Delegative Leadership Strategies and Quality Education Service Delivery in Tertiary Institutions in Bayelsa State

Abstract

This study examined the influence of delegative leadership strategies on the quality of education service delivery in tertiary institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A correlational research design was adopted, guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. The population comprised academic and administrative staff from selected tertiary institutions, with a sample of 308 respondents selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled "Delegative Leadership Strategies and Education Service Delivery Questionnaire (DLSESDQ)," which was validated by experts and subjected to reliability analysis, yielding a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.85. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between decision-making autonomy and education service delivery (r = 0.61, p < 0.05), as well as between task delegation effectiveness and education service delivery (r = 0.54, p < 0.05). The study concluded that effective delegation and autonomy in leadership enhance education quality by improving institutional efficiency, staff motivation, and administrative effectiveness. It was recommended that tertiary institutions strengthen leadership training programs and establish supportive policies that promote effective delegation and decision-making autonomy to enhance education service delivery.