Title: Democratic Leadership Style and Employee Performance at Civil Service Commission in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Authors: Shafie Ali Salad
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 231-237
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between democratic leadership style and employee performance at the Civil Service Commission in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The study adopted a quantitative research approach employing a cross-sectional research design and collected data from 92 employees using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire measured key democratic leadership practices, including employee participation in decision-making, open communication, teamwork promotion, and feedback provision, and their perceived impact on employee performance. Descriptive statistics indicated high levels of democratic leadership practices and employee performance, with open communication and teamwork scoring the highest, while feedback provision recorded slightly lower levels. Inferential analysis using Pearson's correlation revealed a strong positive relationship between democratic leadership style and employee performance (r = 0.716, p < 0.05), suggesting that participative leadership significantly influences employee performance. The findings confirm that democratic leadership practices positively influence employee performance, supporting the theoretical framework. The study recommends that the Civil Service Commission institutionalise feedback mechanisms, provide leadership training for supervisors, and promote participative decision-making to strengthen employee performance and institutional effectiveness. These results contribute to the understanding of effective leadership practices in public sector organisations within Somaliland.