Leadership and Continuous Improvement in the Nigerian Beverage Industry

There is a high failure rate of continuous improvement (CI) initiatives in the beverage industry. Continuous improvement initiatives could help beverage manufacturing managers improve product quality, efficiency, and overall performance. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and CI. Nigerian beverage industry managers (N = 160) who participated in the study completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5X-Short, and the Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) cycle. The results of the multiple linear regression were statistically significant, F(2, 157) = 16.428, p \u3c 0.001, R2 = 0.173. Idealized influence (ß = 0.242, p = 0.000) and intellectual stimulation (ß = 0.278, p = 0.000) were both significant predictors. A key recommendation is for beverage manufacturing managers to promote their employees\u27 creativity, rational thinking, and critical problem-solving skills. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase the opportunity for the growth and sustainability of the beverage industry