MST Tshekedi & LTB Jackson
Abstract
Municipalities in South Africa face a myriad of leadership challenges that significantly impact their governance and service delivery. These challenges stem from a combination of poor leadership ethics, financial mismanagement and inadequate performance evaluation systems. Addressing these issues is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of local governments and improving the quality of life for citizens. Leadership is a vital element in any organisation as it plays an important role in the organisational performance. When leaders understand the needs of employees, subordinates are likely to appreciate them as they feel valued and trusted. Successful leaders can encourage and motivate subordinates, and this results in committed and satisfied employees. The study was conducted to assess the mediating effect of trust in the leader in the relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement in the Local Municipality. A quantitative research method using a cross-sectional design was employed to reach the objectives the study. Data was collected using an online structured questionnaire and from a sample of 300 drawn, only 129 questionnaires were returned resulting to a 43,0% response rate. The results confirmed a strong positive relationship between transformational leadership, work engagement and trust. The mediating role of trust in the leaders in the relationship between leadership and work engagement was also confirmed. The results of this study therefore broaden our understanding of the psychological mechanism through which transformational leadership promotes employee engagement. Recommendation for organisation and future research are provided.