CC BY
17
TRAVERSING THE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EXECUTIVES AND OFFICIALS
DR. GILBERT EUTAQUIO
Isabela State University, Echague Campus GilbertEustaquio10@gmail.com
Abstract: The focus of the article points on the three pillars that support good governance are an unshakeable moral basis, a commitment to openness in all dealings, and a code of conduct that emphasizes effectiveness in all actions. In this study, the descriptive approach was utilized to describe the socio-economic profiles of the executives of the Local Government Units as well as the leadership styles they employed. Interviews guided by a standardized survey questionnaire served as the medium for gathering the necessary information and data for analysis. According to the findings of the survey, these qualities include command responsibility, being easy to work with, being honest, having commitment and determination, and being able to make independent decisions. These are the characteristics that set an effective and efficient leader apart from other possible candidates for leadership positions. The characteristic of leadership that has the most impact on the choices voters make about candidates for public office. This suggests that the respondents are against graft and corruption being used in the process of providing the services to the customers.
Keyword: leadership qualities, local government executives, local government officials, local government code
INTRODUCTION
The three pillars that support good governance are an unshakeable moral basis, a commitment to openness in all dealings, and a code of conduct that emphasizes effectiveness in all actions. When it comes to the provision of public goods and services, having a government that is performance-based and results-oriented is necessary in order to achieve more success with a lower allocation of resources. The Philippine government is committed to the construction of policies that are plain, equitable, open, and transparent in order to cut down the overall cost of investing in the country. This is done in an effort to attract more foreign direct investment. The increase of accountability that would result from reforming institutions will also result in the public interest being served more effectively. Reforms in the way the government purchases goods and services are a crucial component of any effort to combat graft and corruption. Efforts will be made to reform both the electoral system and the judicial system in order to maintain political stability, and these changes will be coordinated with one another. The current government is dedicated to demonstrating strong and effective leadership at all times.
The improvement of governance and the reduction of a nation's vulnerability to unethical behavior are essential concerns in the development process. The major objective of current global development efforts is the alleviation of poverty. On the other hand, there is a wealth of evidence pointing to the fact that those with lower incomes are more prone to corruption and are forced to face the brunt of the bad effects brought about by inefficient governance and institutions.
There is a universal agreement that raising the quality of governance is necessary for accomplishing development and growth goals, as well as reducing levels of poverty. This is the case despite the fact that there is some debate on the exact nature of these goals. The conversations that have taken place
between different governments and different development partners over the course of the past decade have adjusted their focus to place a larger emphasis on institutional transformation and governance. As a direct response to this problem, a substantial number of international and bilateral development organizations have shifted their major focus to the reduction of poverty. This gives rise to two questions: (i) why has governance and institutional reform gotten such a large lot of attention, and (ii) what is the connection between increased levels of governance and decreased levels of poverty?
The Democratic Republic of the Philippines has made significant strides toward decentralization and democratic reform over the course of the past decade, and these efforts have been met with widespread success. Its devolution legislation as well as its system of municipal administration is often analyzed as a model for decentralization in other Asian countries. a. Having said that, the process has not been completely problem-free all throughout. It is possible that significant progress has been achieved toward the implementation of devolution in the government of the Philippines since 1991, when the first iteration of the Local Government Code was enacted by Congress. The power structures that exist between the national government and the local governments have been reorganized as a result of recent events. Twenty years after decentralization was implemented, there are still a range of issues that need to be resolved, despite the fact that decentralization was responsible for a number of positive outcomes. Because of this, the primary objective of the study is to investigate the qualities of leadership possessed by the local executives and authorities of the province of Quirino.
Statement of the Problem
Generally, this study focused on exploring the executive officials of the local government executives in the province of Quirino.
Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the local executives and officials in the province of Quirino?
2. What are the leadership qualities of the local executives and officials in the province of Quirino?
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
To answer the objectives and hypotheses of the study, the descriptive and inferential methods of research was used. The descriptive method was used to describe the socio-economic profile and leadership styles of Local Government Unit executives. The inferential method of research was used to draw conclusion about the study and help to answer the hypotheses post in this Simple random sampling was employed to draw the member of barangay captains as samples. The Slovin's formula as shown below was used to determine sample size N
N= -
1+ Ne2
where:
n= sampling size N= Population e= allowance error, 5% 1 =constant
Total enumeration was used to represent the head of offices, vice mayor, and sangguniang bayan members, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation Presidents and Liga ng Mga Barangay Presidents.
Table 1. Shows the Locale of Respondents
LOCALE OF RESPONDENTS
Rating Scale Range Quantitative Description
Management Function/Styles Extent of Implementation of Programs and Projects Efficiency
5 4.50-5.0 Strongly Agree Highly Implemented Very Efficient
4 3.50-4.49 Agree Implemented Efficient
3 2.50-3.49 Moderately Agree Averagely Implemented Moderately Efficient
2 1.50-2.49 Disagree Lowly Implemented Inefficient
1 1.00-1.49 Strongly Disagree Not Implemented Very Inefficient
Municipalities
Barangay Captains
Head Office
of
Vice Mayor
SB Member
Liga ng Mga Barangay
SK
Fed
Pres
N
N
N
Aglipay
25
11
Cabarroguis
17
Diffun
32
14
Maddela
32
14
Nagtipunan
16
Saguday
4
Total
132
57
48
48
N
N
N
n
n
n
n
n
8
8
8
8
7
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
7
8
8
8
8
9
8
8
8
8
8
8
6
6
6
6
6
Note: Only 126 Barangay Captains were included as population since the elected Liga ng mga Barangay which is 6 of them were deducted from the 132 Brgy. Captains.
Data Gathering and Research Instruments
The Data collection was done through interview using a structured survey questionnaire where to record data and information.
Secondary data was secured at the Local Government Unit's record offices and Personnel offices.
Statistical Treatment of Data
The data were processed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software applying the following statistical tools.
1. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyzed the perceptions of respondents in the implementation of projects and the socio economic profile of respondents.
2. Simple Arithmetic mean was used to determine the respondents perception on the level of implementation, efficiency, management function and leadership style using the 5-point Likert Scale with the corresponding range and descriptions as shown in Table 2.
Discussion of Results and Findings
A. Profile of Respondents
Table 3 shows the profile of the respondents in terms of Gender, Civil Status, Age, Highest Educational Attainment, Years in the Service, Annual salary and Number of Children are presented as
Age: Table shows that, majority of the ages of the respondents are ranging to 46-55 which comprised 73 or 41.95% of the total of 174 respondents, followed by age ranging 36-45 which comprised 54or 31.03%.
Highest Educational Attainment: Table shows that, among the 174 respondents, 87 or 50% are College Graduate, 41 or 23.56% are college level, 29 or 16.67% are High School Graduate, 8 respondents or 4.60% are high school level and Masters Degree Holder and 1 respondent who finished Doctoral Degree.
Years in the Service: Table shows that majority of the respondents whose year in the service is 5 years and below comprised 91 or 52.30%.
Annual Salary: Table shows that, out of 174 respondents, 78 or 44.83% whose annual salary ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 annually.
Number of Children: As shown in the table, out of 174 respondents, 81 or 46.55% of the respondents whose children ranges to 3 to 4, followed by 40 or 22.99% whose children ranges to 1 to 4 and 5 and above, and there are 13 respondents with no children. Table 3. Socio-Economic Profile of Respondents in the Province of Quirino, 2011. follows:
Gender: As shown in the table, majority of the respondents . Are males comprised 124 or 71.26% among the 174 respondents.
Civil Status: Table shows, that; from the 174 respondents, majority are married comprised of 161 or 92.53% followed by single comprised of 11 or 62.32% and widow/er comprised of 2 or 1.15%.This indicates that all SK Federation Presidents as member of the Sangguniang Bayan are single.
Profile
Frequency n=174
Percent
Gender Male Female
Civil Status Single Married Widow/er Age
25 and below
26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55
56 and above
Highest Educational Attainment High School Level High School graduate College Level College Graduate Masters degree Doctorate degree Years in the Service
5 and below
6 to 10 15-20
16 and above 401 and above
Annual Salary (in Thousand Pesos)
100 and below
101 to 200 200 to 300 300 to 400 401 and above
124 50
11 161 2
9
14
54 73 24
8
29 41 87 8 1
91
55
15 13 23
53 11 9
78 23
71.26 28.74
6.32
92.53
1.15
5.17
8.05
31.03
41.95
13.79
4.60
16.67
23.56
50.00
4.60
0.57
52.30
31.61
8.62
7.47
13.22
30.46
6.32
5.17
44.83
13.22
Table 3
Number of Children None 1 to 2 3 to 4
13 40 81
7.47
22.99
46.55
As can be seen in Table 3, the most important factor in ranking order is leadership quality, which was rated highly by 93 out of 174 respondents. (1). This suggests that leadership quality is a priority for Quirino residents when selecting or deciding upon elective officials to serve in that municipality. Following this, Educational Attainment comes in at Rank 2, with 47 of the 174 respondents selecting it as their top priority. This suggests that the electorate takes educational attainment into consideration as one of the elements that impact how they vote for elected politicians. Religion is so low on the list that it has the least impact on the electorate's ability to vote.
This indicates that respondents chose their officials on the basis of leadership skills. These attributes include command responsibility, being easy to deal with, being honest, having commitment and determination, and having independent decision making. These are the qualities that distinguish an effective and efficient leader from other potential candidates.
According to Smith (2021), voters are increasingly taking into consideration the educational attainment of their local government executives when casting their ballots (p. 15)
Table 4. Respondents' Perception on Factors that Influence to Vote Elective Officials in the Province of Quirino.
No. of
Respondents
Factors Reporting Rank
Age 30 13
Civil; Status 47 7.5
Educational Attainment 78 2
Work Experience 57 4.5
Political Affiliation 57 4.5
Leadership Quality 93 1
Economic Status 31 12
Social Status 47 7.5
Previous Elective Position 38 11
Religion 27 14
Party Affiliation 47 7.5
Administrative Capability 56 6
Popularity 67 3
Intellectual Capacity 45 7.5
The perceptions of the respondents are displayed in Table 5 regarding the
Leadership Qualities that impact the electorate to Vote for Elective Officials.
The table makes it quite evident that honesty, which accounted for 127 occurrences and ranked
first, is the leadership trait that most strongly influences voters' decisions regarding electoral
officials. This indicates that the respondents are opposed to the use of graft and corruption in the process of providing the services. Next to honesty, commitment and dedication of elective officials comprised the frequency of 104 or rank 2, and charisma is the least influential of the leadership attributes that affect electorate voting for elective officials. "Honesty is the best policy," so the proverb goes. The respondents were of the opinion that holding public office is a trust held by the people. At all times, public officials and personnel must be accountable to the people they serve, provide them with the utmost responsibility, honesty, and loyalty, behave with patriotism and fairness, and lead lives that are consistent with their positions. ( article XI section 1 1987 constitution).
This indicates that in accordance with provisions of Republic Act 7550, the Local Government Code, decentralization principles must be followed. The electorate must correctly elect local authorities who are devoted, dedicated, honest and well competent for the delivery of services to be effective and efficient.
According to Althaus & Bridgman ( 2016), honesty is the key leadership quality for effective governance. Similarly, Feldman & Khademian (2018) emphasize the importance of trust and honesty in government leaders in their book on public leadership. Kellerman ( 2018) argues that lack of honesty and transparency in leadership can lead to a breakdown of democracy and public trust. In his article on ethical leadership, brown (2015) highlights how honesty and integrity are essential traits foe ethical government leaders. Finally Kouzes & Posner (2017) discuss honesty as one of the fundamental characteristics of exemplary leaders in their book, The Leadership Challenge.
Table 5 Respondents' Perception on the Leadership Qualities that Influence the Electorate to Vote Elective Officials in the Province of Quirino, .
Number of Respondents
Factors Reporting Rank
Positive will 88 3
Honesty 127 1
Democratic Style 65 5
Dictatorship Style 7 11
Commitment and Dedication 104 2
Administrative Capability 66 4
Work Experience 43 7
Righteousness 26 9
Courage 33 8
Charisma 3 12
Authoritative 14 10
Humility 60 6
DISCUSSION
It is imperative for politicians and other officials in government to have a number of attributes that are associated with effective leadership. To begin, having strong communication skills is absolutely necessary in order to effectively convey ideas and policies to the constituents. In addition, having a strong moral compass and having integrity are both crucial components of making decisions that are both intelligent and conscientious, (Si Ying Tan, 2019) . In conclusion, one of the most important characteristics of a successful political leader is an unwavering dedication to the improvement of society and public service. In addition to being able to effectively solve problems and collaborate with others, the capacity to deliver results and thrive in one's role is one of the most important traits a leader may possess.
Sincerity is an essential characteristic of effective leaders, and it plays a significant part in the process of swaying voter opinion. Leaders that act in an honest manner earn the trust and credibility of their constituents, which enables their constituents to make confident judgments based on the information they have. When leaders are honest and forthright about their views, plans, and actions, they have a better chance of earning the respect and admiration of the people who follow them. Communication that is open, honest, and straightforward between a leader and their constituency makes it simple for those constituents to comprehend the leader's vision, goals, and intentions. They are not afraid to acknowledge their shortcomings, accept responsibility for their behaviors, and actively work toward making apologies. This strategy contributes to the development of a culture of responsibility in which leaders and followers collaborate for the advancement of the organization as a whole.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The following policy recommendations have been put forward for consideration in light of the findings of the study in order to improve the efficiency and performance of local executives in the delivery of critical services. This was done with the intention of improving the effectiveness and performance of local executives. If the Local Government Unit is going to be able to be more responsive in the delivery of basic services, it needs to follow a strategy of maximum local taxes rather than borrowing money or obtaining financial resources from the central government to support the provision of local services. This will allow the LGU to raise more money locally. In addition to this, they need to utilize their strong and effective administrative style while still maintaining a decent leadership style.
Local government officials are expected to receive a master's degree in public administration or a master's degree in business administration, as well as engage in conferences, trainings, and workshops that center on topics such as policy analysis, development administration, economics, and business. In addition, they must pass a background check. They will be able to build and increase their managerial capacities if they follow this course of action.
There are common leadership qualities that one must possess, first would be integrity and trustworthiness - Leaders in the local government unit must be honest, transparent and ethical in their decision-making processes to earn the trust of the residents. Secondly, effective communication skills is a crucial for a leader in a local government unit to convey policy updates, news and respond to issues raised by the community members. Thirdly, vision, a leader should have a clear vision for the community and plan to execute this vision in their tenure.
REFERENCES
[1] Benedetto Trivellato, Laura Mariani, Mattia Martini, Dario Cavenago (2018). Leading knowledge mobilization for public value: The case of the congestion charge zone (Area C) in Milan, Public Administration, 10.1111/padm.12559, 97, 2, (311-324)
[2] David Sweeting, Robin Hambleton (2019). The dynamics of depoliticization in urban governance: Introducing a directly elected mayor, Urban Studies, 10.1177/0042098019827506, (004209801982750)
[3] David Sweeting, Robin Hambleton (2019). The dynamics of depoliticization in urban governance: Introducing a directly elected mayor, Urban Studies, 10.1177/0042098019827506, (004209801982750)
[4] Dula, L., Holmes, M.H., Jacobson, W.S. and Lambright, K.T. (2021), "What she said, what he said: local elected officials' views of effective leadership behaviors", International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-10-2020-0107
[5] Dzordzormenyoh, M.K. (2022), "Effective local government council leadership: reassessing the facilitative model of leadership", International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 229-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-02-2021-0015
[6] Hugh Bochel & Catherine Bochel (2010) Local Political Leadership and the Modernization of Local Government, Local Government Studies, 36:6, 723-737, DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2010.523199
[7] Farmer , Liz . (2016) The Evolving Job Description and Requirements of a CFO. Governing , February . http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-chieffinancial-officer-job-description.html [accessed January 7, 2018]
[8] Francesca Gains, Stephen Greasley, Peter John & Gerry Stoker (2009). The Impact of Political Leadership on Organisational Performance: Evidence from English Urban Government, Local Government Studies, 35:1, 75-94, DOI: 10.1080/03003930802574466
[9] George C. Banks, Krista N. Engemann, Courtney E. Williams, Janaki Gooty, Kelly Davis McCauley, Melissa R. Medaugh ( 2017). A meta-analytic review and future research agenda of charismatic leadership, The Leadership Quarterly, 10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.12.003, 28, 4, (508529).
[10]Huang, Q., Liu, H. & Chu, C. (2021). Effects of Paternalistic Leadership on Quality of Life of Grassroots Officials in China: Mediation Effects of Burnout. Applied Research Quality Life 16, 2113-2130 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-020-09863-w
[11]Si Ying Tan. (2019) Bureaucratic autonomy and policy capacity in the implementation of capitation payment systems in primary healthcare: comparative case studies of three districts in Central Java, Indonesia. Journal of Asian Public Policy 12:3, pages 330-350.
[12]Tommy Firman. (2014) Inter-local-government partnership for urban management in decentralizing Indonesia: from below or above? Kartamantul (Greater Yogyakarta) and Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta) compared. Space and Polity 18:3, pages 215-232.
[13]Tommy Firman. (2013) Territorial Splits (Pemekaran Daerah) in Decentralizing Indonesia, 20002012: Local Development Drivers or Hindrance?. Space and Polity 17:2, pages 180-196.
[14]Mark Sandford, Conceptualizing 'generative power': Evidence from the city-regions of England, Urban Studies, 10.1177/0042098019868104, (004209801986810), (2019).
