Relationship Between Principals’ Autocratic Leadership Style and Motivation of Support Staff in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

Staff motivation is a significant factor in enhancing organizational commitment and productivity. In a school system, two types of staff perform their duties in a complementary manner, namely the teaching staff and the support staff. The school principal is expected to play an administrative role, which includes motivational. However, the principals' motivation to support staff has been an issue of concern in the management of schools in Kenya. The specific objective was to: find out the relationship between principals' autocratic leadership style and motivation of support staff. Descriptive correlation and exploratory designs were used. The study population consisted of 170 principals, 172 deputy principals and 170 BOM chairpersons with 1020 support staff, a total target population of 1532. Stratified, random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 51 principals, 51 deputy principals, 51 BOM chairpersons and 306 support staff members, making a total sample of 459 respondents. The instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedules, and document analysis. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics of chi-square, Pearson's Product Moment Correlation, and simple linear regression analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed by organizing the content into themes and sub-themes as they emerged, then tallied and reported as excerpts. Validity was determined through JOOUST experts. The study employed a Cronbach alpha coefficient analysis of which a minimum of 0.709 and 0.84 was obtained for each of the items whose reliability was tested. There was a statistically significant negative relationship between principals' autocratic (r= -.231, n=306, p<.05) leadership style and support staff motivation and that principals' autocratic leadership orientation accounted for 5.3% of the variation in motivation among support staff. Ministry of Education should design regular in-service courses for support staff and principals to maximize motivation and principals to evaluate their leadership styles and the level of motivation of the support staff.