Assessing the Inter-relationship between Leadership Styles and Good Governance Practices in Puntland: A Case Study of Garowe

Abstract

Effective leadership and good governance are fundamental to fostering sustainable development in least-developed countries like Somalia. The objective of this study was to examine the interrelationship between leadership and good governance in Garowe, Puntland. To this end, mixed-methods research design was employed to achieve the objective of this study. Quantitative data were collected through surveys from 157 government officials, while qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20, with descriptive statistics such as frequencies and techniques like cross-tabulation applied to analyze quantitative data. The quantitative findings, reflecting a gender distribution of 64% male and 36% female respondents, indicating that leadership experiences and governance priorities may differ between male and female officials, while qualitative insights emphasized the critical role of leadership in promoting transparency and accountability, thereby improving governance quality. The research underscores the need for policy interventions to strengthen leadership capacities and governance frameworks, proposing a future research agenda that includes comparative studies across different regions in Puntland to generalize findings and refine strategies for leadership and governance enhancements.