ZAMBIA’S EDUCATION LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT

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LEADERSHIP STYLES

Every leader in every organisation performs certain roles/tasks for the smooth running of the organisation and improvement of organisational performance. The manner the leader performs these roles and directs the affairs of the organisation is referred to as his/her leadership style. Leadership style therefore is the way a leader leads. Some leaders are more interested in the work to be done than in the people they work with while others pay more attention to their relationship with subordinates than the job. Whether a leader emphasises the task or human relations is usually considered central to leadership style.
Leaders express leadership in many roles. These, among others, are: formulating aims and objectives, establishing structures, managing and motivating personnel and providing leadership (Daresh 2002:11). However, Nathan (1996:7-8) asserts providing leadership is a very essential component of a leader‘s role. The leadership style leaders choose to perform the above mentioned roles will determine whether they will accomplish the task at hand and long-term organisational goals or not, and whether they will be able to achieve and maintain positive relationships with staff (Mazzarella & Smith 1989:28).

Authoritative Style.

As the name suggests, the authoritative style of leadership refers to an approach in which a Manager maintains and runs an organisation with a tight leash on the apparatus of power. The Manager who favours this style of leadership expects his or her word to be law; employees do not have room to present their suggestions for consideration (Tannenbaum & Schmidt, 1973) (in Senior and Swailes, 2010:236-237). In the context of the dual-mode college of education setting, a college Principal makes decisions about how the institution is run without consulting with lecturers or students on policies that directly affect them. The Principal makes decision from the highest level and passes those decisions down through established protocols to be implemented by various departmental heads according to existing organisational procedures. In the authoritarian style of leadership, motivation of employees is minimal or non-existent and the techniques used to provide motivation are typically a combination of threats and promises such as benefits and retributions (Senior and Swailes, 2010).
The implication of this behaviour is that lecturers feels unappreciated; they are not involved in running the college or making decisions relative to operation of the college and are therefore not sufficiently motivated to perform their duties adequately. At best, they feel compelled to discharge their duties.

Democratic style.

The democratic style is also referred to as participative style because it strives to involve employees in organisational management and decision-making. The focus of power is more with the group as a whole and there is greater interaction within the group. The group members have a greater say in decision making (Mullins, 2007). The Manager who applies this style of leadership understands that employees are more informed in some instances than their leaders and can therefore provide valuable insight that can contribute to informed decisions at the management level. This awareness of the contributions made by employees makes them feel important and appreciated in the workplace. Feeling important and appreciated is a motivating method of this type of organisational leadership.
When Principals involve lecturers and students in college management and decision-making, the result is a well-run college in which the lecturers are motivated to teach and implement decisions that promote the welfare and performance of students. Another aspect of democratic style that has a positive impact on lecturers involves Principals routinely delegating implementation tasks to them without the need for additional consultation. Because the possibility exists for implementation tasks to be delegated, this leadership style is most appropriate in settings where lecturers and other staff are competent and skilled and can be relied upon to undertake sound decisions with minimal guidance.

Laissez-faire style.

The final leadership style is the laissez-faire style, a term based on the French phrase describing a leader‘s lack of interest, or a Manager‘s detachment from the intricacies of the organisation and employee management. Much leeway is given to employees to use their best judgment and achieve individual or teamwork requirements, and meet targets and work deadlines (Senior and Swailes, 2010). The leader‘s desire is to remain as uninvolved as possible with other people, compatible with fulfilling the requirements of the job and sustaining organisation membership. A Principal who applies the laissez-faire style of management is less concerned with measuring the work quality of lecturers to determine whether they meet the required quality standards. The assumption is that lecturers are performing according to expectations and are able to meet targets. Just as the Principal who advocates the laissez-faire style of leadership is not involved in the lecturers‘ performance, he or she is not engaged in providing much-needed guidance to students. Ultimately, the college has no leadership or clearly defined management protocols upon which to rely.

CHAPTER ONE: ORIENTATION OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 ZAMBIA’S EDUCATION LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT
1.3 ZAMBIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM .
1.5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON LEADERSHIP STYLES
1.6 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.7 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.9 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.10 STUDY OBJECTIVES
1.11 MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY
1.12 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
1.13 PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNINGS
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 LEADERSHIP THEORIES
2.3 LEADERSHIP STYLES
2.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
2.5 PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW 
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 EMPERICAL EVIDENCE ON LEADERSHIP STYLES
3.3 TRENDS OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
3.4 TRENDS OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING IN AMERICA
3.5 TRENDS OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING IN AFRICA
3.6 THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA AND SELECTED COLLEGES OF
EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA
3.7 SELECTED COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA
3.7 ZAMBIA’S CONCEPTUAL VIEW OF ODL
3.8. CHAPTER SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
3. 9. PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
CHAPTER FOUR METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
4.3 SAMPLING STRATEGIES
4.5 TRUSTWORTHINESS/ RELIABILITY OF INSTRUMENTS
4.6 EMERGING DATA TREATMENT
4.7 REFLEXIVE RESEARCH
4.8 MANAGING BIASNESS.
4.9 DELIMITATIONS . 92
4.10 LIMITATIONS 92
4.11 DATA PROCESSING TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS
4.12 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
4. 14 PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
CHAPTER FIVE: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 
CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
REFERENCES .

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LEADERSHIP STYLES EMPLOYED AT ZAMBIA’S COLLEGES OF EDUCATION