The exploration of a relationship between leadership styles and organizational commitment of Richards Bay Coal Terminal employees.

Abstract

Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) is situated in the South African deep water harbour of KwaZulu- Natal. The company provides coal mining organizations a strategic logistics link to international coal markets by enabling the use of a coal exporting facility. RBCT recognizes that its lifeblood is the human capital it retains and that achieving a competitive edge equitably and fairly through its people is a priority (du Preez, 2012). In the modern organization operating in an environment of uncertainty and constant change, employee’s commitment to the organization can be a critical determinant of its success or failure in anchoring a competitive advantage (Ulrich, 1998). The current study explored a relationship between the full range leadership styles of supervisors and the organizational commitment of the subordinates to the organization. The literature reviewed in the study includes two models; the first model is by Bass and Avolio and is referred to as the full range leadership model (FRL). This is the independent variable of the research. The dependent variable is organizational commitment, which belongs to the three component model by Meyer and Allen. These models each contain an instrument which was used on a sample of 120 non-supervisory employees. The independent variable used an instrument called the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) and the dependent used the organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ). The data collected with these two questionnaires was then subjected to statistical scrutiny. A two-tailed Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to ascertain the strength and direction of the linear relationship, but most importantly to, at 95%-99% confidence, ascertain the statistical significance of the relationships. The findings of the study reflected no statistically significant relationships between transactional leadership and all of the three components of organizational commitment. The two components; affective and normative commitment, both reported a significant relationship with laissez-faire, whilst continuance commitment reflected insignificance. A positive significant relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment was evident. This leadership style demonstrated no statistically significant relationship between it and continuance and normative commitment. The combined findings suggested that transactional leadership style of supervisors is somewhat unrelated to the subordinate’s need, desire and or sense of obligation to remain employed. A more transformational style of leadership appears to inspire a desire to sustain employment and affectively commit to the organization, whilst this style bears no relation to the need and sense of moral obligation of the subordinate to maintain employment. Laissez-faire reported a weak insignificant negative relationship with continuance commitment. The result suggests the independence of the subordinates’ need to maintain employment to the lack of leadership presence of the supervision. The significant relationship between laissez-faire and normative commitment may be accepted as indicative of how the absence of leadership is related to the employee’s recognition of no developmental intentions demonstrated by the supervisor. Although weak, the relationship between laissez-faire and affective commitment entails that the more prevalent the non-leadership (absence of leadership) style of the supervisor, the less desire do subordinates demonstrate to remain employed