ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN ORANGE CAMEROON

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The world was fundamentally altered by the industrial revolution, which also brought about the'modern' way of life that we know today. A major part of this modernization was the economic system's change, which resulted in the emergence of large, multinational corporations that had never been seen before. Managing these new kinds of corporations became a popular subject for scholars, who concentrated on two key areas within organizations: organizational culture and leadership.Leadership has always been essential throughout human history and remains so today (Bass, 2018). It's a topic that has been studied for ages because it's fundamental to how societies and organizations function. Research on leadership and organizations has been ongoing throughout human history. Especially after the industrial revolution, the global economy began to rapidly evolve, posing challenges in how organizations should be efficiently organized. Furthermore, the term ‘leadership’ has been defined in various ways over time, from focusing on the personality traits of leaders to different leadership styles and behavioral patterns. Each new perspective on leadership has sparked further research, leading to the development of numerous leadership styles and definitions, such as transactional, paternalistic, charismatic, and social leadership (Podsakoff, 2021). On the other hand, organizational culture was initially seen as the 'glue' that holds an organization together. It includes the values, beliefs, and traditions that develop over time within an organization's history. Organizational culture shapes how members of the organization think, act, and interact, reflecting shared ideals, beliefs, and values through rituals, stories, and language. Despite their interconnectedness, there have been relatively few studies exploring the relationship between leadership and organizational culture together. Instead, these two crucial aspects of organizational management have often been examined separately. However, some researchers have argued that understanding the link between these two concepts is crucial. Analyzing leadership and organizational culture together can provide insights into how organizational culture is formed and influenced by leadership. Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to examine the impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

There had been a long-standing neglect of organizational culture. Organizational culture has only been taken seriously since the 1980s. This is due to the misconception that organizations culture's values and other traits are something that can be objectively determined. Nonetheless, earlier studies shown how organizational culture affects both individual and organizational behavior, and how this effect might take several forms. According to Kotter & Heskett (2022), an organization's long-term financial performance can be significantly impacted by its corporate culture. Furthermore, it's been said that for a company to succeed and grow, its organizational culture needs to be not only strong but also functional. This means the culture should support the right goals and values, rather than being focused on the wrong ones. Management plays a crucial role here. They have to decide whether to prioritize internal policies, market trends, or just numbers over the well-being of the people and the results. This decision affects their leadership style, which is basically how they go about leading and getting things done.

Additionally, a notable study by Cameron & Quinn (2019) showed that most organizations have a dominant leadership style, and they found a connection between this style, organizational culture, and how efficient the company is. Many other studies, like those by Smircich (2019), Bennett (2018)and Yukl (2018), have also emphasized the importance of organizational culture and leadership styles in a company's success. This research has led to the recognition of these factors as crucial elements for modern businesses. Despite this, there aren't many studies focusing on the relationship between organizational culture and leadership styles right now. This highlights the need for more research to understand how these two factors interact, how strong their connection is, and what consequences it might have. (Cameron & Quinn, 2019). Thus, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to examine the impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.  Specifically, the study will;

Determine whether there is a relationship between leadership styles and organizational culture in Orange Cameroon. 

Evaluate the types of leadership styles exhibited in Orange Cameroon. 

Investigate the impact of leadership  styles on organizational culture in Orange Cameroon.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

Is there a relationship between leadership styles and organizational culture in Orange Cameroon?

What are the types of leadership styles exhibited in Orange Cameroon? 

What are the impact of leadership  styles on organizational culture in Orange Cameroon?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Ho: there is no significant impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.

Ha: there is a significant impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be extremely beneficial to Cameroonian organizations and their employees. They will be able to determine which leadership techniques are most effective. Furthermore, it will instill in the employees the importance of strong leadership and communication. Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon.

1.6 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is to examine the impact of leadership styles on organizational culture  in Orange, Cameroon. Empirically, this study will evaluate the leadership styles exhibited in Orange Cameroon, examine the relationship between leadership styles and organizational culture in Orange Cameroon, assess the influence of organization culture on employee engagement  and investigate the effectiveness of leadership  styles on organizational culture in Orange Cameroon.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to employees of Orange Cameroon

1.7 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. 

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Organizational culture: the shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that characterize an organization and guide the behavior of its members.

Leadership styles: the approaches or behaviors that leaders use to influence and guide their teams or organizations.  

Industrial Revolution: refers to the profound and transformative period of economic, technological, and social change that occurred from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century in Europe and later spread to other parts of the world.