Leadership Style and Employees’ Productivity in Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

With work/service quality as a metric for employee performance, the study looked at leadership styles and worker performance in small and medium-sized businesses in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey design was selected as the appropriate research approach, and the structured questionnaire instrument was utilised to gather primary data for this study. Regression analysis and descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the data analysis process. The unexpected findings regarding laissez-faire leadership raise important questions about its interpretation and practice within Bayelsa State SMEs. The analysis’s findings showed a statistical correlation between the combined set of leadership styles (autocratic, transformational, and transactional), while the laissez-faire style reported a negative and insignificant relationship on work/service quality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Among other things, the researcher recommended that SMEs implement leadership development programs that focus on the fundamental elements of transformational leadership.