THE EFFECT OF AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF FIVE-STAR HOTELS IN KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF FAIRMONT THE NORFOLK HOTEL NAIROBI

Abstract

The hospitality industry in Kenya is currently facing challenges in recovering to its earlier performance levels before the Covid-19 pandemic. Leadership is framed as one of the contributory factors to the effective utilization of organizational resources and capabilities valuable in navigating crisis periods and moving organizations toward fulfilling performance targets. This study aimed to explore autocratic leadership style and organizational performance of Five Star Hotels in Kenya. A case of Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel Nairobi. The study applied a census on the target population of 177 staff of Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel Nairobi. Primary data was collected through Google Survey Forms and the results were analysed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The findings indicated that strict supervision was practiced as the leaders in the organization followed their employee’s actions and activities closely. The leaders sought to control how specific roles, duties and functions were carried out. The study further determined that leaders did use hierarchical engagement when interacting with employees. The overall mean of autocratic leadership indicated that autocratic leadership was practiced to a low extent. The regression findings indicated that autocratic leadership had a positive and insignificant effect on organizational performance. It is recommended the authoritative or autocratic leadership style be utilised sparingly in contexts where employees may benefit from increased oversight and close guidance as its overall impact on organizational performance was determined as not being considerable. The study was restricted to autocratic leadership style which raises the need for further studies on the effect of other types of leadership such as the laissez-faire, servant-leadership and authentic leadership styles on performance of establishments in the hospitality sector.