Transactional and Transformational Leadership Styles and their Effects on Lecturers’ Job Performance in Universities in Taraba State

Abstract

The study examined the effects of transactional and transformational leadership styles on lecturers’ job performance in universities in Taraba State, Nigeria. The population consisted of 1,715 academic staff, comprising 114 heads of department and 1,601 lecturers. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select a sample of 313 respondents. Data were gathered using two validated instruments: the Leadership Styles of Heads of Department Questionnaire (LSHDQ) and the Lecturers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (LJPQ). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that heads of department employed transactional leadership to a high extent, particularly through clear communication of expectations, strict adherence to rules, transparent decision-making, and consistent monitoring of staff performance (grand mean = 3.08). Transactional leadership showed a significant strong positive effect on lecturers’ job performance (r = .614, p = .035). Transformational leadership was also practiced to a high extent (grand mean = 3.27), especially in mentoring, collaboration, trust-building, and inspiring staff. However, transformational leadership demonstrated a non-significant moderate negative effect on lecturers’ job performance (r = –.501, p = .312). The study concludes that transactional leadership is a stronger predictor of lecturers’ job performance than transformational leadership in the institutions studied. It recommends that leadership development initiatives in universities should strengthen the effective use of transactional strategies while enhancing transformational behaviours that support long-term professional growth.