Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in UK Retail Industry

(To determine the effect of leadership styles on
employee performance in the UK retail industry)
INTRODUCTION
Background information
Leadership refers to the capacity of a firm's management in order to set as well as
achieve challenging goals of the organisation, take decisive and fast action when required,
outperform the competition as well as inspire others in order to perform their task in a better
manner. Leadership styles is referring to the characteristic behaviours of leaders in order to
direct, motivate, guide as well as manage groups of people (Zhang, Cao and Wang, 2018).
The company need to identify the best leadership style which helps in improving their
employee’s performance. In the following research, the organisation is used Tesco, which is a
multinational retail organisation in the UK founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen. The following
research covers project aims and objectives, key academic sources as well as timeline
activities. Further the research will include literature review. In this research conclusion will
be covered along with the recommendations. Lastly a reflection will also be written in the
current research.
Research Aim
To determine the effect of leadership styles on employee performance in the context
of the UK retail industry. “A study on Tesco”.
Research Objectives
 To understand the concept of leadership in context with the UK retail industry.
 To identify the leadership style used in Tesco in order to manage and control
employees in the organisation.
 To analyse the effects of leadership style on the employees' performance of Tesco.
Research Questions
 What is the concept of leadership in the context of the retail industry?
 Which leadership style is used in Tesco for managing and controlling employees in
the organisation?
 How will the leadership style of Tesco effects employees' performance?

Rationale
The reason for doing this research on the topic effect of leadership styles over the
employee performance is based on the personal interest in this topic. Also leadership is one of
the most important area for business. This topic is selected based on the interest to gain
knowledge about how employee performance is related with the type of leadership an
organization have. Further this research topic is already researched by various researchers
making it easier to gather the reasonable amount of information on the topic.
Timeline
Activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Research topic
selection
Developing
research
objectives and
questions on
the basis of
topic
Drafting of
brief research
proposal
Analysis of
secondary
sources
Writing
literature
review
Conclusion
writing
Recommending
solutions
Consulting
with tutor
Making

modifications
Submission
Literature Review
According to the view of Wilde (2019), leaders of a company provide substantial
impact on the employees' performance. The responsibilities of leaders make it complex and
hard in order to drive the high quality performance in effective manner. Managers are
responsible for creating a positive atmosphere, team success as well as solving complex
problems in between the employees in better manner. This makes leaders to adopt many
types of leadership styles for stabilising the resources of the company. The company need to
also ensure that the leadership style choose by them should be in the favour of their
employees so, they perform their task in better manner. The autocratic, democratic and
participative are different types of leadership styles which helps Tesco in order to manage
and control their employees and performance in better manner. The management of Tesco
need to used participative leadership style as it very useful long term as well as provide
positive impact on the performance of employees. This leadership style create positive work
environment in which creativity is encouraged.
In the views of Zhang, Cao and Wang (2018) leadership is that ability of an individual
using which the individual can influence & guide the team member of a company. Leadership
is inclusive of making good decisions, creation and display of clarity in vision. It enables
individual that is leader in an organization to achieve the goals of the organization set as a
target to success and growth. A leader through effective leadership equips its team members
with required tools and knowledge that are essential elements for their success. Almost all
aspects of society have leaders, all the fields starting from business to politics have leaders.
There are certain set of characteristics that a leader possesses. These includes skills to face
failure, interpersonal communication skills, high level of self -confidence, critical and
creative thinking skills, skill to innovate, etc. In businesses these skills are present in
managerial executives.
According to Alqatawenh (2018) leadership is an art by which an individual motivates
another individual or group of individuals for making them work towards the achievement of
a common goal. In context of businesses leadership means the act of directing other by
following a strategy aiming at meeting the requirements of the company. Leadership is
something that refers to existence of essentials in a person that makes him prepared in
making others inspire. The term effective leadership is exercised on the basis of certain ideas
that can be both one’s own ideas or the ideas that are borrowed by some other persons. These
ideas are effectively communicated by the leader with the objective of engaging them in a
desired manner. A leader is a person that through the possessed leadership skills or qualities
makes other act in a way that serves the purpose of the making contribution to achieving the
goals of the company. Leadership make the leader capable of creating an impact by making
others to act in a way that is desirable to the organizational goals. In its alternate meaning
leadership also means management structure of an organization.
In the thoughts of Syakur and et.al. (2020) there are various styles of leadership. To
begin with the first style of leadership is known as autocratic or authoritarian leadership.
Leaders that follow this style of leadership takes all the decision of the business without
considering any kind of suggestions from the employees or seeking anyone’s approval. An
autocratic leader just takes the decision without looking forward for any kind of efforts from
their team members. The next type of leadership style is known as affiliative. In this style