The Negative Impact of Telling Leadership Style on the Performance of Employees at the Kenya’s International Airports

Abstract

Kenya’s four international airports are experiencing slow processing of passengers, leading to numerous complaints. Despite the issues, no empirical study has been conducted to identify the root cause. This study aimed to determine the impact of the telling leadership style on employee performance and its contribution to inefficiencies. The study was guided by positivist philosophy and focused on 694 employees responsible for passenger processing, categorized as senior, middle, and shop-floor managers. A census approach was used, collecting data via structured questionnaires administered through the drop-and-pick method. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the analysis. Results showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.700) between the telling leadership style and employee performance. The adjusted R² value of 0.490 indicated that 49% of the variance in employee performance could be attributed to this leadership style. Linear regression revealed a significant impact, with p < 0.05. The study found that telling leadership negatively affects employee performance, leading to high turnover, tense working environments, and reduced profits. These findings suggest that telling leadership style hinders employee output. It is recommended that leaders at Kenya’s international airports adopt other situational leadership styles that are more supportive and conducive to enhancing performance.