| dc.description.abstract | The decline in the performance and effectiveness of most local authorities in Kenya remains a major concern, especially when it comes to national development and efforts to achieve vision 2030. This study purposed to determine the influence of management styles on the performance of local authorities in Siaya County. The survey utilized the descriptive survey research design with a population of 425 and sample size of 205 Local Authorities' staff. The study mainly used structured questionnaires to collect primary data. The data collected was processed, organized and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and the quantitative results presented using means and standard deviations. The Pearson's Product Moment Correlation was used to establish the relationships between independent and dependent variables while ANOV A, at 0.05 level of significance was used to establish the differences in management practices among the local authorities. The study established that the management styles adopted varied across the LAs and from one management function to the other, and that no specific management styles are adopted by the LAs. The study also established that there were statistically significant differences between the management styles adopted by the LAs in Siaya County. There was more of autocratic management style in all the other six LAs compared to Bondo County Council which outperforms the rest in democratic management style. Siaya County Council was found to have relatively less autocratic management practices compared to Siaya Municipal Council and Ugunja and Ukwala Town Councils, while in consultative management style, whereas Siaya Municipal Council did better than Bondo County and Siaya County Councils; Bondo, Yala and Ukwala Town Councils, Siaya County Council only outperformed Bondo Town Council in the consultative management style. Finally, the study established that performance of the LAs is positively correlated with consultative, democratic and coaching/supporting management styles, but there exists a negative relationship between performance of the LAs and autocratic management style and an insignificant relationship between LAs performance and paternalistic management style. Therefore, it is recommended that devolved government units should undertake, as a priority, elaborate capacity building activities for the local authority management staff transiting to the county governments on management practices, taking cognizance of the findings of this study. Best management practices in the best performing local authorities should be documented and shared to facilitate their adoption in the local authorities whose performance is still unsatisfactory and below the public expectations. | en_US |