Influence of Strategic Leadership Styles on Performance of 3-star Hotels in Mount Kenya East Region

Abstract

The study sought to evaluate the influence of strategic leadership styles on performance of 3- star hotels in Mount Kenya East Region. This study adopted a descriptive survey design on a target population of 21 hotels with a 3-star ranking. Census method was used to include 21 general managers, 21 supervisors, and 84 section heads. Quantitative data inform of questionnaires were used to get information from respondents. A pilot study at the Izaak Walton Hotel Embu County was conducted to establish validity and reliability. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and mean were used to analyze linear regression. Inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation, model summary, ANOVA, and regression coefficients approaches were also employed. Data was presented using tables, figures, and explanations. The questionnaire findings revealed that 48(50%) of the respondents indicated that most of the management and control of the strategic implementation process of 3-star hotels occurred at top-level management. This was followed by 27(28%) of the respondents who indicated that management and control of strategic implementation process occurred at middle level. Additionally, majority of the respondents 47(50%) indicated very high and 35(36%) indicated that a democratic type of leadership leads to the most effective formulation of the business plan. However, 52(54%) and 30(32%) of the respondents indicated that bureaucratic leadership style was lowly and moderately used. The correlation coefficient of leadership styles r=0.910 at α < 0.024 and 99% significance level. It was concluded that the management has ensured that the leadership provided enabled the hotels to improve performance in regards to quality of services and utilization of shareholder’s resources. That notwithstanding, it was noted that most hotels practiced mostly bureaucratic leadership style that did not take into consideration the opinion of the workers on how formulated strategies could be improved. The study recommends that the management should attend leadership courses to learn about other critical leadership styles that can be applied to include junior staff in decision-making. The staff should also show interest in understanding how various strategies are formulated through close interaction with the managers. This would enable them to acquire invaluable knowledge and skills on the reasoning behind specific formulated strategies. The management should also develop institutional policies that encourage a staff representative into the board meetings to enable the opinion of the staff to be heard in an organized and respectful manner.