INFLUENCE OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AMONG AIRLINES IN KENYA A case of Martin Air Airline

Abstract

Kenya's aviation business has been controlled by a number of airline companies, including those that operate international, regional, and local flights. As more airline businesses have established their operations to develop niches to satisfy the desired demands of end consumers, the market has become extremely competitive. Airlines have historically played critical roles in moving Kenya's economy toward a middle-income level, as envisioned in Vision 2030. Examining strategy through the perspective of leadership focuses on the key roles that leaders must inhibit in the performance process of the organization. Leadership has been regarded to play an important impact in the functioning of organizations. As a result, leadership has been generally viewed and described as one of the primary determinants of effective organizational performance. The primary goal of this research was to investigate the impact of strategic leadership on organizational performance in Kenya's airline industry. The specific objectives were to investigate the effects of strategic leadership skills on organizational performance, to assess how leadership conduct influences organizational performance, to determine the effect of communication skills on organizational performance, and to investigate the effects of process monitoring on organizational performance in Kenya's airline industry. Strategic leadership abilities, leadership conduct, monitoring process, and communication skill do not have a substantial effect on organizational performance in Kenya's airline business, according to the study. The study's population was made up of personnel from Martin Air, a Kenyan airline that operates both internationally and regionally. The overall target population was 270 Kenyan employees. The sample size for the study was determined to be 81 people. The study used a descriptive survey design. The data collected was examined utilizing a descriptive technique and tools, as well as simple SPSS. Data was provided in the form of charts, graphs, and percentages. The current study's conclusions were intended to benefit airline sector policymakers, the Kenyan government, and academics. The study's findings reveal that strategic leadership skills are required for an organization's performance; thus, it is recommended that the airline sector adopt strategic leadership skills that will aid in performance. It has been discovered that the monitoring procedure affects the organization's performance process in the aviation business. For smooth strategy change, the aviation sector should also embrace direct communication with members of the execution team, which might be accomplished through the use of routine briefings before the start of the day's work. The airline sector is also strongly urged to offer frequent seminars and workshops to retrain and refresh managers on previously learned abilities, as well as to provide current updates on strategic management skills that are relevant globally. The study finds that it is critical for leaders to seek to acquire the necessary abilities to ensure the smooth implementation of corporate strategies. The study found that leadership abilities are essential for a leader to integrate a well-formulated strategy into actions that provide the desired results. Continuous improvement is required during the monitoring process because it determines the success of the company's strategic goals. Finally, the capacity of the communication leader to encourage and accept feedback from the execution team to ensure that the correct message is decoded was discovered to be a critical component of the organization's effectiveness.