EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN STATE CORPORATION IN KENYA.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of leadership styles on employee performance in State Corporation in Kenya. The following objective guided the study: to assess the role of leadership styles on employee performance, to determine how transformational leadership style affect employee performance, to establishing how transactional leadership style affect employee performance,, to find out how laissezfaire leadership style affect employee performance ,and examining the extent to which autocratic leadership style affect employee performance. Descriptive Research Design was used as it was suitable for the study content and focus. A stratified random sampling technique was adopted to ensure all categories are equitably represented in the sample. The target population was 283 respondents. A structured self-completed research questionnaire was used. Piloting was done to 10% non-respondents of 283 target population. A sample size of 85 was adopted for this study. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for data analysis. The regression analysis revealed a relationship R = 0.729 showing a strong positive correlation and revealed that leadership style and employee performance are fundamentally related, and R2= 0.532 which meant that 53.2% of variation in employee performance can be explained by a unit change in leadership style. The study findings showed that autocratic leadership style is the most exhibited style at the commission followed by laissez faire style and then transactional leadership style with transformational leadership style coming last. Overall scores, where transformational leadership was employed, it was found to be strongly correlated with positive employee performance. Transactional leadership style was also found to be correlated positively with employee performance but in a minimal way. Study recommends that the commission do away with the autocratic leadership style as it would ruin the commission in the long-term