i 

 
Leadership style and supervisory behaviour on employee 

wellbeing and performance at two Retail Banks in South Africa 
 

 

 

 

 

Candy Harris 
545 253 

 

 

 

 

A research article submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and 

Management, at the University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the 

requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration 

 

 

 

 

 

Johannesburg 

2022 

 

 

 

 

 

Protocol number: WBS/BA545253/401  



 
ii 

                           

DECLARATION 

 

I, Candy Harris, declare that this research article is my work except as stated in 

the references and acknowledgements. It is submitted in partial fulfilment of the 

requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration in the Graduate 

School of Business Administration, University of the Witwatersrand, 

Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination 

in this or any other university. 

 

Name: Candy Harris                           Signature: 

 

Signed at: Johannesburg 

 

On the 31st day of March 2022 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
iii 

DEDICATION 

This report is dedicated to my parents. Thank you for believing in me, supporting 

me and for constantly pushing me to reach for the stars; for that, I am forever 

grateful.  



 
iv 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

Nominated Journal:  

South African Journal of 

Economic and Management 

Sciences 

 

Supervisor / Co-author:  

Chantal Banga 

 

Word count: 14 746  

Supplementary files:  

• Appendices 

• Research instrument 

• Participant 

information sheet 

and consent form 

• Confirmation of 
ethics approval 

• Supervisor 

evaluation form 

• Datasets 

• Data analysis 

 

 

 

 

 

  



 
v 

ABSTRACT 

This study investigates leadership style and supervisory behaviour on employee 

wellbeing and performance at two retail banks in South Africa. The study aims to 

contribute to the existing body of knowledge on management and leadership and 

with this, provide additional insight into the importance of wellbeing within the two 

banks. The concepts of motivation and supervisory behaviours were explored in 

relation to different styles of leadership while the importance of employee 

wellbeing was further investigated in relation to performance.  

The study was conducted and analysed using quantitative data that was collected 

through an online questionnaire. The sample size included 144 employees from 

two Retail Banks. Most of the sample included back-office managers, 

professional bankers and analysts which included 50% from Retail Bank A, and 

the other 50% were from Retail Bank B, both in Sandton, Johannesburg. The 

study found that democratic and transformational leadership styles were most 

effective at increasing employee motivation and employee performance.  

These two forms of leadership styles have a positive influence on productivity, 

job satisfaction, and overall employee performance. It was also found that the 

autocratic leadership style had negatively affected supervisory behaviour. 

Autocratic leadership style demotivated employees causing higher levels of job 

dissatisfaction. Relationships between supervisory behaviour and employee 

wellbeing together with employee performance were also identified. 

 

Keywords: Leadership Style; Supervisory Behaviour; Employee Wellbeing; 

Employee Performance; Banks; South Africa 



 
6 

Table of Contents 
DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................................... II 

DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................................... III 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... IV 

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ V 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 9 

1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................................... 9 
1.2 BACKGROUND ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 10 
1.3 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................................................ 11 
1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 13 
1.5 PROBLEM ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................. 14 
1.6 RESEARCH PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................. 15 
1.7 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................... 15 
1.8 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 16 
1.9 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES ........................................................................................................................ 16 

1.9.1 Hypothesis 1 ............................................................................................................................ 16 
1.9.2 Hypothesis 2 ............................................................................................................................ 16 
1.9.3 Hypothesis 3 ............................................................................................................................ 17 
1.9.4 Hypothesis 4 ............................................................................................................................ 17 

1.10 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................................. 17 
1.11 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................... 18 
1.12 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 18 
1.13 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................... 19 
1.14 DEFINITION OF TERMS ......................................................................................................................... 20 
1.15 PREFACE TO THE RESEARCH .................................................................................................................. 21 
1.16 LAYOUT OF STUDY .............................................................................................................................. 22 
1.7 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 22 

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS, LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

 ........................................................................................................................................................... 23 

2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 23 
2.2 THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS .................................................................................................................. 23 

2.2.1 Leadership Theories ................................................................................................................ 23 
2.2.2 Supervisory Behaviour ............................................................................................................. 25 
2.2.3 Employee Wellbeing ................................................................................................................ 26 



 
7 

2.2.4 Performance ............................................................................................................................ 26 
2.3 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 26 

2.3.1 Leadership Style ...................................................................................................................... 26 
2.3.2 Leadership Styles and Motivation ........................................................................................... 28 
2.3.3 Impact of Leadership Style on Supervisory Behaviour ............................................................. 29 
2.3.4 Effects of Employee Wellbeing ................................................................................................ 30 
2.3.5 Effects of Employee Wellbeing Levels on Performance ........................................................... 30 

2.4 GAPS IN THE LITERATURE ....................................................................................................................... 30 
2.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................... 31 
2.6 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 32 

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 33 

3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 33 
3.2 RESEARCH PARADIGMS ......................................................................................................................... 33 
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH ........................................................................................................................... 34 
3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................................................... 34 
3.5 RESEARCH CHOICES .............................................................................................................................. 35 
3.6 TIME HORIZON .................................................................................................................................... 35 
3.8 RESEARCH PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES ............................................................................................... 35 

3.8.1 Target Population ................................................................................................................... 35 
3.8.2 Sampling ................................................................................................................................. 35 
3.8.3 Data Collection ........................................................................................................................ 36 
3.8.4 Data Analysis Units ................................................................................................................. 36 

3.9 THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE DATA ............................................................................................. 37 
3.9.1 CRONBACH ALPHA RESULTS ........................................................................................................... 37 
3.10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................... 38 
3.11 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................. 38 
3.12 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 39 

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. 40 

4.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 40 
4.2 DEMOGRAPHICS .................................................................................................................................. 40 

4.2.1 Age .......................................................................................................................................... 40 
4.2.2 Population Group .................................................................................................................... 42 
4.2.3. Gender .................................................................................................................................... 43 

4.3 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 45 
4.4 RESEARCH QUESTION 1 ......................................................................................................................... 46 

4.4.1 Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................................... 46 
4.5 RESEARCH QUESTION 2 ......................................................................................................................... 48 



 
8 

4.5.1 Descriptive statistics ................................................................................................................ 49 
4.6 RESEARCH QUESTION 3 ......................................................................................................................... 52 

4.6.1 Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................................... 52 
4.7 RESEARCH QUESTION 4 ......................................................................................................................... 53 

4.7.1 Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................................... 54 
4.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ............................................................................................................... 55 
4.9 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 55 

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 56 

5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 56 
5.2 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS RELATED TO THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .......................................................... 56 
5.3 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS RELATED TO THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................... 58 
5.4 DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINDINGS RELATED TO THE LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 59 
5.5 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS RELATED TO THE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY .................................................. 59 
5.6 CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 60 
5.7 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 61 

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 62 

6.1 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 62 
6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 63 
6.3 FUTURE RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................... 64 

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 65 

 

 

 

  



 
9 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Background Information 

Leaders are a fundamental element that influences the attitudes of employees 

towards their work (Christian, Garza, & Slaughter, 2011). Leadership is often 

categorised into styles that comprise a mixture between behaviours, 

characteristics and traits (Al Khajeh, 2018). Given the number of factors in 

leadership, it is beneficial to gain a deeper understanding. The idea of effective 

leadership through the use of leadership styles focuses on styles such as 

transformational, democratic, autocratic and charismatic among many others (Al 

Khajeh, 2018), providing researchers with many avenues to explore. 

Supervisory behaviours can either be negative or positive. A large portion of 

research on the concept of abusive supervision has concentrated on the 

consequences linked to both individuals and organisations (Khan, Moss, 

Quratulain, & Hameed, 2018). The consequences of supervisory behaviours 

should be mitigated therefore investigating the causes is beneficial to 

stakeholders. 

The concept of wellbeing in prior research has comprised two perspectives 

namely; the eudaemonic and hedonic (Mansfield, Daykin, & Kay, 2020). 

Wellbeing has been linked to life satisfaction and happiness and positive and 

negative affect (Dodge, Daly, Huyton, & Sanders, 2012; Mansfield et al., 2020). 

The concept of wellbeing should be explored in employees, this could ultimately 

improve the organisation. Previous studies on performance have planned 

theories to predict work performance and although there are multiple theories, 

researchers agree that leadership behaviours are essential for the improvement 

of performance (Caillier, 2014). 

An investigation into the influences of these behaviours is necessary to establish 

methods to enhance performance.  



 
10 

1.2 Background Analysis 

The emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic had changed work. During the 

many lockdown periods, banks in South Africa started using a hybrid work model 

(Li, Liao & Huang, 2021). This hybrid work model allowed management and staff 

to work rotationally. Some staff had to work at the branches and offices. These 

staff included client-facing individuals, whereas staff who operated the back 

office, support services or in management functions could work remotely. 

Working remotely during a crisis made the management of people and activities 

very challenging and this has called for different and innovative forms of 

management and leadership (Peltokorpi and Ramaswami (2021).  

Authors Li, Liao, Shao and Huang (2021) pointed out that managing part of the 

staff at offices, others at branches and the rest from home and other remote areas 

posed challenges in ensuring that daily tasks were executed well and that 

customers were handled with care and respect as managers could not oversee 

employees working remotely. Employees working from home became 

demotivated, others become stressed, and the rest lost direction without close 

supervision and guidance (Murphy, 2020). Initial literature on leadership mainly 

focuses on the characteristics of the various leadership styles and their 

effectiveness, however, the extent to which these styles influenced supervisory 

behaviours was not thoroughly explored. 

Research studies have shown that abusive supervision was linked to negative 

outcomes such as psychological stress (Scheuer, Burton, Barber, Finkelstein, & 

Parker, 2016). Prior research on wellbeing such as Peiró, Kozusznik, Rodríguez-

Molina, and Tordera (2019), and A. Jain, Leka, and Zwetsloot (2018), focused on 

the components that made up wellbeing and how to manage wellbeing, however, 

studies pertaining specifically to the factors that negatively influenced wellbeing 

from a leadership perspective were lacking.  

The focus of this study was on how leadership styles influenced employee 

wellbeing under various hybrid work models brought about by the COVID-19 

pandemic and whether these styles had a positive or negative effect on employee 

wellbeing. Furthermore, the study went on to explore the effect on performance 



 
11 

and whether negative leadership styles had affected both wellbeing and 

employee performance within the two retail banks in South Africa. 

1.3 Context of the Study  

The interconnectedness and increase in globalisation have resulted in both 

positive and negative outcomes in the world today. One of the most notable 

events that brought about many severe consequences was the global, COVID-

19 pandemic. Along with unprecedented uncertainty, the pandemic has also 

resulted in various economic challenges. At the forefront of these economic 

challenges lies the banking sector which faced increased strain. According to 

Barua and Barua (2020), the economic effects caused by the pandemic were 

some of the greatest since the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, with the 

estimated global cost of the pandemic sitting at approximately $5.8-$8.8 trillion.  

The climate brought about by the pandemic was expected to negatively affect the 

stability of banks because of factors such as decreased financial performance 

(Elnahass, Trinh, & Li, 2021), thus exploring methods to counteract these effects 

was necessary. Banks had to change the way they operated as there had been 

many branch closures around the world (Marcu, 2021), creating a significantly 

unfamiliar business environment to the one pre-pandemic.  

Along with this changing environment, the expectations of banks were likely to 

increase as they needed to act as fundamental stabilisers for all stakeholders 

(Buehler et al., 2020). This increased responsibility required banks to be strong 

in their leadership, operations, and performance across all sectors (Murphy, 

2020). 

The South African banking system was described as developed and efficiently 

regulated (Moyo, 2018), despite the country facing many socio-economic 

challenges. These socio-economic challenges were exacerbated by a lockdown 

period that lasted over 100 days (De Villiers, Cerbone, & Van Zijl, 2020), placing 

South African banks in an unfavourable position. It was, therefore, important to 

establish how to strengthen these organisations and improve performance. South 

African banks faced serious challenges such as demotivated staff as there was 



 
12 

a feeling of job uncertainty after many banks retrenched staff during COVID-19. 

Other challenges presented themselves in diminishing sales, decreased profit 

margins, and loss of customers.  

These problems according to De Villiers et al. (2020) resulted in job 

dissatisfaction, a psychological disconnect from the workplace, increased stress 

and workplace fatigue, unstable employee relationships, difficulty in managing 

employee performance and the inability to reach business objectives and 

adequate wellbeing (Collings, Nyberg, Wright, & McMackin, 2021). Such 

challenges required a strong and dynamic form of leadership to navigate through 

the challenges of working in an unplanned and chaotic environment with an 

uncertain economic downturn (Valodia, Sun, & Zachariah, 2018). 

Furthermore, the concept of wellbeing had become increasingly important since 

the start of the pandemic. Many employees had to work remotely during the 

COVID-19 outbreak which affected their wellbeing (Collings et al., 2021). Hence, 

the two retail banks, identified as Bank A and Bank B, thereinafter, referred to as 

the two Retail Banks were tasked with managing employee wellbeing given those 

circumstances. Employees were then faced with not only work-related stress, but 

stress also linked directly and indirectly to the pandemic. The banking sector has 

often been characterised as stressful (Dartey-Baah & Ampofo, 2015), and with 

this, research into employee wellbeing influences was deemed valuable. 

In trying economic times, performing banks often come under scrutiny. As the 

expectation of banks has increased, financial performance measurements are 

being used to determine the impact of the outbreak (Elnahass et al., 2021), this 

will provide stakeholders with the information to strategise methods to increase 

future performance. Despite this, a contributing factor to performance within an 

organisation is human capital. Motivation is a key driving force behind positive 

employee performance (Khan, Ahmed, Paul, & Kazmi, 2018), and to drive this, 

banks need to establish what the motivating factors are. 

The behaviours of supervisors within the workplace vary based on many 

elements.  



 
13 

It can be said that abusive supervision is based on employees’ perceptions of the 

abuse and how each individual receives the behaviour (Tepper, 2000). This 

means that in South African banks, the perception and how employees receive 

certain behaviours will be based on their different cultural, racial, and religious 

backgrounds.  

Leadership is an important factor when evaluating the operations of an 

organisation and according to Hoque (2016), it can determine whether an 

organisation is successful. South African banks require leaders who can 

effectively lead the organisation given the diverse workforce and the challenging 

economic climate. The requirements for leaders have developed over the years 

and the reliance on hierarchal positioning is no longer adequate to effectively 

manage employees (Hoque, 2016), making the leadership role increasingly more 

difficult. 

1.4 Problem Statement 

Because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two Retail South African 

banks were under increasing strain (Burger & Calitz, 2021). The inability of 

leaders to identify and implement the most effective leadership style for 

motivating employees resulted in a demotivated workforce that affected 

performance (Pancasila, Haryono, & Sulistyo, 2020). Considering the already 

strained environment and the crucial role that banks play, the overall 

consequences could be detrimental to the economy. 

Each leadership style was loosely characterised by a certain set of behaviours 

(Berkovich, 2018; Limsila & Ogunlana, 2008), which may predict how supervisors 

behave. This can prove beneficial if the leadership style is deemed effective and 

results in positive behaviours, however, a display of negative behaviours results 

in adverse effects on employees such as decreased performance, engagement 

and job satisfaction (Pradhan & Jena, 2017), all of which are detrimental to the 

organisation. 

Employees were increasingly more susceptible to a decline in wellbeing because 

of the impact of the pandemic and working remotely (Gigauri, 2020). According 



 
14 

to Guest (2017), low levels of wellbeing resulted in psychological illness and 

increased absenteeism.  

This was costly to organisations as time is spent managing the absence of 

employees (Silcox, 2016). Poor wellbeing among employees increased 

workplace accidents and employee turnover; this negatively affected the 

organisation’s reputation, which deterred future candidates (Silcox, 2016). If the 

problem was left unaddressed, the future success of the organisation would be 

jeopardised. 

Increased uncertainty and psychological stress because of the pandemic had 

negatively affected employees (De-la-Calle-Durán & Rodríguez-Sánchez, 2021). 

As psychological stress was viewed as a dimension of wellbeing (Guest, 2017), 

an increase would lead to poor wellbeing. Poor wellbeing among employees is 

an organisational problem as it negatively affects productivity and performance 

(Kowalski & Loretto, 2017). As decreased performance within an organisation 

could hinder overall success, it was essential to explore the relationship. 

1.5 Problem Analysis 

Sub-problem One 

The absence of effective leadership can affect the organisation’s reputation which 

could lead to employees having a negative perception of the firm. This perception 

would contribute to decreased motivation as employees do not buy into the vision 

and the values of the organisation. A demotivated workforce is less likely to 

exceed expectations which could hinder the growth of the organisation and lead 

to potential deviant workplace behaviours, therefore it is essential to establish 

effective leadership practices. 

Sub-problem Two 

Leadership styles can negatively affect supervisory behaviours resulting in a 

myriad of consequences for the organisation however, the effect can also be 

positive. Supervisory behaviours are often determined by the individual but 

following a particular leadership style can provide guidance on how the supervisor 



 
15 

should behave. If an ineffective style is channelled, the associated behaviours 

will most likely be negative. 

Sub-problem Three 

As human capital is one of the primary resources of an organisation, it is 

understandable why negative influences on employee wellbeing would hinder 

progress. With the complexities of the standard business environment, 

organisations already struggle to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. 

Organisations that do not prioritise and address the needs of employees will fall 

short and potentially lose high-quality employees to rival companies. 

Sub-problem Four 

It was vital to address this problem as decreased performance because of poor 

wellbeing will affect the organisation through increased absenteeism and a 

negative work environment. This environment hinders performance as it is not 

conducive to creativity and innovation which are needed to gain a competitive 

advantage and ultimately increase performance. Performance will also suffer 

because of a decrease in time spent on tasks by management who will instead 

be handling matters linked to employee wellbeing. 

1.6 Research Purpose 

This study aimed to investigate leadership styles and supervisory behaviour on 

employee wellbeing and performance in two retail South African banks, based in 

Sandton, Johannesburg. 

1.7 Research Objectives  

The study had the following objectives: 

1. To investigate which leadership style was most effective at increasing 

employee motivation? 

2. To investigate how leadership styles affected supervisory behaviour. 

3. To investigate what influenced employee wellbeing. 



 
16 

4. To investigate the effects of employee wellbeing levels on employee 

performance 

1.8 Research Questions 

The study asked the following research questions: 

1. What style of leadership was most effective at increasing employee 

motivation? 

2. What effect do leadership styles have on supervisory behaviour? 

3. What was influencing employee wellbeing? 

4. What effect do the levels of employee wellbeing have on employee 

performance? 

1.9 Research Hypotheses 

This study hypothesised: 

1.9.1 Hypothesis 1 

H1a: Democratic and transformational leadership styles will cause increased 

employee motivation. 

H1b: Democratic and transformational leadership styles will not increase 

employee motivation. 

1.9.2 Hypothesis 2 

H2a: Democratic and transformational leadership styles will positively affect 

supervisory behaviour. 

H2b: Democratic and transformational leadership styles will not affect supervisory 

behaviour. 



 
17 

1.9.3 Hypothesis 3 

H3a: There is a positive relationship between supervisory behaviour and 

employee wellbeing   

H3b: There is no relationship between supervisory behaviour and employee 

wellbeing 

1.9.4 Hypothesis 4 

H4a: There is a positive relationship between employee wellbeing and 

performance   

H4b: There is no relationship between employee wellbeing and performance   

1.10 Delimitations of the study 

The research delimitations of this study are outlined below. 

This study covered: 

a) Leadership styles: democratic, authoritarian/autocratic, and transformational 

as they have distinct characteristics. 

b) Non-physical forms of supervisory behaviours as they apply to the study. 

c) Supervisory behaviours within the workplace, to determine the organisational 

effects. 

d) Psychological, physical, and social wellbeing as these outcomes are 

measurable. 

e) Employee performance outcomes: motivation, and inspiration as these 

outcomes are measurable. 

The study did not cover: 

a) Leadership styles that fell outside of democratic, autocratic, and 

transformational as they did not apply to the study. 



 
18 

b) Physical forms of supervisory behaviour as they did not apply to the study. 

c) Supervisory behaviour outside of the workplace as it fell outside of the scope 

of the study. 

d) Employees outside of South Africa as it does not fall within the scope of the 

study. 

1.11 Assumptions of the study 

The following research assumptions were made: 

a) Certain leadership styles were more effective than others. 

b) A particular set of behaviours characterise a specific style of leadership. 

c) Not all supervisors displayed the same supervisory behaviours. 

d) Supervisory behaviour was influenced by leadership style. 

e) Employees’ wellbeing was affected by supervisory behaviours. 

d) Respondents answered the questionnaire truthfully and based their answers 

on their personal experiences.  

1.12 Significance of the study 

Leaders are primarily responsible for steering organisations towards success, 

and the behaviours which characterise certain leadership styles have been said 

to affect the performance of employees (Naeem & Khurram, 2020). Although 

there have been prior research on these variables, it has not specifically been 

done in South African banks. The studies did not consider the added aspect of 

employee wellbeing, especially during a tumultuous global pandemic. The 

absence of these collective variables in previous work justified the significance of 

this study. 

This study will contribute to management knowledge by identifying the effects of 

different leadership styles and providing a better understanding of the connection 



 
19 

between these styles and supervisory behaviours. As much of the significance of 

the study is seen through its geographical context, the elements of cultural and 

racial diversity, as well as high poverty and unemployment rates (De Villiers et 

al., 2020), provide for a unique angle of exploration which has not been previously 

covered.  

With an increase in diversity amongst leadership comes a need to better 

understand effective leadership styles and supervisory behaviours. This will 

reflect the progression of the entire organisation. 

To curb the spread of the pandemic, governments across the world introduced 

measures such as quarantines, social-distancing lockdowns and the closure of 

businesses that were deemed non-essential (Demirgüç-Kunt, Pedraza, & Ruiz-

Ortega, 2021). These measures not only had economic ramifications but affected 

the wellbeing of individuals.  

This study will illustrate the importance of employee wellbeing and its role in 

performance, especially during times of uncertainty. Understanding these 

research variables and the suggested approaches will assist researchers in 

further exploring critical areas in management studies that were not previously 

covered because of the absence of the pandemic.     

Overall, this study will benefit the two retail banks and leadership teams looking 

to understand the influences on employee wellbeing, performance, and 

leadership practices. An increased understanding by leadership may also help 

employees working under management.  

1.13 Rationale of the Study 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an emphasis on mental and 

physical health. The pandemic has also changed traditional work environments 

for many organisations, with an increase in employees working from home due 

to enforced lockdowns (Dubey & Tripathi, 2020). According to Xiao, Becerik-

Gerber, Lucas, and Roll (2021), even after the pandemic, many employees will 

continue to work from home; however, this may have negative consequences on 



 
20 

their mental health and physical health, including increased stress and anxiety. 

The shift towards a new style of working and its impact on employees highlights 

the importance of further investigating the influencing factors on employee 

wellbeing and performance (De Villiers et al., 2020). 

Leadership styles are associated with certain behaviours carried out by 

supervisors. If these behaviours are detrimental to employee motivation, it is 

crucial to understand the driving forces behind the behaviours. Once this is 

understood, organisations can improve motivation by using the most effective 

styles. Employee performance is of paramount importance for organisational 

success; therefore, exploring wellbeing as a possible influencing factor is 

essential (Xiao et al., 2021). 

1.14 Definition of terms 

The table below outlines the keywords and concepts found in this study. 

Table 0-1.1: Definition of terms 

Term Definition 

Leadership 

Style 

The set of behaviours used by a leader to increase their influence over 

their followers (Opoku, Ahmed, & Cruickshank, 2015). 

Supervisory 

Behaviour 

A supervisor handles the management of people pertaining to their work 

tasks and is given the authority to direct, as well as the responsibilities 

of leading, planning, decision-making and interacting with people 

(Mahlangu & Govender, 2015). 

Specific to this study: Supervisory behaviour is concerned with all 

behaviours carried out by supervisors within the workplace (researcher’s 

definition). 



 
21 

Wellbeing Hedonic psychological wellbeing is the experience of moods, feelings 

and emotions which are positive (Robertson & Cooper, 2010). 

Eudaemonic psychological wellbeing is associated with individual 

purpose (Robertson & Cooper, 2010). 

A person’s level of satisfaction with their team, work environment and 

supervisor (Baptiste, 2008). 

Depression, enthusiasm, dissatisfaction, anxiety and satisfaction are 

covered by psychological wellbeing whereas physical wellbeing 

captures aspects of health including stress, energy levels and 

exhaustion; lastly, trust within relationships, fairness and support 

structures are covered by social wellbeing (Guest, 2017; Warr, 1990). 

Performance The achievement of work by employees within an organisation, to reach 

the targets that have been set (Dewi & Wibow, 2020). 

A contribution to organisational goals made by an employee through the 

use of actions and behaviours (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2000). 

1.15 Preface to the research 

The interest in this area of study stems from the researcher’s prior professional 

work experience within the private banking sector. The researcher encountered 

positive and negative forms of leadership, the latter of which resulted in significant 

detrimental effects on overall wellbeing. These experiences resulted in a passion 

for identifying effective leadership styles and management practices, as well as 

highlighting the importance of employee wellbeing. 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder of the unpredictability associated with 

life, as well as the global business environment. As a result, there has been an 

increased focus on wellbeing and on the adaptability of businesses to survive 

times of uncertainty. The impact of the pandemic along with the researcher’s 

personal experiences has served as a motivation for this study. 



 
22 

1.16 Layout of Study 

This study follows the format below: 

Chapter 1: Background information, research context, research problems, 

research objectives, delimitations, and key definitions. 

Chapter 2: A literature review on the key variables of the study: leadership 

styles, supervisory behaviour, employee wellbeing and performance. 

Chapter 3: The research design and methodology used. 

Chapter 4: Data analysis results and limitations. 

Chapter 5: Discussion on results. 

Chapter 6: Conclusion and recommendations. 

1.7 Conclusion 

The next chapter will discuss the theoretical foundations of the study followed by 

a review of the literature relative to this study. Lastly, the chapter will outline the 

theoretical framework. 

 

  



 
23 

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS, 

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL 

FRAMEWORK 

2.1 Introduction 

This chapter serves to identify and present the previous academic literature on 

the variables under study. It allows for key fundamental theories to be identified 

as well as gaps within the literature.  

2.2 Theoretical Foundations 

2.2.1 Leadership Theories 

Leadership theories allow for the examination of the leadership concept from 

different perspectives. Considering these perspectives contributes to the richness 

of the study and creates room for further research. 

The first theory identified is the transformational leadership theory. James 

MacGregor Burns (1978) first coined the concept of “transformational 
leadership theory.” According to Burns (1978), transformational leadership 

theory is when greater motivation levels and morale are achieved among leaders 

and followers through the process of assisting each other.  

Transformational leaders are idealised as they serve as a moral exemplar of 

working towards the benefit of everyone and improve organisational culture, 

which may result in increased performance (Wen, Ho, Kelana, Othman, & Syed, 

2019). Furthermore, Kotlyar and Karakowsky (2007) stated that transformational 

leaders often have a positive impact on their followers.  

The practice of transformational leadership allows for the psychological needs of 

employees to be met as leaders will actively shape the perceptions of employees 

(Kovjanic, Schuh, Jonas, Quaquebeke & Van Dick, 2012). 



 
24 

The second theory focuses on participation. The “participative theory” states 

that leaders actively engage with their followers and encourage their participation 

in decision-making processes, ultimately resulting in their followers feeling a 

sense of importance and commitment to the cause (Amanchukwu et al., 2015). 

The motivational model of this theory, believes that when followers actively take 

part in decision making, their motivation increases and therefore their 

performance increases (Huang et al., 2010). When leaders practice behaviours 

that positively engage employees, they foster an environment of unleashed 

opportunity. 

The third theory on leadership relates to the behavioural theory. The 

“behavioural theory,” is of the view that leaders are made (Amanchukwu et al., 

2015), and with this, individuals can learn and gain the skills required for 

leadership (Sethuraman & Suresh, 2014). In this study, the behavioural theory 

proves useful as it allows for supervisory behaviour to be investigated from a 

perspective of learned behaviours. Analysis from this perspective can provide a 

foundation for identifying methods to improve leadership behaviours.  

The fourth theory on leadership is “situational leadership,” which was first 

termed by Hersey and Blanchard (1969;1979). This theory is of the belief that 

leaders should adapt their approach and tasks according to the level of maturity 

that their followers display (McCleskey, 2014). This theory also requires the 

leader to choose a suitable leadership style for a particular situation in order to 

effectively lead (Thompson & Glasø, 2015). 

 

Figure 2.1 Situational Leadership 



 
25 

 

Note. The Situational Leadership Model originally developed by Dr. Paul 

Hersey. From Situational Leadership, by The Center For Leadership Studies, 

n.d. (https://situational.com/situational-leadership/). Copyright 2022 by 

Leadership Studies, Inc. 

The above model depicts four different styles that can be used by a situational 

leader to direct followers. The styles range from a more autocratic style to a more 

democratic style, each one, providing a different level of involvement from the 

leader. 

2.2.2 Supervisory Behaviour 

Social exchange theory is based on a reciprocal relationship between two parties 

whereby one party will reciprocate the actions of the other, whether good or bad 

(Cropanzano, Anthony, Daniels, & Hall, 2017). Organisational behaviours that fall 

under the social exchange theory focus on the leader’s treatment towards the 

follower, the follower’s attitude and behavioural response to the treatment and 

the formation of the relationship thereafter (Cropanzano, Anthony, et al., 2017).  

According to Guohong Helen, Harms, and Yuntao (2017), in line with the social 

exchange theory, employees who fall victim to abusive supervisory behaviours 

may partake in workplace deviance or underperform to reciprocate the negative 



 
26 

treatment they have received. This theory proves relevant for this study as it 

provides a foundation on which the researcher can further explore supervisory 

behaviour.  

2.2.3 Employee Wellbeing 

The Affective events theory (AET) is concerned with affective changes in 

individuals and the influences that these changes have on behaviours related to 

performance (Cropanzano, Dasborough, & Weiss, 2017). Central to this theory 

are emotions and the workplace events that cause these emotions and changes 

in affective states (Cropanzano, Dasborough, et al., 2017). Affective emotions 

that are triggered by events in the workplace can include annoyance, anger, 

happiness, anxiety and depression (Ilies, Aw, & Pluut, 2015), all of which apply 

to the study of employee specific wellbeing. 

2.2.4 Performance 

Herzberg’s Two-factor theory is concerned with the determinants of job 

satisfaction amongst employees. The theory identifies factors that lower 

employee morale such as the methods used by management and supervisory 

behaviours (Badubi, 2017). The theory is also concerned with hygiene 

(Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl, & Maude, 2017), which is inclusive of relationships 

within the workplace (Thant & Chang, 2020). The relevance is seen when 

investigating the relationship between supervisors and subordinates. 

2.3 Literature Review 

2.3.1 Leadership Style 

In prior studies, the authoritarian leadership style otherwise known as autocratic 

(Fiaz, Su, Ikram, & Saqib, 2017), which will be used interchangeably in this study, 

has been described as ineffective and a positive relationship to abusive 

supervision has been established (Gabler, Nagy, & Hill, 2014; Pyc, Meltzer, & 

Liu, 2017; Yucheng & Timothy, 2016). It has been found that leaders who use an 



 
27 

authoritarian style of leadership make organisational decisions with minimal or no 

input from others and coerce employees to cooperate in organisational activities 

through the use of punishment and reward tactics (Duan, Bao, Huang, & 

Brinsfield, 2018; Gu, Hempel, & Yu, 2020; Rahbi, Khalid, & Khan, 2017).  

It can also be said that autocratic leaders are viewed as micromanagers 

(Marianne Tromp & Jan Blomme, 2014). With this, autocratic leadership is viewed 

as a potential threat to the wellbeing of employees. According to De Hoogh, 

Greer, and Den Hartog (2015), the behaviours associated with authoritative 

leadership can lead to the unfair treatment of employees, it can also leave them 

feeling unappreciated, all of which results in negative psychological affects. The 

results suggests that it may be categorised as ineffective. 

Despite authoritarian leadership being viewed as ineffective, Zhang, Lin, and Foo 

(2012) believe that it can be effective if there are extensive issues to be tackled. 

To support this, Wang and Guan (2018) suggest that authoritarian leadership 

might increase performance and motivate employees. It is possible that this 

leadership style can increase performance due to increased focus by employees. 

According to Chukwusa (2018), employees can more effectively focus on their 

tasks without the added responsibility of decide. This reduced responsibility might 

influence overall wellbeing. 

Democratic leadership is a style that differs vastly from the control of authoritative 

mainly because of its egalitarian approach (Caillier, 2020). This leadership style 

is characterised by de-centralised decision making whereby the leader involves 

employees in the decision-making process and consults them before issuing 

orders (Hilton, Arkorful, & Martins, 2021). According to Miao, Newman, Schwarz, 

and Xu (2013), supervisors who make use of this leadership style evoke high 

levels of trust amongst employees. Trust is an important catalyst for employee 

wellbeing and performance. Should employees mistrust their supervisor, they 

may interpret their environment as unsafe. 

One disadvantage of democratic leadership is that a decision-making process 

that requires input from others may cause a delay (Fatima, Majeed, & Saeed, 

2017; Ugwu, Okoroji, & Chukwu, 2018). Delays could prove detrimental to the 



 
28 

organisation when faced with time-sensitive matters. Researchers are also of the 

belief that collaborative decision-making is not always appropriate especially 

when faced with complex decisions as employees may lack the required 

knowledge (MALOŞ, 2012), potentially affecting their self-esteem upon 

realisation. 

Transformational leadership is characterised by the following four components:  

individualised consideration (IC), inspirational motivation (IM), idealised influence 

(II) and intellectual stimulation (IS) (Carleton, Barling, & Trivisonno, 2018; Cetin 

& Kinik, 2015). According to Koveshnikov and Ehrnrooth (2018), IC occurs when 

the leader is supportive of employees and their emotional needs. The recognition 

of emotional needs is beneficial as the structures of support can be put in place. 

It can be said that II and IM work together to bring about shared values and 

visions (Budur & Poturak, 2021) and II sees leaders exhibiting ethical behaviours 

which lead employees to view them as role models (Alsayyed, Suifan, Sweis, & 

Kilani, 2020). Leaders that can encourage creativity and innovation amongst 

employees can be said to be practising the IS dimension of transformational 

leadership (Alqatawenh, 2018), which will benefit the growth of the organisation. 

A transformational leader who constantly displays behaviours linked to motivation 

and positive influence may create a feeling of pressure amongst employees to 

not only feel the same but to constantly work towards the shared vision (Collins, 

Owen, Digan, & Dunn, 2019). Any form of increased pressure comes with the risk 

of negatively affecting employee wellbeing. Chung and Li (2021) believe that the 

increased pressure to produce innovative ideas, can lead to exhaustion, stress, 

anxiety, and other adverse psychological effects. Once again resulting in the 

impact on wellbeing being attributed to a style of leadership. 

2.3.2 Leadership Styles and Motivation 

According to Bodla, Tang, Van Dick, and Mir (2019) an authoritative leader is 

often characterised as being rigid, with the subsequent effect being an inability to 

motivate employees. In agreement with this, Fiaz et al. (2017) states that an 

increased prevalence of autocratic leadership will cause a lack of employee 



 
29 

motivation. Autocratic leaders rely on their system of rewards and punishment to 

stimulate motivation amongst employees (M. S. Khan et al., 2015), although 

punishment may come with the risk of employees’ adopting a negative view of 

the leader. 

Democratic leadership, otherwise known as participative leadership allows 

employees to feel more invested because of their inclusion in the decision-making 

process, increasing their motivation (Xu, 2017). According to Sagnak (2016), an 

increase in intrinsic motivation amongst employees can be attributed to 

participative leadership. This demonstrates a possible link between leadership 

styles and motivation. 

Transformational leadership can foster motivation in employees through the use 

of IM. Leaders who practice IM, do so through the creation of a vision that is both 

shared and inspiring, along with this they can gain employee agreement by 

articulating the importance of organisational goals (Boukamcha, 2019; Shafi, Lei, 

Song, & Sarker, 2020). When employees believe in the organisational vision, they 

are motivated to work towards it. 

2.3.3 Impact of Leadership Style on Supervisory Behaviour 

The trickle-down effect states that how supervisors treat their subordinates either 

positively or negatively influences their performance, behaviours and attitudes 

(Chi, Chen, Huang, & Chen, 2018). Supervisors need to practice good behaviours 

to create positive influence. To a certain extent, supervisory behaviours can be 

determined by leadership constructs (Heimann, Ingold, & Kleinmann, 2020), 

therefore it is necessary to consider leadership styles.  

The effects associated with abusive supervisory behaviours include 

psychological distress and poor attitudes associated with work (Tepper, 2000). 

Employees who fall victim to abusive supervision are said to suffer from emotional 

exhaustion and increased stress levels (Lim, Koay, & Chong, 2020) therefore an 

effective leadership style is needed in order to ultimately mitigate decreased 

wellbeing. 



 
30 

2.3.4 Effects of Employee Wellbeing 

Four prior studies have shown that employee wellbeing results in increased job 

satisfaction, performance, and productivity (Peiró et al., 2019; Thomas A & Ching-

Chu, 2012; Troup, 2011; Vakkayil, Della Torre, & Giangreco, 2017). However, a 

lack of employee wellbeing has been linked to poor performance, negative 

attitudes, anxiety and depression (Baptiste, 2008; A. K. Jain, Giga, & Cooper, 

2009).  

Mental health forms a part of wellbeing (Dodge et al., 2012), and according to 

Kidger et al. (2016), the biggest contributors to mental health disorders are 

demanding job roles and negative relationships. In support, Tough, Siegrist, and 

Fekete (2017) state that favourable interactions in an individual’s social 

environment will contribute positively to wellbeing. Suggesting that toxic 

relationships brought about by negative behaviours, will negatively impact 

wellbeing. 

2.3.5 Effects of Employee Wellbeing Levels on Performance 

Employees perform better when their levels of wellbeing are increased, and 

should these levels decrease, so will performance (Warr & Nielsen, 2018). It is 

therefore vital for organisations to understand influences on wellbeing. 

Employees can make assessments of performance themselves (Warr & Nielsen, 

2018), this may provide further insight into the relationship between personal 

wellbeing and performance outputs. Employee job performance is positively 

influenced by a healthy work-life balance (Haider, Jabeen, & Ahmad, 2018), this 

suggests that performance and wellbeing should be further explored in banks 

which often require long hours from employees. 

2.4 Gaps in the Literature 

Although the variables within this study have been researched extensively, there 

is still room for the variables to be explored within the context of the two retail 

banks at which the study was undertaken. Prior research has previously explored 

the variables of this study; however, they were in banks outside of South Africa.  



 
31 

Given that executive teams within South African companies have one of the 

highest levels of ethnic and cultural diversity and representation (Hunt, Prince, 

Dixon-Fyle, & Yee, 2018), this study will seek to provide results that are context-

specific to a unique workplace demographic. 

Compared to western countries, the affects of the pandemic are expected to be 

far more long-term and severe for developing countries like South Africa (De 

Villiers et al., 2020). A further gap that has been identified is the lack of research 

conducted on banks within developing countries during the pandemic, which 

brings about its unique challenges. 

 

 

 

 

2.5 Theoretical Framework 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIGURE 2.1: Theoretical Framework Illustrating the Variables Under Study 

Authoritarian/Autocratic 

Leadership  

Transformational 

Leadership 

Democratic/Participative 

Leadership 
Supervisory 

Behaviour 

Employee 

wellbeing 

Employee 

performance 



 
32 

2.6 Conclusion 

This chapter provided the relevant theoretical foundations for the study and a  

review of the prior literature. The gaps in the literature were discussed and the 

conceptual framework was developed. The research methodology will be 

discussed in the next chapter. 

 



 
33 

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 

3.1 Introduction 

This chapter explains and outlines the paradigm chosen for this study. This is 

followed by the descriptions of the research approaches, designs, and methods 

and the research choices, time horizons, procedures, and techniques. Last, the 

chapter assessed the reliability and validity of the data, the ethical considerations 

are discussed and lastly the outline of limitations. 

3.2 Research Paradigms  

The positivism paradigm is described as a research paradigm that is objective 

based on external, objective, and independent social actors or variables. This 

research paradigm is based only on observable facts which are credible data 

focused on causality and data collection methods performed according to highly 

structured methods (Park, Konge, & Artino, 2020). Research using this paradigm 

is undertaken in a particular way, making use of surveys and questionnaires as 

the data collecting tools where the researcher is not directly part of what is being 

researched and can be independent and objective from the research conducted 

(Rahi, 2017).  

The relationship between dependent and independent variables are studied 

through causal inferences in quantitative research. This enables the researcher 

to better understand the objects and research objectives through empirical testing 

and by employing methods like questionnaires. It then allows for large sample 

sizing and generalisation of results to a wider population (Alharahsheh & Pius, 

2020). This study made use of questionnaires to collect the primary data and a 

relatively large sample size from the two retail banks, hence the use of the 

positivism approach was deemed most suitable.  

 



 
34 

3.3 Research Approach 

The research approach was quantitative, which is the analysis of data that can 

be measured and presented numerically (Goertzen, 2017). It is grounded in the 

positivism paradigm. Typically, data analysis is performed through statistical 

analysis. The analysis from quantitative research can establish the relationships 

between variables being investigated (Schindler, 2019). It relates to probing or 

questioning through the use of collecting numerical data and analysing such data 

using statistical methods (Sukamolson, 2007). 

The sample sizes used in quantitative research are often larger than those used 

for qualitative research. Some instruments used to collect quantitative data 

include surveys, questionnaires, correlational research, experimental research, 

and statistical records analysis (Schindler, 2019). This study was based on the 

quantitative research approach and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The 

questionnaires allowed for anonymity which increases the respondent’s honesty, 

thus contributing to the accuracy of the data. 

Quantitative data is concerned with the magnitude of an occurrence (Schindler, 

2019), and the use of this approach allowed the researcher to determine just how 

statistically significant the proposed relationships were between the variables 

stated in the hypotheses.   

3.4 Research Design 

Explanatory design assists with the explanation of quantitative results or builds 

upon the results (Almeida, 2018). The chosen design for this study was 

explanatory. According to Almeida (2018), quantitative data is required to begin 

research when using the explanatory design method. The explanatory design 

proved suitable for this study as it was concerned with quantitative data. Cause 

and effect between variables were explained using explanatory research 

(Schindler, 2019), and as this study sought to understand the effects of leadership 

style and supervisory behaviour on employee wellbeing and performance, hence 

this research design was deemed most suitable. 



 
35 

3.5 Research Choices 

The mono method (single method) of research makes assessments of each idea 

through the use of a single method (Sharma, Yetton, & Crawford, 2009). A single 

method was used for this study as it was a quantitative-based study which 

attempted to establish the relationship between leadership styles and 

performance, through the use of questionnaires. 

3.6 Time Horizon  

A cross-sectional study according to Schindler (2019), is performed once and 

provides results from a single point in time. As this study was only conducted 

once and the change in variables over some time was not monitored, a cross-

sectional approach was deemed most suitable.   

3.8 Research Procedures and Techniques 

3.8.1 Target Population 

The target population for this study were 500 employees from two retail banks 

based in Sandton, Johannesburg. The target population included senior 

managers, managers, professionally qualified bankers, and analysts. Most of the 

target population included back-office staff, management, and analysts, not 

involved in any branch level or customer facing banking. All the target population 

were in the geographical area of Johannesburg.  

3.8.2 Sampling  

An objective sampling method is probability sampling and is often aligned with 

quantitative research methodology (Taherdoost, 2016). Probability sampling 

methods comprise of simple random, stratified random, cluster sampling, 

systematic sampling, and multistage sampling (Taherdoost, 2016). With simple 

random sampling, each member has an equal chance of being selected whereas 

with stratified sampling, subgroups are created to divide the population thereafter, 



 
36 

random selections are made from the groups (Acharya, Prakash, Saxena, & 

Nigam, 2013). 

Systematic sampling occurs when selections are made systematically while 

cluster sampling is when the population is divided into clusters and then randomly 

selected (Acharya et al, 2013). 

The chosen sampling method for this study was probability sampling, along with 

random sampling. Random sampling takes place when every participant within 

the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample (Acharya et 

al, 2013). 

This method was considered the least complex as it only involved a single 

random selection which could be done with limited knowledge about the 

population. Random sampling has high internal and external validity, because of 

the randomisation of the data (Schindler, 2019). The chosen sample for this study 

comprised 144 employees that worked in both the banks chosen for the study.   

3.8.3 Data Collection 

The instrument chosen for the data collection was a self-administered, online 

survey questionnaire using Qualtrics. The questionnaire was designed by the 

researcher and included questions relevant to the study. The advantage of using 

this data collection method was that the researcher was not actively involved, 

therefore allowing participants to feel an increased sense of anonymity 

(Schindler, 2019). A survey questionnaire was also cost-effective as well as 

reliable for quantitative data (Taherdoost, 2016). 

3.8.4 Data Analysis Units 

The analysis was conducted using the SPSS statistics software as the researcher 

has prior experience using this software. To analyse the data, the following 

methods were used: One-way ANOVA analysis, multiple linear regression 

analysis, bivariate correlation analysis and one-way ANCOVA. 



 
37 

3.9 The Reliability and Validity of the Data 

When assessing the trustworthiness of quantitative data, methods include 

internal validity, external validity, objectivity and reliability (Yilmaz, 2013). 

Sufficient external validity was achieved by ensuring the questionnaire comprised 

questions that covered all relevant aspects of the research area, this was based 

on the researcher’s judgement (Schindler, 2019).  

Secondly, through the identification of specific constructs of the study and 

determining whether the scales fully cover them, the study could ensure construct 

validity (Schindler, 2019). To ensure internal reliability, the Cronbach alpha 

technique will determine the consistency of the data under study (Schindler, 

2019), with the acceptable Cronbach alpha value sitting at 0.70 which is deemed 

acceptable in research studies (Peterson, 1994). 

3.9.1 Cronbach Alpha Results 

The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient method was used in this study to determine 

reliability. The test provided a scientific indication of the reliability. This allowed 

for a larger sample to be reached within a short time period. 

An alpha value of less than 0.5 indicated an unacceptable level of internal 

reliability. A further explantion of the Cronbach alpha results is detailed in Table 

3.1 presented below. 

 

 

Table 3. 1: Meaning of Cronbach’s alpha 

Alpha Value Meaning 

> = 0.90 Excellent 

> = 0.80 < 0.90 Good 



 
38 

> = 0.70 < 0.80 Acceptable  

> = 0.60 < 0.70 Questionable 

> = 0.50< 0.60 Poor 

< 0.50 Unacceptable  

Source: adapted from Akhtar, (2016) 

In this study, the Cronbach Alpha result was = 0.702 which supported the 

reliability of the data and was thus used. 

3.10 Ethical Considerations  

Further information about the study was shared with the participants beforehand. 

They were given the researcher’s contact details, the topic under research, the 

study objectives, and the reasons behind the study. Before respondents could 

begin the questionnaire, they had to give their consent to partake in the study. 

This consent was supported by the guarantee of participant confidentiality. The 

data collected was not distributed with any other parties and was stored in a 

folder, on a password-protected laptop to which only the researcher had access. 

The study did not request any identifying data from participants such as names 

or identity numbers, ensuring anonymity. 

The final ethical consideration measure was the application for an ethics 

clearance certificate from the researcher’s university. No data was collected 

before the issuing of this certificate. This certificate was issued based on the 

agreement that the study did not cross any ethical boundaries. 

3.11 Limitations of the Study 

A limitation of this study was the sample size. The study covered South African 

banks, however, the sample size comprised only 144 respondents. Although 

significant relationships were identified, conducting the study using a larger 

sample size may have increased the accuracy of the results. 



 
39 

Another limitation of the study was linked to the collection of data. Although the 

questionnaire was made simple, understandable, and concise, some 

respondents did not complete the questionnaire. Despite the questionnaire being 

distributed to many individuals, only a few participated. 

Time constraints proved to be an additional limitation of the study. As the data 

needed to be collected by a non-negotiable deadline, it left a short amount of time 

for the researcher to gather responses. Had there been additional time, the 

sample size may have been larger.  

Possible limitations with questionnaires are that the participants may provide 

inaccurate answers because of misunderstanding what the question is asking or 

they may grow bored while completing the questionnaire (Rowley, 2014). To 

counter this, incomplete and vague responses were excluded during data 

cleaning. The questions were constructed in a clear, concise manner and 

reviewed by an external party to ensure understanding from various perspectives.  

To encourage participants to respond, the questionnaire was made concise and 

the approximate time estimation for completion was given to the participants 

beforehand. As the survey was online, respondents may have faced technical 

difficulties like poor internet connection. To tackle this limitation, the platform used 

to host the questionnaire allowed for completion on a desktop or a mobile device. 

3.12 Conclusion 

This chapter detailed the research design and processes used; it also justified 

the reasoning behind the chosen methods. The study was conducted using an 

online questionnaire and analysed using quantitative data and statistical 

techniques. The chapter then explored the reliability, validity and ethical 

considerations of the study and concluded with the limitations. The findings of the 

study will be presented in the next chapter. 

  



 
40 

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS 

4.1 Introduction 

This chapter outlines the results of the quantitative data analysis and the 

limitations of the findings. Reliability analysis was conducted to establish the 

internal consistency of the questions used in the study. The one-way ANOVA 

analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, bivariate correlation analysis and the 

one-way ANCOVA were then used to answer the four research questions 

presented in the study. The SPSS software package was used to perform all 

analyses. 

4.2 Demographics 

Information on demographics provides an understanding of the respondents’ 

background which may prove useful when analysing the differences in the results 

of the study. The demographics collected in this study were age, race, and 

gender. 

4.2.1 Age  

The age distribution of the respondents is shown below in Table 4.1 and Figure 

4.1. 

Table 4.1: Age distribution of the respondents 



 
41 

Age group Frequency Percent 

18-24 1 .7 

25-34 106 74.1 

35-44 21 14.7 

45-54 4 2.8 

55-64 5 3.5 

Missing 6 4.2 

Total 143 100.0 

 

Figure 4.1: Age vs. Frequency 



 
42 

According to table 4.1 and figure 4.1 above, the majority (74.1%) of the 

respondents represent the 25-34 years age group and at least (0.7%) of the 

respondents are from the 18–24-year age group. In this graph, 14.7% represent 

ages 35-44, 2.8% represent ages 45-54 and 3.5% represent the ages 55-64 

group. 6 of the respondents have not disclosed their age group. It is evident that 

more than 93% of the respondents are below 44 years and their responses 

contain the highest validity. 

4.2.2 Population Group 

Table 4.2 and figure 4.2 below illustrate the population groups that the 

respondents belong to.  

Table 4.2: Population group of respondents 

Population Group Frequency Percent 

African 56 39.2 

Asian 21 14.7 

White 44 30.8 

Coloured 7 4.9 

Prefer not to say 9 6.3 

Missing 6 4.2 

Total 143 100 

 

 



 
43 

 

Figure 4.2: Frequency of population groups 

According to figure 4.2 above, the majority (39.2%) of the respondents fall under 

African and at least (4.9%) of the respondents are Coloured. 30.8% of the 

respondents are White and 14.7% represent Asians. 

4.2.3. Gender 

Table 4.3 and Figure 4.3 below illustrates the gender of the respondents.  

Table 4.3: Gender of respondents 



 
44 

Gender Frequency Percent 

Male 64 44.8 

Female 72 50.3 

Prefer not to 
say 

1 0.7 

Missing  6 4.2 

Total 143 100 

 

 

 

Figure 4.3: Gender vs. Frequency 

According to figure 4.3 above, the majority (50.3%) of the respondents are 

female. 44.8% are male and only one respondent represents the gender 

nonconforming group. 



 
45 

4.3 Reliability Analysis 

The constructed questions were analysed using the Reliability Analysis and the 

results are shown below in table 4.4 The Cronbach's Alpha for the questions 

raised is 0.702. This shows a good level of internal consistency.  
 

Table 4.4: Results of the reliability analysis performed for construct  
 

Cronbach's 
Alpha 

N of Items 

0.702 29 

The study used the Likert-like scale questions as shown in tables 4.5 and 4.6 to 

measure responses for different questions (annexure 1 Questionnaire provides 

details and questions where two scales were used).   

Table 4.5: 5-point Likert-like scale used in the questions 

The study used the 3-point Likert-like scale for some of the questions, as shown 

in Table 4.6, to measure the supervisory behaviour of transformational 

leadership. 

Table 4.6: Likert-like scale used in some of the questions 

 



 
46 

4.4 Research Question 1 

• What style of leadership was most effective at increasing employee 

motivation? 

• Hypothesis 1a: Democratic and transformational leadership styles will 

cause increased employee motivation.   

4.4.1 Descriptive Statistics 

The questionnaire used a 5-point Likert-like scale (shown in Table 4.5) to 

measure the leadership styles and employee motivation. 

Table 4.7 below presents the descriptive statistics related to the leadership styles 

of the study.   

Table 4:7 Descriptive statistics related to employee motivation. 

 



 
47 

As shown in the table above, the means for three of the variables are 3.93, 3.94 

and 4.09. This shows that the respondents agreed with three variables that 

determine employee motivation. The standard deviations for the variables above 

are all above 1, which suggests increased variance. 

A one-way ANOVA analysis was performed to determine the influence of 

leadership style on employee motivation. The average score was calculated for 

each of the leadership style-based motivations. Leadership style was used as the 

factor, and employee motivation was used as the response. The following table 

shows the ANOVA results. 

Table 4.8: ANOVA results of the employee motivation under three leadership 

styles. 

 

According to the one- way ANOVA results, there is a significant difference in the 

motivation of the three leadership styles (F=39.52, DF=350, P, 0.001<0.05). 

Multiple comparisons using the Turkey HSD test were performed for three 

different leadership styles, and the results are shown in Table 4.9 below. 

According to the results under resilience, there were significant mean differences 

observed for Democratic and Autocratic (P,0.001<0.05) and Transformational 

and Autocratic (P,0.001<0.05). 

Table 4.9: Results of the multiple comparisons of three different leadership 

styles.  



 
48 

 

Figure 4.4 below shows the means plot of the employee motivations according to 

the type of leadership. The highest mean scores are shown as Transformational 

(3.81±0.96), and the lowest mean is shown as Autocratic (2.67±1.19).  

  

Figure 4.4: Means plot of the employee motivation according to the type of 
leadership. 

4.5 Research Question 2  

• What effect do leadership styles have on supervisory behaviour? 



 
49 

• Hypothesis 2a: Democratic and transformational leadership styles 

positively effect supervisory behaviour.   

4.5.1 Descriptive statistics 

Table 4.10 below presents the descriptive statistics related to the leadership 
styles of the study.   

Table 4:10 Descriptive statistics related to supervisory behaviour 

 

 



 
50 

Most of the mean values were above 3.00, showing that most respondents 
agreed with the variables that show supervisory behaviours linked to democratic 
and transformational leadership styles. The mean values below 3.00 show that 
respondents who felt that certain inconsistent supervisory behaviours did not 
occur or were neutral in response. The mean of 2.59 shows respondents who felt 
their supervisor displayed this behaviour. Most of the variables have a standard 
deviation of more than one. 

A multiple linear regression analysis used average scores for supervisory 
behaviour as the dependent variable and three leadership styles, democratic, 
autocratic, and transformational, as predictor variables. The results of the 
analysis are shown below. 

Table 4.11: Model summary of the multiple linear regression analysis between 
supervisory behaviour and leadership styles. 

 

R Square, the coefficient of determination, is the squared value of the multiple 
correlation coefficient. According to the table, the model summary shows an R 
square of 0.691. The regression equation explains 69.1% of the total variance 
among the variables used to build the relationship.  

Table 4.12: ANOVA results of the multiple linear regression analysis between 
supervisory behaviour and leadership styles. 



 
51 

 

The ANOVA table tests the acceptability of the model from a statistical 
perspective. The Regression row displays information about the variation 
accounted for by the developed model. The Residual row shows information 
about the variation that is unaccounted for. The regression sum of squares 
(24.15) is greater than the residual sum of squares (10.79), showing that the 
leadership styles explain a more significant portion of the variation in supervisory 
behaviour. 

The regression P-value, 0.001, is lower than the alpha level of 0.05; there is a 
statistically significant relationship between 3 predictor variables; democratic, 
autocratic, and transformational leadership styles and the dependent variable, 
supervisory behaviour. 

Table 4.13: Coefficients of the multiple linear regression analysis between 
leadership styles and supervisory behaviour. 

 



 
52 

The predictor variable democratic style has a beta coefficient of negative value 
(β = -0.004), which shows a weak negative relationship with supervisory 
behaviour. The contribution of Democratic leadership is not statistically significant 
(P, 0.959>0.05). The predictor variable, Autocratic style, has a negative beta 
coefficient value (β = -0.4129), showing a weak, negative relationship to 
supervisory behaviour; however, the contribution of autocratic leadership is found 
to be statistically significant (P, 0.001<0.05).   

The transformational leadership style has a positive beta coefficient value (β = 
0.595). It shows a positive relationship with supervisory behaviour. The 
contribution of transformational leadership is significant (P, 0.001<0.05).   

4.6 Research Question 3 

• What was influencing employee wellbeing?  

• Hypothesis 3a: There is a positive relationship between supervisory 

behaviour and employee wellbeing.  

4.6.1 Descriptive Statistics 

Table 4.14 below presents the descriptive statistics related to employee 

wellbeing.   

Table 4:14 Descriptive statistics related to employee wellbeing.

 



 
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As shown in table 4.14 above, the mean of 4.79 shows that respondents who 
have a strong relationship with their supervisor, an aspect of well-being. 
Respondents also agreed with two variables that represent increased wellbeing.  

The average score was calculated for employee wellbeing. Pearson’s correlation 
method used a bivariate correlation analysis to determine the strength and 
direction of the relations between supervisory behaviour and employee wellbeing. 
Table 4.15 below shows the results. 

Table 4.15: Correlations between supervisory behaviour and employee 
wellbeing. 

 

When analysing the results, there is a significant (P, 0.001<0.05), strong positive 
(r=-0.724) relationship between supervisory behaviour and employee wellbeing.  
This significance is at a confidence interval of 95%. 

4.7 Research Question 4 

• What effect do the levels of employee wellbeing have on employee 

performance?  

• Hypothesis 4a: There is a positive relationship between employee 

wellbeing and performance.  



 
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4.7.1 Descriptive Statistics 

Table 4.16 below presents the descriptive statistics related to employee 
performance. 

Table 4:16: Descriptive statistics related to employee performance. 

 

The mean values in the table above are all above 4.00. The table shows 
respondents agreed with all the wellbeing variables that contribute to 
performance. 

Average scores were calculated for employee performance. A bivariate 
correlation analysis was performed to determine the strength and direction of the 
relations between employee performance and employee wellbeing using 
Pearson’s correlation method. Table 4.17 below shows the results. 

Table 4.17: Correlations between employee performance and employee 
wellbeing. 



 
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When analysing the results, there is a significant (P, 0.001<0.05), moderately 
positive (r= 0.400) relationship between employee performance and employee 
wellbeing.  

4.8 Limitations of the Findings 

A limitation of the findings is the demographic group of the respondents, as 4.2% 

were missing, and only a small percentage, 4.9%, fell under “coloured.” This is 

not a fair representation of all demographics. An additional limitation is that the 

findings did not address all the leadership theories and literature presented in the 

study, as the questionnaire could not cover all concepts. 

4.9 Conclusion 

This chapter detailed the results of the data analysis and concluded with the 

limitations of the findings. The next chapter will present the discussion of the 

results.  

 

 

 

  



 
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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 

5.1 Introduction 

In this chapter, the most critical findings from chapter 4 are discussed to work 

towards the conclusion and recommendations for the study. The discussion is 

based on: 

• Research objectives of the study 

• Theoretical foundations 

• Theoretical framework 

• Literature Review 

• Assumptions of the study 

5.2 Discussion of the Findings Related to the Research Objectives 

This discussion is based on the following research objectives of the study: 

• To investigate which leadership style is most effective at increasing 

employee motivation. 

• To investigate how leadership styles impact supervisory behaviour. 

• To investigate what influences employee wellbeing. 

• To investigate the effects of employee wellbeing levels on employee 

performance. 

The descriptive analysis revealed that respondents agreed that 1) leadership 

encourages participation and input from others when deciding, 2) leadership 

inspires and motivates them to reach organisational goals, and 3) leadership can 

make employees understand the importance of reaching organisational goals. 

These three variables are characteristics of democratic and transformational 

leadership, which would indicate these two styles.  

A relationship between leadership styles and motivation was established using 

regression analysis. The one-way ANOVA and Turkey HSD test results both had 

p-values that indicated statistical significance at the 0.05% level (P,0.001<0.05). 



 
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This significance shows the difference in motivations levels under the different 

leadership styles. According to the results, the highest motivation levels are seen 

under the transformational leadership style, while the lowest motivation levels fall 

under the autocratic style.  

Democratic and transformational leadership styles result in increased employee 

motivation; therefore, Hypothesis 1a: Democratic and transformational leadership 

styles will cause increased employee motivation is accepted.  

The descriptive analysis of supervisory behaviour shows that many respondents 

agreed with the variables that show supervisory behaviours linked to democratic 

and transformational leadership styles. Many respondents also agreed that their 

supervisor shows compassion and empathy. According to the results, the 

leadership styles present were democratic and transformational, and supervisors 

exhibited several the associated behaviour. 

Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship 

between leadership styles and behaviour. The regression sum of squares (24.15) 

was greater than the residual sum of squares (10.79), which showed that most of 

the variance in supervisory behaviour was explained by leadership styles. The 

findings show a statistically significant relationship as the p-value (0.001) was 

lower than the alpha level of 5%. 

The multiple linear regression analysis coefficients illustrated that 

transformational leadership style has a positive, statistically significant 

relationship with supervisory behaviours because of a positive beta value (0.595) 

and a p-value (0.001) less than 5% alpha. The results also showed that 

democratic leadership (β = -0.004) and autocratic leadership (β = -0.4129), both 

with negative beta values, have weak, negative relationships to supervisory 

behaviour. Hence, we can reject Hypothesis 2a: Democratic and transformational 

leadership styles will positively affect supervisory behaviour, as only 

transformational style has a significant positive contribution.   

The descriptive statistics relating to employee wellbeing indicate that the 

respondents agree with four of the variables linked to increased wellbeing. These 

variables were tied to their supervisors’ behaviours that elicit certain feelings. 



 
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When looking at the psychological and physical variables related to wellbeing, 

the respondents believed that they only experienced adverse affects to these 

variables “sometimes.”  

The bivariate correlation analysis revealed that there is a statistically significant 

(P-value 0.001<0.05), strong positive (r=0.724) relationship between supervisory 

behaviour and employee wellbeing. A confidence level of 95% was used. 

Therefore, Hypothesis3a is accepted. 

The results from the descriptive statistical analysis on employee performance 

show that the respondents agreed with all the wellbeing variables that contribute 

to performance. The respondents strongly agreed that, when their supervisor 

creates an environment where they feel safe, they can perform better. Employees 

with a perceived sense of increased psychological safety perform better in the 

workplace (Inuwa, 2016).  

Therefore, it is essential to understand how all the aspects of employee wellbeing 

affect performance. These findings could result from respondents led by 

supervisors who practise positive behaviours, leadership styles and supervisors 

who have certain personality traits.  

A bivariate correlation analysis was used to establish whether employee 

wellbeing affects performance. The strength and directions of the relationship 

were measured using Pearson’s correlation method. The results found that there 

is a statistically significant (P, 0.001<0.05), moderately positive (r= 0.400) 

relationship between employee wellbeing and performance. Hence, Hypothesis 

4a: a positive relationship between employee performance and employee 

wellbeing is accepted.   

5.3 Discussion of the Findings Related to the Theoretical Framework 

The study results are in line with the theoretical framework presented in chapter 

2. The multiple linear regression analysis results showed that transformational 

leadership has a strong relationship to supervisory behaviour and that the 

remaining two styles have weak, negative relationships. Transformational 



 
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leadership behaviours such as inspiring, motivating and encouraging creativity 

amongst employees are said to be effective as they ultimately improve 

organisational outcomes (Anderson, 2017). To support the theoretical framework, 

a relationship between employee wellbeing and performance was identified. 

5.4 Discussions of the Findings Related to the Literature Review 

It has been found that employee participation in organisational decision making 

leads to increased motivation (Irawanto, 2015); this is in line with the study 

results. This can be linked to the participative theory presented in the earlier 

literature review. 

The results show how common positive supervisory behaviours are in this case. 

According to Vogel and Mitchell (2017), supervisory behaviours deemed abusive 

can lead employees to partake in deviant workplace behaviours. The study shows 

that positive supervisory behaviours result in increased employee motivation, 

which aligns with the exchange-based model presented in chapter 2. 

Motivation determines whether the employee will do more than what is expected 

of them with no obligation, and with this, an increase in productivity is expected 

(Bawa, 2017). The findings indicate that organisational goals are reached through 

inspiration and motivation, which can be brought about by leadership. This is in 

line with the inspirational motivation discussed in the literature review. 

Employee wellbeing has been linked to productivity and overall organisational 

performance (Krekel, Ward, & De Neve, 2019), which is clear in the results that 

show a relationship between wellbeing and performance. The results align with 

the effects on employee wellbeing found in the literature review. 

5.5 Discussion of the Findings Related to the Assumptions of the Study 

This discussion is based on the following assumptions of the study: 

• Certain leadership styles are more effective than others. 

• A particular set of behaviour characterises a specific style of leadership. 



 
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• Not all supervisors display the same supervisory behaviours. 

• Supervisory behaviour is influenced by leadership style. 

• Employee wellbeing is affected by supervisory behaviours. 

• Respondents answered the questionnaire truthfully and based their 

answers on their personal experiences. 

According to the results, democratic and transformational leadership styles are 

more effective than autocratic. The leadership of the two banks should look to the 

future and be transformational to ensure the businesses has a competitive edge 

which will ensure long-term sustainability over other banks and probable new 

entrants to the markets.  

Secondly, by introducing the democratic leadership, senior bank leaders will 

involve their subordinates in the decision-making process thus including them in 

decision making. This will cause employee loyalty and commitment. Loyalty and 

employee commitment could translate into higher levels of employee 

performance. 

The one-way ANOVA and Turkey HSD test results both had p-values that 

indicated statistical significance (P,0.001<0.05). The results showed that certain 

behaviours were linked to specific styles of leadership. The results of respondents 

who answered “sometimes” shows that not all supervisors display the same 

behaviours, whilst the acceptance of Hypothesis3a supports the assumption that 

employee wellbeing is affected by supervisory behaviours. The reliability analysis 

revealed a good level of reliability; however, there is no evidence that the 

respondents answered truthfully or based their answers on their personal 

experiences. 

5.6 Contribution of the Study 

This study contributed to management knowledge by identifying democratic and 

transformational leadership styles as effective means for increasing employee 

motivation. The study concluded that only transformational leadership positively 

correlates with supervisory behaviours and that democratic and transformational 

styles will not negatively affect these behaviours.  



 
61 

An additional contribution of this study is the identification of a relationship 

between supervisory behaviour and wellbeing; this provides knowledge for 

supervisors in the workplace that are seeking to understand the effects of their 

behaviours. The influences on employee wellbeing, along with the importance of 

the concept and the impact on organisations, are identified in this study, 

contributing to management knowledge.  

5.7 Conclusion 

This chapter discusses the study results while considering the objectives, 

theoretical framework, literature, and assumptions of the study. The next chapter 

provides a conclusion, recommendations based on findings and suggestions for 

future research. 

  



 
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CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

6.1 Conclusion 

Leadership styles have been studied from the democratic, autocratic, and 

transformational perspectives, often highlighting their complexities, such as 

supervisory behaviours. The behaviours were grouped into positive and negative, 

with the effects of negative behaviour being the focus of many organisations as 

they aimed to reduce the impact. The absence of effective leadership styles 

presented a threat to employee motivation, and these leadership styles can affect 

the behaviour of supervisors. A decline in employee wellbeing often could cause 

a change in employee behaviours.  

Wellbeing and the effects on the psychological and physical aspects had provided 

researchers with a foundation to explore the link to performance within 

organisations. The study intended to determine the leadership style most 

beneficial to employee motivation, and it was established that transformational 

and democratic leadership were most effective. It was concluded that 

transformational and democratic leadership would affect supervisory behaviour; 

however, the study revealed that only transformational leadership had a 

significant, positive contribution.  

A relationship was found between supervisory behaviour and employee 

wellbeing, which provided insight into the influences of wellbeing. Last, the study 

determined that wellbeing and performance have a positive relationship, which 

established that performance of employees increases along with their wellbeing 

levels. The study was conducted using quantitative data collected through a 

questionnaire while ethical and reliability considerations were taken. Despite the 

adequate findings of the study, limitations relating to the demographics and 

literature were present. 



 
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6.2 Recommendations 

Based on the findings of this study, the recommendations are outlined below. 

6.2.1 The banks should hold assessments for supervisors which would determine 

their behaviour and based on the results, enroll them in training on democratic 

and transformational leadership styles. 

6.2.2 It is recommended that the senior and executive managers of the two banks 

be trained in transformational leadership styles. This form of training would assist 

managers in having a long-term view of the banks and lead in a strategic and 

visionary manner.  

6.2.3 The banks should incorporate employee wellbeing programs into the 

workplace. They should assess employee performance, and if it is low, the 

employees should be enrolled in wellbeing programs. 

6.2.4 It is further recommended that all supervisors, team-leaders, and managers 

at all hierarchical levels be trained on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which would 

enhance their overall leadership capabilities. Emotional intelligence training 

would equip them to become well-rounded leaders. Well-rounded leaders 

become more transformational. 

6.2.5 It would be advisable for the banks to source the services of a consulting 

firm, which can conduct an employee satisfaction survey across all units and 

departments of the two banks. This survey should identify areas of challenges 

and where the significant gaps in leadership practices exist. Interventions can 

then be introduced to close these gaps and improve the organisational culture 

and performance of the banks. 

6.2.5 It is recommended that the banks amend their respective recruitment and 

selection policies, procedures, and practices to recruit employees who display 

the leadership and management acumen and competencies which work “best” 

for the two banks.  

 



 
64 

6.3 Future Research 

Future research into the efficacy of leadership styles may take into consideration 

the aspects below: 

• Selecting respondents with increased demographic diversity and a larger 

sample size across various geographic areas. A larger sample size would 

yield more findings, which could cause more gaps identified and further 

recommendations. 

• Changing the dependent variables based on the different leadership 

theories could widen the research and provide more data to assess more 

suitable leadership styles, which may positively affect employee wellbeing 

and employee performance. 

• Changing the independent variables based on the prior literature found on 

organisational elements could cause more viable findings and 

recommendations. 

• Lastly, research may be extended into other business units of the two 

banks or extended into other banks in South Africa, whereby the target 

population is larger. This would provide more data to analyse potential 

leadership gaps and how best to close these gaps, therefore enhancing 

employee performance and wellbeing.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
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