Administrators' Leadership Skills And Employees' Job Engagement In Tertiary Educational Institutions In Ogun State Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the influence of administrators' leadership skills on employees' job engagement in tertiary educational institutions is Ogun State, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample comprises 415 employees (academic and non-teaching staff) selected from six out of the 12 public tertiary institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria, using multi-stage sampling technique. A researcher-designed 30 item 4 point modified Likert rating scale instrument entitled "Administrators Leadership Skills and Employees' Job Engagement Questionnaire" (ALSEJEQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was subjected to reliability test using the Crombach Alpha method and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. Data obtained were analysed statistically using multiple Regression Analysis to answer all the research questions at 0.05 level of significance. The results show that, though low, the overall model of the three administrators' leadership skills indicators significantly predicted employees' job engagement in tertiary educational institutions in Ogun State (F(3, 411) = 47.195, P < 0.05) ; that, though low, the overall model of the administrators' leadership skills indicators significantly predicted employees' job engagement in tertiary educational institutions in Ogun State (F(3, 411) = 47.195, P < 0.05); and that although, administrators' analytical skills significantly contributed to the model, the contribution was negative ~ = - .284, t (411) = -3.028, P < 0.05. The third variable, administrators' conceptual skills did not significantly contribute to the model ~ = -.048, t (411) = -.496, P = .620. It was therefore recommended that appointment of Administrators of tertiary educational institutions should be hinged on evidence of haven undergone training at the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA, Nigeria), and that serving institutional Administrators should as a matter of policy be required to engage in Mandatory Continuing Professional Education which serves as a refresher course from time to time so as to be kept abreast of contemporary theories and practices in educational management.