A STUDY INTO THE EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON EMPLOYEES BEHAVIOUR OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA

Abstract

The objectives of this study were two-fold. These were to examine the effect of leadership styles on: citizenship behaviour towards individuals (OCBI); and citizenship behaviour towards the organisation (OCBO). The study adopted the correlational research design. The study adopted positivism research philosophy. The deductive research approach and the survey research strategy were also used. The population of the study was permanent employees of five selected public universities in Ghana. These Universities were UMaT, KNUST, University of Ghana, UCC, and UDS. The total sample size used was 100. Questionnaire was used to collect the primary data from the respondents. Data were analysed using inferential quantitative techniques like regression analysis, correlation coefficient, and t-test were used. The standardized correlation coefficient was the reported beta in the study. The statistical results of the study show that there are positive and significant relationships between the entire leadership styles and both the citizenship behaviour towards individuals (OCBI), and citizenship behaviour towards the organisation (OCBO). The study has therefore confirmed the two hypotheses tested. However, when the individual leadership styles were analysed independently, the study revealed mixed results on both the OCBI and OCBO. Leadership of the studied Universities should put in place measures to make employees flexible and objectives-oriented rather than rigid rule-conscious people. Some of the recommendations made are: Leadership should encourage