysis revealed that telling situational leadership style explained 22.4% of the change in employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya (ꞵ=0.392, p=0.00). Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected implying that telling situational leadership style has significant effect on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. For the second objective, results revealed a positive and significant moderate relation with selling situational leadership style and employee commitment, r (359) = .478, p<.05. Linear regression analysis revealed that selling situational leadership style explained 22.6% of the change in employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya (ꞵ=0.432, p=0.00). Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected implying that selling situational leadership style has significant effect on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. Similarly, for the third objective, results revealed a positive and significant relationship between participating situational leadership style and employee commitment, r (359) = .551, p<.05. Linear regression analysis revealed that participating situational leadership style explained 30.2% of the change in employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya (ꞵ=0.471, p=0.00). Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected implying that participating situational leadership style has significant effect on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. Furthermore, for the fourth objective, results revealed a positive and moderate significant relationship between delegating situational leadership style and employee commitment, r (359) = .465, p<.05. Linear regression analysis revealed that delegating situational leadership style explained 21.4% of the change in employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya (ꞵ=0.518, p=0.00). Hence the null hypothesis was rejected implying that delegating situational leadership style has significant effect on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. As regards the fifth objective, regression analysis findings revealed that with the inclusion of the moderating variable, situational leadership styles have statistical significant influence on employee commitment, F (4, 350) = 7.319, p<.05. Further, adjusted R2 shows 40.8% of employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya can be attributed to situational leadership styles with working environment as the moderating variable. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected implying that working environment moderates the relationship between situational leadership style and employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. The study concluded that telling, selling, participating and delegating situational leadership styles have an influence on employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. The study also concluded that working environment is a significant moderating factor in the relationship between situational leadership styles and employee commitment within NGOs in Kenya. The study recommends that the NGOs should apply the telling situational leadership style on programmes and situations cautiously so as to receive feedback from employees for better commitment. Managers need to apply selling situational leadership style so that employees are provided with equal chances at the workplace thus giving them a sense of belonging. The organizations should also implement the participating situational leadership style since it was revealed that employees who perceive their leaders as adapting are more committed to their companies and have higher job performance. Organizations should also apply delegating situational leadership style since the findings revealed it is one of the most effective styles in achieving employee commitment because it encourages the employees’ willingness to stay with the organization. Based on these findings, it is important for NGOs’ managers to create a good physical and non-physical working environment as this helps in improving commitment of employees.