NEXUS BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES, EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIZATIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study sought to examine the nexus between leadership styles and employees’ retention in organizations with a view to ascertaining how leadership styles influence employees’ retention and performance, and consequently enhance productivity in organizations in Nigeria. The paper is a literary work; hence it derived its data from secondary sources of data. The objectives that guided the study were: to overview the concept of leadership, identify the various types of leadership, and their impact on employees’ retention and performance in organizations. The paper identifies the following leadership styles that are prevalent in organizations; autocratic, democratic, bureaucratic amongst others. The paper argued that effective leadership style is crucial for achieving organizational goals. Thus, the study reveals that when management styles are considered repugnant by the subordinates, they undermine employees’ performance and instigate their propensity to quit the organization, and vice versa. The paper further argued that employees’ retention and performance can be achieved through the adoption of appropriate leadership styles that will align business strategies with employees’ motivation and morale. Hence, it therefore, proposes that managers adopt leadership styles that will corroborate the behavioral patterns within the expectation levels of employees. This will propel employees to perform at maximum levels of contribution and not only spur but concretize their retention in organizations.