LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THE IMPLICATIONS ON LABOUR­MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN NIGERIA FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES.

Abstract

The study identified the leadership styles adopted by Managements of selected Federal Universities in southwestern Nigeria and examined their effects on labour­management relations climate. 659 respondents consisting of281 academic and 371 non-academic staff, from three Federal Universities in Southwestern Nigeria constituted the study participants. The retrieved data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of simple percentages, mean and standard deviation. The study revealed that although the university management adopted the different leadership style that were investigated, namely, transactional (x = 3.99), autocratic (x= 3.94), transformational (x= 3.89), democratic (x= 3.62), and laizes­faire (x = 3.59), the transactional leadership style was found to the most adopted by staff in university management positions. The result further showed that the transformational (t = 6.51, /3 = 1.053), laissez faire (t = 6.18, /3 = 1.130), autocratic (t = 4.11, /J = 0. 703), and transactional (t = 3.97, /J = 0. 767), leadership styles had significant effect on labour-management relations. The study concluded that contextual and situational variables, including, leader personality trait, employee attitudes, task context and organizational characteristics could be responsible for leaders adopting different leadership styles. This is because different leadership styles are appropriately required in different circumstances and employees react d(fferently to various leadership approaches.