The Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Retention: A Case Study of High School Teachers in Battambang, Cambodia

The study of leadership styles plays a crucial role in understanding how effective leadership can influence organizational success and employee satisfaction. This study aims to 1) examine the influence of democratic leadership, transformational leadership, and laissez-faire leadership on public organization employees' retention; 2) search for the perceptions of civil servants, comparing male and female staff, regarding the variability of democratic leadership, transformational leadership, laissez-faire leadership, and employee retention; and 3) study the views of civil servants on leadership variability in the three types of leadership styles in public organizations in Battambang Province. The quantitative research method employed questionnaires with 261 civil servants working at ministries, universities, and high schools in Battambang Province. The results revealed that democratic leadership (β = .247, T = 2.299, P = .022, P < 0.05) and transformational leadership (β = .901, T = 8.19, P = .000, P < .001) had positive effects on the retention of staff and civil servants. However, laissez-faire leadership harmed the retention of staff and civil servants (β=.165, T=2.465, P=.014, P<0.05). This study concluded that democratic and transformational leadership positively influence employee retention in public organizations in Battambang Province, whereas laissez-faire leadership has a negative impact. Ministries, universities, and institutions should foster democratic and transformational leadership styles through targeted training programs and minimize laissez-faire leadership practices to improve employee retention.