ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN THE KENYAN PUBLIC SECTOR: EVIDENCE FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES
Abstract
Purpose: This study assessed the effect of adaptive leadership on organizational performance in central government ministries in Kenya.
Statement of the Problem: Despite two decades of administrative reforms, organizational
performance in Kenya’s central government ministries continues to fall below established standards. During the 2022/2023 audit cycle, the Office of the Auditor General documented approximately KSh 145 billion in unsupported, irregular or misallocated public expenditure. Only 41 percent of ministries fully achieved their annual service delivery targets.
Design/Methodology: Guided by a pragmatist philosophy, the study adopted a correlational cross-sectional design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaires were completed by 264 employees across three central government ministries, while fifteen senior and technical officers participated in Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression, while qualitative evidence was used to explain the statistical results.
Findings: Adaptive leadership had a statistically significant positive effect on organizational performance (B = .199, β = .196, t = 4.433, p < .001) and a strong positive bivariate correlation with performance (r = .672, p < .01). However, its standardized coefficient was the smallest among the four strategic leadership dimensions examined. Qualitative findings showed that hierarchical approvals and procedural rigidity constrained adaptive action.
Conclusion: Adaptive leadership contributes positively to organizational performance, although its implementation is structurally bounded by institutional procedures.
Recommendation: Central government ministries should establish delegated adaptive-authority protocols, develop expedited procurement pathways for emergency circumstances, and strengthen adaptive leadership development programmes.
Keywords: adaptive leadership, organizational performance, public sector, structural constraints, procedural rigidity, Kenya
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