Employees’ Performance in Selected Public Universities in Kenya: The Paradoxical Effects of the Leadership Styles

Public universities in Kenya face significant challenges in managing a diverse workforce. These challenges include aligning diversity practices with organizational goals, managing ethnic and cultural differences, and addressing generational and age differences. Understanding the impact of leadership styles on employee performance is crucial for improving organizational effectiveness. This research investigated the effect of various leadership styles on employee performance in selected public universities in Kenya, focusing on democratic, autocratic, transformational, and transactional leadership styles. The research was based on the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, human capital theory, and contingency theory. A descriptive research design was employed, targeting four public universities with a total workforce of 7027 non-academic staff. However, a sample of 378 non-academic staff was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using mean and standard deviation for descriptive statistics, and multiple regression and correlation analysis for inferential statistics. The findings indicated that all four leadership styles positively and significantly influenced employee performance in the selected public universities. Specifically, democratic leadership was found to foster a culture of creativity and flexibility, allowing for the adaptation of innovative ideas and changes. Autocratic leadership was effective in situations requiring high expertise and understanding. Transformational leadership improved employee engagement, productivity, and goal achievement. Transactional leadership promoted fairness, as feedback was based on objective measures rather than subjective judgments. The study concluded that different leadership styles have distinct impacts on employee performance. Democratic leaders should encourage active participation, ensuring all team members feel comfortable with the process. Caution is advised when using autocratic leadership to avoid diminishing worker well-being. Transformational leaders can motivate employees through both external incentives and internal motivators. Transactional leaders should exhibit empathy and consider multiple perspectives in their decision-making. The study recommends that university leadership promote participative and inclusive practices, carefully apply autocratic leadership, when necessary, use transformational leadership to inspire and engage employees, and ensure fairness and empathy in transactional leadership approaches.