Influence of leadership styles on operational excellence of airline industry in Kenya

Abstract

The Kenyan aviation industry endures lasting difficulties because advanced business approaches from foreign airlines cause weak points that threaten home-based airline longevity. Survival and achievement of success in such conditions demands top leadership together with innovative operational strategies. The research investigates the impact of transformational as well as transactional leadership styles together with laissez-faire leadership on operational excellence among IATA accredited international airlines with offices in Kenya. Operational excellence assessment utilizes multiple indicators such as customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, customer loyalty and minimal flight cancellation. The researchers conducted cross-sectional quantitative research through structured questionnaires derived from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X). The research data was received from 90 frontline managers working i IATA accredited international airlines with offices in Kenya and the statistical analysis was conducted through SPSS. The analysis employed descriptive statistics to summarize demographic data and used Pearson correlation to examine the relationships between leadership styles and operational excellence. The outcomes demonstrate that transformational and transactional leadership styles produce positive effects on operational performance, but laissez-faire leadership generates limited to no significant correlation. The study benefits airline managers and policymakers as well as scholars thanks to its demonstration of leadership importance in operational enhancements. The research presents several practical suggestions for aviation sector leadership development and strategic decision-making specifically for the Kenyan environment.