Evaluating the Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance: A Case Study of BDP International in KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

Leadership is a critical factor influencing organisational success, yet its effects on employee performance remain underexplored at BDP International (Turner Shipping) in KwaZulu-Natal. This exploratory qualitative study investigates the leadership styles at BDP International, which is a logistics and supply company operating in KwaZulu-Natal, and their impact on employee performance. There were ten executive and middle-level managers selected from BDP International in KwaZulu-Natal using a purposive sampling technique who participated in this qualitative study. There is limited research on how leadership styles affect employee performance in KwaZulu-Natal’s logistics sector. This study focuses on BDP International to address this gap and provide context-specific insights. Data were collected from top level executives and managers at BDP International using semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. First, the results of this exploratory study reveal that the five different themes identified as depicting the predominant leadership styles at BDP International in KwaZulu-Natal are as follow: (1) mixing of transformational, transactional and directing styles; (2) minimal employee involvement in decision-making, (3) pursuit of alignment of the company’s goals and objectives, (4) low fidelity two-way communication between managers and employees, and (5) limited engaging feedback for employee creativity, problem-solving and growth at BDP International. Second, the study has found five themes revealing how leadership styles affect employee performance. Transactional style for employee operational efficiency and performance culture, structured, constructive but irregular feedback not good for continuous employee improvement, driving employee job satisfaction through clarity of goals, structured expectations and rewards, leadership for employee retention and empowering and adaptive leadership to improve employee performance are the themes which depict the effect of leadership style on employee performance. Lastly, three key recommendations highlighted by participants in this study for enhancing and improving leadership practices are (1) Integrated and regular leadership development, (2) leadership development for new growth, and (3) holistic assessment of leadership effectiveness and progression. Future research may explore the long-term impact of leadership development, hybrid leadership styles, diversity, and digital transformation on leadership effectiveness in the logistics sector.