Effect of Laissez -faire leadership style on job performance of subordinates in academic libraries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper investigated the effect of laissez-faire leadership style on subordinates’ job performance in academic libraries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was a survey. The study population comprised of all the 74 professional and para-professional staff working in the academic libraries studied. The total population was used as sample size since the population was small. Data collection was through research questionnaire instrument titled “Laissez-Faire Leadership Style on Job Performance of Subordinates in Academic Libraries (LLSJPSAL)” consisting of five (5) item statements. Analysis was done using frequency counts and means scores. Findings of the study revealed that: laissez-faire leadership style has negative impact on subordinates’ job performance because it results in lowest employees’ productivity. Based on the above findings, it was recommended that academic library managers should be supervised and closely monitored by the institutions’ management to ensure that laissez-faire ones among them are checked. It is further recommended that laissez-faire kind of leadership can be used by heads of academic libraries in some units of the library like the technical section where creativity is highly encouraged.