INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP IN ETHIOIAN MANUFACTURING SECTORS-PRACTICES& PROSPECTS

Abstract

The major objective of this research is to investigate the existing status of industrial leadership behaviorand styles practiced and leadership gaps to be bridged through further interventions to improve theleadership behavior and styles of the manufacturing industrial sector in light with the transformation planof the sector. Mixed research design was used to study the phenomena. The sampling techniqueemployed to select sample manufacturing industries and respondents was simple random sampling,where as the two sectors (Textile and Leather) were selected through purposive sampling techniques.Data analysis was carried out by employing Mean, SD and ANOVA. The findings show that themanufacturing industrial leaders often employ transactional than transformational and laissez-faireleadership styles in executing their leadership roles. The behavioral dimensions of transactionalleadership like management by exception active and passive and contingent reward are dominantlyexhibited than transformational leadership behaviors of individual consideration, intellectual stimulationand idealized influences in the leadership role exercise. Industrial leaders in Ethiopian manufacturingindustry need to capitalize their initiation to be transformational so as to transform the manufacturingindustrial sector. Institutionalizing industrial leadership trainings, industrial leadership capacity buildingprogrammes should be therefore expanded and strengthened and focus on enabling leaders to improvetheir leadership behaviors to be able to recognize the role of leadership in organizing and inspiring otherstowards the realization of the sector development.