Exploring Effect of Leadership Styles on Task Performance: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

It is widely accepted by researchers that leaders play important roles in improving employee performance. However, consensus on adopting leadership styles is subjected to argumentative rigour. Previous studies have found evidence that directive leadership style is effective in resolving team's task and role ambiguity; in improving performance and core task performance. Among other leadership behaviours, supportive leadership is identified as an effective leadership approach that heeds employees' personal needs; providing them with social and emotional support. Directive and supportive leadership styles are found to complement each other resulting in improved performance outcomes. Path-Goal Theory proposes both leadership behaviours are among the rooted four leadership styles, namely: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented, that optimizes the employee and work environment to achieve a goal. Several factors including motivation and organisational citizenship behaviour are perceived to determine the appropriateness of leadership styles to be employed situationally. This paper presents a conceptual framework that depicts the mediating effect of these two factors on the relationship between leadership styles and task performance. Empirical results will be presented in the sequel to this theoretical study.

Exploring Employees’ Adoption of Sustainable Development Practices in Online Distance Learning Higher Education Institutions: Theory of Planned Behavior

“…The relationship between organizational commitment and adoption pertains to the link between an individual's dedication to an organization and their inclination to embrace new practices or changes within that organization. Organizational commitment refers to employees' identification and devotion to their organization, while adoption refers to the acceptance and implementation of novel ideas, technologies, or processes (Cheng & Osman, 2021). Research indicates that higher levels of organizational commitment are associated with a greater likelihood of adopting new practices within the organization.…”

Empirical Study of Leadership Styles on Task Performance

“…A framework was conceptualised as represented by a hypothesised theoretical model (Cheng & Osman, 2021). The model considers the influence of mediating factors on the relationships among the constructs, namely: directive leadership (DL); supportive leadership (SL); motivation (MOTI); organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB); and task performance (TP).…”

“…Firstly, Path-Goal Theory (House, 1971) underlines a process in which a leadership style plays an instrumental role in guiding the employees through their path in achieving their goals (Northouse, 2013). Various critical managerial and environmental issues have emerged in Malaysian quarrying industry (Cheng & Osman, 2021;Veena, 2020). Probing systematic and appropriate strategies are urgently required to face the challenges posed by these issues.…”

“…This study examines empirically the impact of these directive and supportive leadership behaviours on task performance, by taking into consideration of the concept of plausible mediating effect of motivation (MOTI) and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) on the relationship between the two leadership behaviours. The study uses quantitative methods by applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using IBM-SPSS-AMOS, a graphical-based statistical modelling software, as an analytical tool for performing model fitting analysis of the research constructs with theoretical concepts and models, the sequel to the framework conceptualised by authors (Cheng & Osman, 2021).…”