LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE IN THE NIGERIAN MICROFINANCE FINANCE SECTOR

Authors: Ilori Titilope Josephine & Adewumi Ayodeji. D

ABSTRACT

This paper examined the impact of leadership training and the presence of essential leadership skills in training programs on employee performance. The study was designed to test the hypothesis that leadership training can be a significant contributor to performance outcomes and also to determine which components of training make the biggest contribution. A quantitative research design was used to collect data by administering questionnaires and performing regression and ANOVA analysis. The findings showed that the general regression model was statistically significant (F = 206.703, p < 0.05) which implied that leadership training does play a significant role in influencing employee performance. Yet, the analysis of the coefficients revealed that although certain leadership-related competencies had positive and strong influences on performance, others were not significant, and some had negative impacts. These results implied that training success relies on the quality, relevance and alignment of training material with organizational requirements. It was also suggested in the study that the refinement of training programs must be focused on competencies contributing to effective results, the removal of unproductive elements, and the incorporation of consistent assessment and feedback systems. In this way, organizations will be able to maximize the advantages of leadership development and realize sustainable performance gains.

Keywords: Leadership, Training, Competencies, Employee, Performance, Microfinance.

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