LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF COMMITMENT IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between leadership communication strategy and administrative staff commitment in educational institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria. Anchored on Shannon and Weaver’s Mathematical Theory of Communication and Bass and Avolio’s Full Range Leadership Model, the study adopted a correlational survey research design. The population comprised 312 administrative staff drawn from selected public tertiary institutions in Rivers State. Using Taro Yamane’s formula, a sample of 238 respondents was determined and selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.84 (Cronbach alpha). Two null hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Linear Regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between the study variables. The study concluded that strategic leadership communication is a critical determinant of administrative staff commitment in tertiary educational institutions. It was recommended, among others, that educational administrators should institutionalise transparent, participative, and transformational communication frameworks to enhance staff commitment and institutional effectiveness.