Leadership Styles and Financial Performance in Church of Uganda-founded private secondary schools : Evidence from Greater Ankole, Uganda
Keywords:
Leadership styles, participative, directed, delegated, financial performance, Church of Uganda schoolsAbstract
This study investigates the effect of leadership styles on the financial performance of Church of Uganda-founded private secondary schools in the Greater Ankole Diocese. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how leadership approaches, within the context of resource-based, incremental budgeting and systems management frameworks, shape financial outcomes in Church of Uganda-founded private secondary schools. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative survey data from 365 school leaders and qualitative interviews. Leadership styles were measured using validated scales, and financial performance was assessed through self-reported indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) validated the constructs, and structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the hypothesized relationships. Reliability and validity were established through Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and average variance extracted.
The results reveal that transformational leadership is positively and significantly associated with financial performance, while transactional leadership has a weaker, non-significant effect. Laissez-faire leadership is negatively associated with financial performance. The findings highlight the importance of leadership style in shaping financial sustainability, especially in resource-constrained, Church of Uganda-founded private secondary schools.
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