Leadership skills and employee performance at bank of Africa Uganda

Abstract

A study was undertaken at Bank of Africa Uganda on the effect of leadership skills on employee performance. It specifically examined how staff coaching, mentoring and result orientation affected employee performance. A cross-sectional study design was adopted in which both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. Data was collected from 125 respondents particularly branch managers, sales team, loan officers, tellers, customer relations officers and human resource staff of BoA branches in Kampala region. Both quantitative and qualitative data were entered, cleaned and analysed. For quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics in terms of correlations and regression analysis were generated. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed using thematic and content analysis techniques. The study findings revealed a weak positive correlation between staff coaching and employee performance at BoA-Uganda (r=0.309**) using Pearson Correlation coefficient. Similarly, multiple linear regression analysis showed that staff coaching is a predictor of employee performance at BoA-Uganda (Beta=0.228). It was also revealed that staff mentoring had a weak positive correlation between staff mentoring and employee performance at BoA-Uganda (r=0.407**). The regression analysis showed that staff mentoring is a predictor of employee performance at BoA-Uganda (Beta=0.313). Lastly, the study findings revealed a weak positive correlation between result-orientation and employee performance at BoA-Uganda (r=0.442**). In addition, multiple linear regression analysis results showed that result-orientation is a predictor of employee performance at BoA-Uganda (Beta=0.263). Basing on the above findings, it can be concluded that leadership skills had a significant effect on employee performance at BoA-Uganda. To this end therefore, the study recommends the following; more frequent coaching sessions for employees at BoA-Uganda to propel employees to perform better, coaching sessions should be designed after personal analysis of each of the BoA-Uganda employees to ensure that it addresses their needs, the human resource department at BoA-Uganda should be involved in the mentoring programmes in the various branches, continuous review of employee expectations by top management so that the set targets are more realistic. Lastly, BoA-Uganda should incorporate more relational leadership styles alongside the result- oriented leadership styles so that employees feel more appreciated and this will consequently improve employee performance