Relationship between leadership styles and adoption of technology by manufacturing companies in Kenya

Abstract

Organizations today face accelerated technology usage with various technological advancements promising to improve business operations, enhance speed and increase efficiency. The present digital revolution as well as increased global business competition is compelling executives to adopt different technologies suitable to their organizations in order to optimize operations, improve the quality and quantity of output and ultimately drive these organizations into continued profitability and sustainability. This study examined the relationship between leadership styles and technology adoption in organizations, an important area where minimal research has been undertaken. The study examined the dominant leadership styles among the top management team in publicly listed manufacturing companies, how the dominant leadership style exhibited influences technology adoption, and how the top management team uses the adopted technological applications. The study focused on transformational, transactional and laissez faire leadership styles. Primary data was collected through a self-reported questionnaire administered to the heads of department and other senior management leaders of nine publicly listed manufacturing companies in Kenya. By using a descriptive research design to analyse the collected data, the study found that transformational leadership, transactional leadership (management by exception-passive) and traces of laissez faire leadership existed among the top leaders surveyed. The study findings demonstrate that the leaders surveyed were mostly in the early majority bracket on the technological adoption spectrum. The findings also showed a consensus among the respondents that technology integration was beneficial in supporting their management functions. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the top management teams in both the manufacturing industry as well as other organizations should drive investment, adoption and use of relevant technologies that would positively influence their organizations into optimizing their operating capacity, efficiency, profitability and ultimately contribute to long term sustainable growth.