Thesis:

The leadership styles’ on organizational performance in the Kakamega county government

Throughout past years, County Governments have demonstrated notable effectiveness in delivering public services, despite a limited understanding of the leadership styles crucial to organizational success. This research analyzed different diverse leadership approaches and their effectiveness in the Public Sector, focusing specifically on Kakamega County Government. Chapter One provided an overview of Kakamega County Government, outlining the study's context, issues addressed, and research objectives aimed at exploring how these leadership styles affect the operations and performances of organizations. The key objective was to analyze how different leadership styles correlate with performance in public institutions, particularly within Kakamega County Government. The study assessed the styles of servant, transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire, and how they influenced operations, subsequently impacting performance. Specific research queries were developed to address gaps in existing literature and highlight potential benefits for stakeholders. The theoretical framework drew from Path Goal Theory, Contingency Leadership Theory, and Trait Theory, focusing on these leadership styles in the public sector. A descriptive research design was employed, targeting 250 staff members from Kakamega County Government. Using Yamane's Formula, a sample size of 153 was determined through random sampling. The data sources that were utilized revolved around primary and secondary; secondary data came from Kakamega County Government records, and primary data was collected via structured questionnaires. Quantitative data from the questionnaires underwent analysis through descriptive statistic and inferential (Multiple linear regression and correlation coefficient using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). This technique gives simple summary about the sample data and present quantitative descriptions in a manageable form. Results were presented using various statistical tools such as charts, bar graphs, pie charts, percentages, and frequency distributions. The findings indicated that servant, transactional, and transformational leadership styles positively influence Kakamega County Government's performance. The study recommends that public institutions adopt transformational leadership to enhance organizational effectiveness, following the lead of Kakamega County Government's practices.