IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 11 NO. 3 2025
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.vol.11.no3.2025.pg1.28

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Perception of Leadership Styles and Employee Motivation in the Rivers State Public Service

Adue, Stephen Barinaadaa Numyone and Alafuro Epelle

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Abstract

This study examined perception of leadership styles and employees’ motivation in the Rivers State Public Service. The study adopted descriptive research design. A sample size of 300 was used using simple random technique. The instrument for the study was a 20 item self-structured questionnaire. The instrument was pre-tested using a pilot sample of 20 employees and a reliability index of 0.82 was obtained using Pearson Product Moment Co-relation Co-efficient. Statistical mean and standard deviation were employed to analyse the relationship between the variables while T-test was used in testing the significance of the variables at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that most of the employees believed to a considerable degree that transactional leadership styles affect employees’ motivation in the public service of Rivers State. The data also revealed a low level of dispersion in terms of opinions with regards to the actual average response on the subject matter. Therefore, we inductively concluded that transactional leadership styles affect employees’ motivation; that Democratic Leadership Styles affect employees’ motivation; that most of the public service employees believed to a considerable degree that Transformational leadership styles affect employee motivation. That there is no significant difference in the mean scores of male and female employees on leadership styles and employees’ motivation in the public service of Rivers State. We recommend that Senior Civil Servants should recognize the value of nurturing transformational and charismatic leadership qualities among their leaders; while mitigating the risks associated with laissez-faire leadership and leadership development initiatives should focus on cultivating proactive leadership behaviours that empower leaders to provide clear direction, support, and inspiration to their teams.

keywords:

Leadership Styles, Employee, Motivation, Rivers State, Public Service

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