International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Nigerian universities have faced leadership challenges manifesting as organisational politics, and power tussles, resulting in employee dissatisfaction. Understanding how leadership styles influence employee performance is crucial for institutional effectiveness despite extensive research on leadership styles and employee performance, limited studies have examined their relative effects within Nigerian universities, particularly in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. Additionally, existing literature largely overlooks contextual influences on leadership effectiveness. This study addresses these gaps by providing comparative, context-specific evidence from the Federal University of Technology, Minna. Objectives: assess the influence of autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles on employees' performance in Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The target population comprises of all employees in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. Data were collected from 356 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (ANOVA and correlation coefficient) were used to test hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance using SPSS. Results: All three leadership styles showed significant positive influence on employees' performance. Laissez-faire leadership emerged as the strongest predictor (Beta = 0.539, p < 0.001), followed by autocratic (Beta = 0.335, p < 0.001) and democratic (Beta = 0.273, p < 0.001). The model explained 22.9% of variance in performance (R² = 0.229, F = 7.977, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Leadership styles significantly influence employee performance in in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. Granting employees autonomy and independence appears most effective, though a blended approach considering context is recommended.
Unique Contribution: This study contributes to organisational practice and scholarship by clarifying how leadership styles influence employee performance in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State by identifying practical mediators such as engagement and trust that human resource can target. It also highlights the risks of inconsistent leadership and provides evidence-based guidance for managers and HR professionals in designing effective leadership development strategies aligned with task demands. Recommendation: The Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, management should promote participative leadership by encouraging staff involvement in decision-making, open communication, and valuing employees’ contributions. Additionally, greater autonomy should be granted to academic and professional staff through laissez-faire leadership, while democratic leadership should guide institutional decisions and autocratic leadership should be applied only when necessary for urgent or highly structured tasks.