AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLES AND ITS EFFECT ON EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Bentler, (1999) defined an employee as a person who has been engaged by a company to undertake a certain task. The employee is employed by the company through a selection procedure that includes an application and an interview. This selection occurs after the employer determines that the applicant is the most qualified of their applicants for the job for which they are hiring. An employee exchanges his or her skills, knowledge, experience, and contribution for monetary remuneration from an employer (Cheung. 2010).

Organizations are formed all over the world, in both the public and commercial sectors, primarily to achieve certain set aims and objectives. The importance of human factors (employees) in accomplishing these aims and objectives cannot be overstated (Gberevbie, 2017; Mokgolo, Mokgolo, & Modiba, 2012; Mottoh, 2015). This is simply because companies, regardless of other resources (financial, land, technical), cannot achieve anything significant in terms of achieving their specified goals unless human resources galvanize all other resources (Bentler, 1999).

Leadership style influences employee creativity, emotions, and satisfaction, as well as the design and implementation of organizational strategies (Cheung, 2010). Leadership is an essential component of management's guiding role. When there is a well-organized group of individuals working toward a shared objective, some form of leadership is required. The power of integration is the power of leadership. The leader brings forth the best in us by uniting and concentrating what we feel in groups and scatteredly. He is a guy who offers from the untapped energy in all men. Leadership is one of the most significant and most contested topics in the corporate world. Leadership styles impact organizations' methodology, execution, and viability through inspiring employees to execute targets in a way that achieves authoritatively stated goals. Similarly, weak leadership styles influence employee loyalty to stay or quit the workplace, or even engage in Counterproductive Work Behavior.

A leadership style can be defined as the pattern of behavior that a leader employs to accomplish tasks through his or her followers, or it can be defined as a method by which a leader implements his or her leadership practices in order to interact with his or her subordinates. It goes without saying that without a desired leadership style, it is nearly difficult for businesses to fulfill their goals. In fact, different managers and leaders use a variety of leadership styles all over the world (Bentler, 1999).

Autocracy is a form of governance in which absolute authority over affairs of an organization is concentrated in the hands of a single individual, whose choices are not subject to external legal limitations or employees input. Autocratic leadership is characterized by the centralization of decision making and directive power in a single dominant leader. (Cheung, 2010) noted that when a manager employs an authoritarian leadership style, the manager makes all decisions. Autocracy in leadership affects all spheres of The usage of autocratic leadership establishes a hierarchy between management and subordinates, as well as within teams, in which the leader has a prominent role in driving policies and processes. Autocratic leadership is generally utilized when there is limited opportunity for mistake in accomplishing duties, such as in risky or high-risk employment.

Autocratic leadership may have an impact on team performance in both positive and bad ways. It is critical for professionals to assess when it is suitable to adopt this leadership style. Autocratic leadership can improve team performance by boosting team psychological safety when team members accept the hierarchy imposed by autocratic leadership (Ahmad Zakeer 2016). When team members dispute the hierarchy, authoritarian leadership has a detrimental influence on team performance ( Ahmad Zakeer 2016). Employees who are doubtful of their talents are more likely to be drawn to authoritarian bosses (Brown, T.J, Churchill, and Peter,1993). Employees who are secure in their function in the business and have a strong sense of identity are more likely to support a non-autocratic boss (Clark, Hartline, And Jones. 2009). Employees who lack self-assurance tend to expect this form of dictatorial conduct from their group leader (Ahmad Zakeer 2016).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The impact of employee commitment in an organization is determined by the leadership style. Managers may transmit their commitment and likewise make staff committed by some metrics by adopting a suitable leadership style (Brown, T.J., Churchill,  and Peter,  1993).

It goes without saying that without a desired leadership style, it is nearly difficult for organizations to fulfill their goals and acquire the dedication of their personnel. In truth, various managers and leaders adopt a variety of leadership styles all around the world. According to research, a leader's authority and conduct are the two most important aspects in creating the leader's leadership style. According to studies, most leaders are unaware of how much their leadership style effects employee performance, contentment, motivation, attitude, self-image, health, and energy level. Today, some organizational leaders around the world have been accused of employing leadership styles that favor the top-down, command and control technique in leading their subordinates, which frequently results in negative reactions from their subordinates (employees) and impedes cordiality between both parties (Clark, Hartline, And Jones. 2009). These leadership approaches would result in staff demotivation and degradation of employee commitment, among other things. This is usually evident when such employees have no immediate opportunity to leave the organization for whatever reason, and they become emotionally detached from the organization.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to examine Autocratic Leadership styles and its effect on employee commitment. Other aims of this study are:

i.          To examine the effect of autocratic leadership style on the affective commitment of employees

ii.        To examine the effect of autocratic leadership style on the continuance commitment of employees

iii.      To examine the effect of autocratic leadership style on the normative commitment of employees

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses will be tested in this study:

H01: Autocratic leadership style does not have any negative effect on the affective commitment of employees.

H02: Autocratic leadership style does not have any negative effect on the continuance commitment of employees.

H03: Autocratic leadership style does not have any negative effect on the normative commitment of employees.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be beneficial to organizations as results of this study will show if autocratic leadership style drives employee commitment. It will also be beneficial to employees as it will help them know the different types of autocratic leadership style.

Finally, this study will serve as an existing material for future reference and further studies.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on Autocratic Leadership styles and its effect on employee commitment. It will also find out the effects autocratic leadership style has on the affective, continuance and the normative commitment of the employees. This study will be using staff of Nasco Group of Companies in Jos North LGA, Plateau state.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to Autocratic Leadership styles and its effect on employee commitment. It will not be focusing on any other kind of leadership style. It will also be using the Nasco Group of Companies in Jos North LGA, Plateau state for its research and as such the findings of this study cannot be used in any other part of the country until further research is carried out.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Autocracy: a system of government by one person with absolute power

Leadership: the action of leading a group of people or an organization.

Employee: a person employed for wages or salary, especially at non-executive level.

Commitment: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

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