DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE: AN ASSESSMENT OF ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH IN CAMEROON

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

 The role of leaders in organization has changed, and the success of any organization depends on the leadership styles used by its leaders. Mintzberg (2020) asserts that real leaders show care and modesty to others because they are involved in what they are doing, not because they want something for themselves. For an organization to grow and be successful, its employees need to be motivated to support its mission. Organizational growth can be achieved by motivating employees, which means that effective organizations need effective leadership (Fauzia & Sedyowidodo, 2023). Similarly, Fiedler and House (2018) said that if this kind of successful leadership isn't used, the performance of the organization will go down in direct proportion. That being said, each employee is ultimately responsible for whether a job is completed or not. Furthermore, for an organization to grow, each person must, at least in part, give up his own goals in order to work toward the organization's goals (Cummings & Schwab, 2019). In the case of an organizational, the success outcome is set by the organization itself (Cummings & Schwab, 2019). while, good leadership makes it easier for everyone to participate, and it can also affect how well individuals and organizations do their jobs (Hairi, 2023). When leaders start to be effective, it makes it easier for followers to get what they want, which leads to good performance and overall success for the business (Fiedler & House, 2018). Outstanding leaders are thought to have a strong, direct, but democratic, and inclusive style of leadership. Democratic leadership also known as participative leadership, is a style where leaders involve team members or followers in the decision-making process. Democratic leadership is not the same as being in charge. Instead, it is three things that democratic leadership does: it shares responsibility among group members, gives group members power, and helps the group make decisions (Gastil, 2019). The leaders give all of the employees the same amount of work.According to Maccoby (2020), organizations need more advanced leadership than ever before in order to do well in a world where competition is rising, technology is improving, government rules are changing, and employees' views are changing. His ideas show how important leadership is in the business world even more. Bass (2017) said that a lot of study has shown that leaders affect the performance of their employees and the success or failure of their companies.  However, leadership plays a key part and has a big effect on how well employees do their jobs in many different types of businesses (Ogbonna & Harris, 2018). They are also seen as change makers and visionaries who improve the performance and growth of their organizations (Swanepoel et al., 2020). As a result, the effect of democratic leadership styles on employees’ success is still a point of contention among researchers and scholars (Gadot, 2020). Empirical evidence shows that when workers are passive, their output goes up when they are led by extraverted personalities, but it goes down when those leaders are proactive (Grant, Christian, & Price, 2019). Wang et al. (2021) found that leadership has a huge effect on how well workers do their jobs to improve the growth of the organization. In addition, Lewin’s study found that democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. So, democratic leading styles need to be brought back to life right away in all organizations in Cameroon. Hence, a survey will be conducted in order to assess the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Along with the regular skills that leaders at different levels of the progressive system know, leadership style has grown into an important factor in determining how well workers do their jobs. Most of the time, the way people respond to leaders can be predicted by looking at the qualities and skills of both the worker and the leader (Rifaldi, Ramadhini & Usman, 2019). Researchers found that the strength of the relationship between employees and their leader, or the lack of it, has a big effect on how they feel about their own job satisfaction. In the same way, different leadership styles has been studied to make sure that the organization goals set by hierarchy are met (Zahari, & Situmorang, 2024). Furthermore, many different types of studies have looked at the links between leadership styles and how well an organization does, but not many of these studies have specifically looked at these links in the context of international non-governmental organizations in Cameroon. Although, most of the studies are about leadership styles and how well workers do their jobs. However, this study, on the other hand, looked at the impact of democratic leadership styles on organizational growth in Cameroon, a developing country, specifically at the TaCCUL (Tadkon cooperative credit union), Bamenda. Nevertheless, it is the job of leaders to get their groups to complete the tasks they set out to do within the time limit. But a lot of businesses have bad banking practices, a lot of employees leaving, and they can't meet their basic responsibilities. This might be because there isn't enough strong guidance. Meeting stated goals is often the main goal of many organizations, which means they need a skilled leader to handle and motivate their employees in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Thus, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to assess the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.  Specifically, the study will;

Ascertain the extent to which democratic leadership style is practiced in organizations in Cameroon.

Investigate whether there is a relationship between democratic leadership style and organizational performance in Cameroon.

Assess the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth.

Ascertain the challenges associated with adopting democratic leadership style in Cameroonian organizations.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

To what extent is democratic leadership style practiced in organizations across various sectors in Cameroon?

Is there a relationship between democratic leadership style and organizational performance in Cameroon?

What is the impact of democratic leadership style on the growth of organizations  in Cameroon?

What are the challenges associated with adopting democratic leadership style in Cameroonian organizations?

1.5  Research Hypotheses

H0:  There is no significant impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.

Ha: There is a significant impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.

1.6  Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will reveal the effectiveness of democratic leadership styles and it makes employees happy and helps them reach their goals, succeed in their careers and enhance the growth and development of the organization. Also, the study will show Cooperative Banks in Cameroon how their leadership style affects employees and help them figure out what kind of leadership style will work best. To get better results from their teams, leaders should know which styles of leadership affect how well their teams do their jobs and how to inspire their staff through good leadership. When looking at other companies, it helps to know what kind of leadership styles will work best to boost productivity and achieve success. Using the right style will help people trust and stay loyal to the company. 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 the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth in Cameroon.  Empirically, the study will ascertain the extent to which democratic leadership style is practiced in organizations in Cameroon, assess the impact of democratic leadership style on organizational growth, investigate the relationship between democratic leadership style and organizational performance in Cameroon and ascertain the challenges associated with implementing democratic leadership style in Cameroonian organizations.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to staff of TaCCUL (Tadkon cooperative credit union), Bamenda, Cameroon.

1.8 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.

 1.9 Definition of Terms

Leadership styles: the various approaches, behaviors, and attitudes that leaders adopt in guiding and influencing their team members or followers

Democratic leadership: also known as participative leadership, is a style where leaders involve team members or followers in the decision-making process.

Organization growth: the process of expanding and improving the size, scope, and performance of a company or entity over time.