The effect of Leadership Styles on Organizational Performance in Tanqua Milash Wereda, Centeral Zone, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of leadership styles on organizational performance in Tanqua Milash Wereda, a newly established administrative unit in Tigray, Ethiopia. Given its nascent stage and challenges like resource constraints, political interference, and workforce shortages, effective leadership is crucial for service delivery and sustainable development. The research used a combination of methods to gather information, collecting numerical data from 215 structured questionnaires and personal insights from 18 semi-structured interviews, while looking at six types of leadership: autocratic, transactional, transformational, democratic, charismatic, and laissezfaire. Key findings indicate a predominant reliance on autocratic leadership, with 77.4% of respondents reporting exclusion from decision-making. This leadership style strongly correlated with poor organizational performance, evidenced by critically low employee motivation (78.3% negative perception) and minimal recognition of staff contributions (82.1% negative perception). Transformational and democratic styles, while linked to higher performance in literature, were largely absent in practice. Qualitative data further highlighted systemic barriers including inadequate leadership training, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and political interventions hindering good governance. The study contributes empirical evidence on leadership dynamics in newly formed Ethiopian weredas, addressing a significant research gap. It highlights the serious problems caused by strict control in areas with limited resources and suggests practical solutions like leadership training programs, reforms for involving people in decision-making, and changes in policies to reduce political interference. Ultimately, this research emphasizes the need for a systemic shift toward adaptive leadership approaches to enhance organizational effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and public service delivery in Tanqua Milash Wereda, offering a framework for similar developing contexts.