The Influence of Participative and Supportive Path-Goal Leadership Styles on Employee Performance of Coffee Trading Companies in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which supportive and participative path-goal leadership styles influence employee performance of coffee trading companies in Kenya.

Methodology: The study was guided by the positivism philosophy and used a descriptive correlational research design. The population for the study was 180 senior managers of coffee trading companies in Kenya. Using stratified random sampling technique, a sample size of 139 was determined from the total population and structured questionnaires were administered to collect primary data. Out of 139 questionnaires administered, 117 were successfully completed and returned. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The descriptive statistics were mean and standard deviation while the inferential analysis included factor analysis, correlational analysis, chi-square and regression analysis.

Results: Results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that supportive leadership style did not significantly predict employee performance, R²= 0.001, F(1, 110) = 0.118,  p≤ .05, β = -0.040, p ≤ .05 but that participative leadership style significantly predicted employee performance, R²= 0.865, F(1, 115) = 735.111, p ≤.05, β = 0.943, p≤05.  Task structure was found to moderate the relationship between path-goal leadership styles and employee performance, R²= 0.094, F(5, 101) = 6.92, p ≤.05, β = 0.208,  p≤ .05.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study provided a unique contribution to the theory and practice of path-goal leadership styles in a new perspective in terms of how supportive and participative leadership styles influence employee performance of coffee trading companies in Kenya.  The study findings led to the recommendation that leaders of coffee trading companies should apply a participative leadership style with their employees. Constant communication and consultation between leaders and employees is healthy and beneficial for the organization and for optimal performance of employees. Future scholars should carry out a similar study for supervisory level  to assess the effect of leadership styles across the spectrum of the organizations