Participatory Leadership and Employee Performance
Participative Leadership
Participative leadership is well-defined as a leader’s non-authoritative behavior that provide
opportunities to its junior employees to bring creative ideas and take part in the decision-
making process for quality and innovative decision (Sarti, 2014). In participative leadership, the
leader boosts its subordinates to express their ideas and suggestions to enhance organizational
productivity (Yan, 2013). Organizational outcomes as well as human outcome reduces because
of poor leadership and the consequences come out as employee stress, disenchantment, lack of
creativity, cynicism high employee turnover, and low productivity (Yulk, 2014). In
organizations, poor leadership rescinds the human spirit to work and their level of commitment
which is essential to ensure to boost organizational productivity (Robbins, 2014).
Participative style of leadership is trusted with the improvement and encouragement of employee job
performance. The employees are given and trusted with appropriate information regarding company
matters affecting the organization. A participative environment allows employees to vote, and the
majority obtained influences the course of action (Strom, et al., 2013). Even though this type of
leadership may sometimes be considered slow in decision-making, it has more advantages over other
styles and is the right management method for any business. It is a style of leadership comprising of
shared decision-making among leaders. and group members as well as the promotion of the interest of
each member of the group through the adoption of social equity (Anderson, 2011).
Many people like working in a leadership structure that promotes thoughtful discussions and
collaborations. The reality is that most organizations, if not all, lend themselves to democratic
leadership style. However, there are groups of people who value less participative style of leadership.
For them, participative leadership is inappropriate because they are focused on productivity. This
group includes investors, trustees, board members, and executives (Clark, 2013). Companies and
organizations with highly focused and strictly controlled internal processes works best with other
styles of leadership such as the autocratic style. Leaders are therefore tasked with determining the best
style of leadership that works best with their organizations (Anderson, 2011).
Belias and Koustelios (2014) assert that participative leadership is the most effective style of
leadership characterized by increased employee morale, high productivity, and better contribution
from group members. It is a style of leadership that is trusted with creative solutions to problems and
better ideas that contribute to organizational growth. A democratic organization encourages the
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sharing of thoughts and ideas between group members and the whole organization. However,
even though participative style of leadership is among the most effective style of leadership, it
also has some disadvantages and downfalls, particularly when roles are not clear and there is
inadequate time (Hendriks & Karsten, 2014). In such situations, participative leadership may
result in communication failure and uncompleted projects. It is important to note that
participative leadership style works best in a situation where group members have the required
skills and are willing and eager to share their knowledge. Anderson (2011) asserts that
employees should be given adequate time for contributing, planning development, and voting on
their most preferred course of action.
According to Joashi and Roh (2011), identified four participative methods which a participative
leader may use, they include decision making, problem solving and team building. Decision
making involves the ability for a manager to trust their employees to make sound decisions. Most
organizations allow for sound decision making to be done through committee action. Committees
are a vital mean of continually gaining inputs from many employees and committee board
members and most organizations have certain departmental committees that continuously deal with
problems facing the organization as well as employees. Most committees are backed with
corporate policies, goals, and operations. Depending on the organizational structure, special
committees may be established to deal with budgets, employment policies, grievances, disciplinary
problems and a variety of other organizational problems and activities.
Participative leader asks for information and insights that will improve the quality of their
responsibility of their employees in terms of intelligence and problem solving. Team building often
requires leaders to be more involved in the organization through the accomplishment of certain
tasks carried out through programs such as the management by objectives program that is highly
participative in nature. Participation can create an asset in morale so that, when necessary,
instructions are given to employees, they respond more co-operatively because they are
participating in the affairs of the institution (Iscana, Ersarib & Naktiyok, 2014). Adams (2017)
indicated that it was easy to manipulate participative leadership styles more to the best advantage
of the leader rather than for the benefit of the employee and organization as it had been noted that
not everyone subscribed to the positive view of participatory democracy in the workplace for
example labor unions who argued that participative processes are detrimental to the welfare of
workers and go against the protections provided by collective representation (Wiesenthal et.
al.,2015). Though it would be good to note that when leaders establish means for obtaining help
from subordinates in the making of plans and decisions, they are making them to know that their
contributions are appreciated, and this creates great benefits and harmony in the organization
(Yuki, 2002).
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