Business Leadership
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Item Effect of Organizational culture on Change Management Practice in Construction and Mining Industry Dealership: In the Case of Ries Engineering Share Company(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Abdissa Mitiku; Worku Mekonnen (PhD)This research explores effect of organizational culture on change management practices, focusing on Ries Engineering Share Company. The study sought to investigate the relationship between the company's capacity to manage change and enhance performance outcomes and the aspects of organizational culture specifically, involvement, consistency, adaptability, and mission. In dynamic business environments, it is critical for organizations undergoing transformation to comprehend this relationship. To find out how organizational culture affects change management directly and indirectly, an explanatory research design was used. Employees were given a structured questionnaire to complete in order to gather quantitative data. A high response rate was obtained from the 100 completed and returned questionnaires out of the 110 that were distributed. SPSS Version 22 was used to analyze the data. Relationships between the variables were investigated using regression analysis, correlation, and descriptive statistics. Additionally, diagnostic tests were used to confirm the linear regression assumptions. The results show that effective change management techniques are strongly positively impacted by specific cultural dimensions, especially mission and adaptability. On the other hand, aspects like Consistency and Involvement yielded inconsistent results, indicating areas where the company could enhance policy coherence and employee participation. The study also found that poor leadership modeling, inconsistent communication, and a lack of training are important issues that impair the change management process and have a detrimental effect on employee engagement and overall organizational performance. The study suggests that Ries Engineering Share Company should improve training, increase employee participation in decision-making, and strengthen leadership accountability in light of these findings. These steps are essential to aligning organizationalculture with sustainable performance goals.Item Factors Determining the Effectiveness of Organizational change in The Case of Zamzam Bank S.C(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Abdulfetah Abdurahman; Fesseha Gebreanania (PhD)This study explores factors determining the effectiveness of organizational change at ZamZam Bank S.C., the first fully licensed interest-free bank in Ethiopia. The purpose is to identify factors influencing employee resistance to change and propose strategies to enhance change adoption. The problem statement highlights that resistance from employees often hampers successful change implementation, driven by fear of the unknown and inadequate communication. The research employs a descriptive and explanatory design, focusing on independent variables such as awareness creation, reward systems, sanctions, training and development, communication, and capacity, with organizational change effectiveness as the dependent variable. Data was collected from 136 employees using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS. Findings reveal that Awareness creation, training, communication, and capacity had a significant and positive impact on organizational change effectiveness, and among the independent variables, training had a high impact on beta, .679. Recommendations include enhancing awareness through comprehensive communication strategies, developing inclusive training programs, and fostering a culture of recognition and positive reinforcement. Establishing a structured feedback mechanism is crucial for improving employee engagement and trust.Item The Effect of Agile Leadership Practices on Innovation Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Change Readiness at Mint(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Abel Million; Wasihun Mohammed (PhD)The focus of this research is to examine the influence of agile leadership practices on innovation behavior at the head quarter ministry of innovation and technology (MInT) of Ethiopia and the moderating role of change readiness. Agile leadership practices, such as team empowerment, collaboration, iterative feedback, continuous learning and transparency are getting high accolades as the driver of innovation behavior in a complex environment. But it is less studied in public organizations, especially in developing countries. By using a quantitative method, data was collected from an accessible population of 105 employees across three sector in MInT HQ using structured questionnaires on google-form. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were used; multiple regression and moderation analyses were performed to investigate the associations among variables. The Findings indicate that the only agile leadership practice having a statistically significant and positive impact on innovation behavior is continuous learning (β = 0.495, p < 0.001). Change readiness substantially moderates the influence of agile leadership practices on innovation behavior and strengthens the effects. Yet, only collaboration did not present a significant interaction effect with readiness for change. The study encourages innovation behavior among the public sector organizations like MINT. The most important factor is for them to drive a culture of continuous learning with high level of change readiness. Recommendations focus on continuous learning efforts, increasing transparency, and developing organizational readiness for change.Item Effect of Leadership style on Employee Engagement: The case of Abyssinia Bank Head Office(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Abera Tilahun; Solomon Markos (PhD)This study highlighted the findings, conclusions, and recommendations generated by the evidence-based analysis of leadership styles' effect on employee engagement at Abyssinia Bank's Head Office. The study was conducted using an explanatory quantitative research approach, cross-sectional survey design, recruitment of 333 sample size (stage 1), and stratified random sampling for selection of appropriate sample based on employees and departments and levels of the Bank organization to classify workers by gender, age and educational attainment. The demographic analysis showed that Abyssinia Bank has a relatively male workforce with 44.3% of employees in the 35-44 age range; there was an overwhelmingly level of educational attainment as 82.6% of employees had a bachelor's degree or higher. The study focused on three leadership styles: Transactional, Transformational, and Servant leadership styles. The research demonstrated that Servant leadership style followed by transactional leadership as the greatest predictor of employee engagement showing employees that they are important and make sense to the bank organization. In contrast, transformational leadership caused a negative effect on employee engagement Overall employee engagement score was rated positively, but the data indicated major opportunities for improvement across the board, especially concerning employees' commitment to the organizational goals. Significant positive relationships exist between leadership styles and employee engagement, showing the role of leadership practices is important. The regression analysis revealed that leadership style accounted for almost 78.1% of the variation in employee engagement. The study recommended socializing transformational leadership, monitoring outcomes while promoting collaboration, commitment to employee development, managing for multi-collinearity, and conducting regular engagement surveys in order to enhance leadership practices, and improving employee engagement, which together should result in increased employee motivation and commitment at Abyssinia Bank.Item The Effect of Leadership Styles on Employee Retention: A Case Study of Tsedey Bank(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Daniel Alemayehu; Bahran Asrat (PhD)Employee retention is a critical issue for organizations, especially within the competitive banking sector in Ethiopia. This study aims to examine the effect of various leadership styles on employee retention at Tsedey Bank. The research focuses on five leadership styles: transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, democratic, and servant leadership, and their influence on employees' decisions to remain with the organization or not. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a total of 246 employees selected through proportionate stratified. The head office and the Addis Ababa District of Tsedey Bank were treated as a separate stratum to ensure fair representation. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis through SPSS V26. The findings reveal that transformational, democratic, and servant leadership styles have a positive and significant effect on employee retention, while laissez-faire leadership has a negative effect. Transactional leadership showed no significant impact. Among the styles, servant leadership had the strongest positive influence on retention. The study concludes that adopting people-focused and participative leadership practices can play a vital role in retaining employees. Based on the results, recommendations are provided to improve leadership development and enhance employee retention at Tsedey Bank. This research adds valuable insights into the role of leadership in staff retention, contributing to both academic understanding and practical human resource strategies in Ethiopia’s banking sectorItem The role of Enterprise Resource Planning System on Organizational Learning: The case of Bunna Bank sc(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Deborah Mathios; Mahir Jibril (PhD)Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have emerged as vital instruments for enhancing operational efficiency and integrating various business functions within contemporary organizations. Nevertheless, their impact on organizational learning is still not thoroughly examined, especially in developing nations. This study investigated the function of ERP systems in promoting organizational learning at Buna Bank, a prominent private commercial bank in Ethiopia. The research concentrated on four primary aspects of learning: knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, decision-making, and adaptability. A descriptive and explanatory research design was utilized, gathering data from 350 employees through structured questionnaires. The analysis was performed using SPSS, applying descriptive statistics, reliability testing, correlation, and regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between ERP usage and organizational learning outcomes. The results indicated that the implementation of ERP significantly facilitated knowledge sharing, aided informed decision-making, and enhanced organizational adaptability. However, obstacles such as insufficient training, system complexity, and inconsistent usage across departments hindered its full potential. The study concludes that while ERP systems provide a robust foundation for organizational learning, their effectiveness relies on user engagement, continuous training, and strategic alignment. This research enhances both theoretical and practical insights into the role of ERP in learning processes and provides recommendations for optimizing ERP utilization in the banking sector of Ethiopia and similar environmentsItem Influence of Leadership Styles on Team Performance in Ethiopian Biomedical and Public Health Institutes(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Dereje Nigussie; Tekelgorgis AssefaThe research topic is to look at how different leadership styles affect the performance of teams within Ethiopian Biomedical and Public Health Institutes. It seeks to understand how transformational, transactional and servant leadership shapes the relationships among team members, their communication and decisions about talent. For data collection a mixed-methods approach has been used to process giving surveys to 198 people and interviewing others to access both types of data. The study shows that using transformational leadership can greatly improve how well a team performs by supporting motivation, trust and teamwork. Moreover, having the right organizational culture and effective ways to communicate influences a lot in determining team success. From these outcomes, we understand the value of training leaders to be flexible and supportive in the workplace which is important for achieving better public health outcomesItem Factors Affecting organizational Commitment of Employees: The Case of Korea Hospital In Addis Ababa(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Emnet Tibebu; Abraraw Chane(PhD)When it comes to maintaining employee retention, job happiness, and overall service quality within healthcare institutions, employee commitment is an essential component that must be present. Located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Korea Hospital is the subject of this study, which explores the primary elements that influence staff commitment. Reward and appreciation, length of working hours, job level, job autonomy, and leadership behavior are the five primary independent factors that are the subject of this research. The research was conducted using a mixed-method approach, with quantitative data being gathered through structured questionnaires from a sample of 230 employees selected through stratified random sampling, and qualitative insights being gathered through interviews. SPSS software was utilized in order to carry out the analysis of the data, which included the utilization of descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. According to the findings, each of the five characteristics has a substantial impact on the level of commitment shown by employees. Notably, the duration of working hours and job autonomy demonstrated the biggest positive influence, with beta values of 0.599 and 0.402 respectively. On the other hand, job level demonstrated a considerable negative impact (-0.777), indicating that there is a need to resolve unhappiness associated to hierarchy. A significant explanatory power was demonstrated by the model, as evidenced by a R value of 0.85 and an R2 value of 0.73. These numbers show that the variables in the model explain 73% of the differences in employee commitment. The report ends with a number of suggestions for hospital management, such as improving reward systems, making work schedules more flexible, encouraging fair opportunities for advancement, and improving leadership skills. To get people to be more committed and to improve the results of healthcare services supplied by private organizations, these improvements need to be put into place.Item The Effect of Leadership Style on Employee’s Job Satisfaction: The Case of Dashen Bank S.C, North Addis Ababa District(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Ermiyas Eylachew; Konjit Hailu(PhD)The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of leadership style on employee’s job satisfaction: the case of dashen Bank. On the literature review, five key leadership styles (Transformational, Transactional, Democratic, servant and Laissez-faire leadership styles) are identified as independent variables. The study used descriptive and explanatory research design and adopted a quantitative research approach. Data is collected through a self-administered questionnaire from sample employees of 230 that were selected from north Addis Ababa district of the bank using convince and simple random sampling technique. The collected data analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v27) software. The relationship between the independent variables (Leadership styles) and dependent variable (employee’s job satisfaction) is proven by using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The dominant leadership style practiced in the bank is transformational leadership followed by Transactional, Democratic, servant and Laissez-faire leadership styles. The finding also revealed that except Laissez-faire leadership style which has positive but insignificant effect on employee’s job satisfaction the other four leadership style namely, Transformational, Transactional, Democratic and Servant leadership styles have a strong association, significant and positive effect on employee’s job satisfaction at dashen Bank. Following the finding the study recommended that the bank's management should apply more of the four leadership style other than Laissez-faire leadership style as needed in order to increase employee’s job satisfactionItem Effects of leadership styles on employees’ performance: the case of Berhan Bank S.C.(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Esey Yonas; Teklegiorgis Assefa (PhD)This study examines the effects of leadership styles on employee performance in Berhan Bank S.C Addis Ababa two city branches and Head office departments. The study followed explanatory type of research design and descriptive survey method of quantitative research approach used. Simple random sampling technique was used in order to select the samples from the total population, 50 samples were selected and questionnaires were distributed. Both descriptive and inferential analysis was conducted. The regression analysis shows a strong relationship between leadership styles and employee performance, explaining about 63.3% of the variance (R² = 0.633). Transactional leadership is the most influential (Beta = 0.512, p < 0.001), significantly improving employee performance. Transformational leadership also positively affects performance (Beta = 0.263, p < 0.028). In contrast, laissez-faire leadership insignificant negative impacts on performance (Beta = -0.152, p = 0.165). The bank should prioritize the implementation of transformational leadership practices to enhance employee performance and motivationItem The effects of workforce diversity on Employees’ Job performance in Ethiopian Airlines Group(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Esmael Hamid; Dereje Abi (PhD)The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between workforce diversity (including gender, ethnicity, and religion) with individual employee performance at Ethiopian Airlines Group, MRO Division. I have selected only these three variables from many work force diversity variables since they are the most determinant ones on employee performance to the researcher assumptions. To meet its purpose, primary data was collected from 308 randomly (simple random sampling) selected employees working at Ethiopian Airlines Group, MRO Division, through closed ended questionnaire. The study used both descriptive and explanatory research designs. Descriptive design was used to describe the collected data by using descriptive statistics techniques. The explanatory design was set to test cause and effect relationship between workforce diversity and Employee performance. The data was analyzed through quantitative approach of descriptive statics (frequencies, percentages, number. maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics such as linear regression to determine the association between the effect of work force diversity and employee job performance.The finding of this study can be concluded that the performance of employees working in Ethiopian Airlines is influenced significantly by their gender, ethnic and religious diversity. It isrecommended that the organization needs to do more in diversifying the workforce in terms of gender, ethnicity, and religion to acquire lots of skill, knowledge and attitude and to increaseemployees’ job performance.Item Factors Affecting Consumers’ Adoption of Virtual Banking (In case of bank of Abyssinia)(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Abel Kefale; Teklegiorgis Assefa (PhD)This study sought to investigate the factors influencing consumer adoption of virtual banking. Quantitative research approach was utilized, which included surveys and data analysis. To attain representativeness by non-random sampling, a convenience sampling approach was employed with a sample size of 384 individuals. Data was gathered via an online survey questionnaire delivered via Google Forms and dispatching questionnaire via paper. A model based unified theory on acceptance and use of technology was developed to link the key variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. This study identified Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), and Habit (HB) as critical factors that significantly influence customer adoption of virtual banking. The study also identified facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation and price value have no a significant impact on the adoption of virtual banking. These research findings could be useful for virtual banking service providers, legislators, researchers, technology developers, and financial institutions alike. Understanding the individual elements that drive consumer adoption of virtual banking can help lead the creation of effective tactics to promote its use and expedite the wider adoption of virtual banking technology.Item The Impact of Work-Life Balance Factors on Job Performance: A Study of Women in Leadership Roles in Ethiopia’s Insurance Sector(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Friehiwot Abebe; Mahir Jibril (PhD)This study examines the influence of work-life balance (WLB) elements on the job performance of women in senior positions within Ethiopia's insurance industry. This research examines how five particular factors—leave rules, flexible working hours, employee assistance programs, marital status, and career level—impact job performance amid increasing demands on female leaders to reconcile professional and domestic responsibilities. A quantitative methodology was employed to gather data from 104 female leaders within five prominent insurance firms in Addis Ababa. The analysis utilised descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression methods. Research indicates that leave policies and flexible work schedules significantly enhance job performance, underscoring the significance of organisational support systems. Nonetheless, a notable and unforeseen finding is the adverse and statistically meaningful impact of marital status on job performance, suggesting that married women in leadership positions encounter greater challenges in managing obligations than predicted. Moreover, employee assistance programs—despite being deemed essential—exhibited no statistically significant effect, indicating potential implementation deficiencies or restricted accessibility. The model explained 72% of the variance in job performance, demonstrating substantial explanatory power. These findings underscore the pressing necessity for customised and inclusive work-life balance solutions in Ethiopia’s insurance sector to improve female leadership efficacy and career advancement.Item Factors Affecting Employee Engagement: The case of the National ID Program, Ethiopia (NIDP)(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Gelila Atenafu; Adane Atara (PhD)Employee engagement significantly influences the success of large-scale public initiatives such as Ethiopia's National ID Program (NIDP), which requires a highly motivated workforce to achieve its ambitious enrollment and service delivery goals. This study quantitatively assessed the primary factors impacting employee engagement among 109 staff members at NIDP headquarters in Addis Ababa. Structured questionnaires administered through stratified random sampling evaluated four critical areas: internal communication, reward and recognition, empowerment, and co-worker relationships. A descriptive-correlational, quantitative design was used. A full-population census was possible because there are only 140 employees in total; 90 usable questionnaires were returned, representing a 64% response rate. Along with the Utrecht three-dimensional engagement scale (Vigour, Absorption, Dedication), the survey used five-point Likert scales to measure communication, empowerment, reward and recognition, and workplace relationships. Expert review, factor analysis, and pilot testing (n = 10) were used to confirm the validity of the instrument; reliability coefficients ranged from α =.78 to.88. Using descriptive summaries, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression with comprehensive diagnostic checks (Shapiro-Wilk, Breusch-Pagan, VIF, and Ramsey RESET), all statistics were performed in Stata 15. Results indicated that clear and effective internal communication and empowering practices were positively correlated with higher levels of employee engagement. Conversely, inadequate reward and recognition mechanisms were identified as key factors negatively affecting morale, employee motivation, and retention.Item "Assessment of Leadership Practices in Change Management": Insights from Bank of Abyssinia(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Kaleb Worku; Adane Atara (PhD)This study explores the leadership strategies applied during organizational change initiatives at the Bank of Abyssinia’s Bole Sub-City branches in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Adopting a descriptive mixed-method approach, the research aims to provide a practical and context-based understanding of how five core leadership practices clear communication, creating a sense of urgency, empowering employees, leading by example, and aligning organizational culture with change are perceived and implemented in a real-world banking environment. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 208 clerical employees, while qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured interviews with five branch-level managers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey data, complemented by thematic analysis of interview responses. To enhance internal comparison without compromising the descriptive focus, a Friedman test was conducted to identify statistically significant differences in how the five leadership practices were perceived by employees. Findings indicate that while leadership practices are generally present, clear communication and empowerment were perceived as significantly less emphasized compared to culture alignment, urgency creation, and role modeling. Qualitative data reinforced these patterns and revealed systemic challenges such as delayed communication, limited managerial autonomy, and inconsistent leadership behaviors. The study highlights the importance of contextualized leadership practices in shaping effective change and provides practical recommendations for improving leadership engagement at the operational level. The research contributes to the limited body of empirical literature on leadership and change management in Ethiopia’s financial sector and offers a methodological approach that blends descriptive analysis with non-parametric inference to deepen insight without assuming causality.Item The effect of leadership style in prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ethiopia(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Kassaye Tekie; Seifu Mamo (PhD)The research paper explores the effect of the leadership style on the performance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) prevention in Ethiopia. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to understand the effect of leadership style on AMR prevention in Ethiopia. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between transformational leadership and AMR prevention performance, with r (42) = 0.399, p = 0.009. Like the transformational leadership, participative leadership demonstrated the strongest influence on AMR prevention performance, with a Pearson correlation of r (42) = 0.414, p = 0.006. In the regression analysis, participatory leadership emerged as significant predictor of AMR performance with a standardized beta coefficient of β = 0.468 followed by transformational leadership and transactional leadership with a standardized beta coefficient of β = 0.411 and β = 0.18 respectively. The autocratic and laissez-faire leadership styles have no positive and significant relationship with the AMR prevention performances. The regression model revealed that leadership styles explains 40.3 % of the AMR prevention performance. These values indicate transformational and participative leadership styles play a significant role in driving AMR prevention in Ethiopia. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for adaptive leadership to combat AMR effectively.Item Effect of Corporate governance Practices on Minority Shareholders’ Right: A Case of Awash Bank(Addis Ababa University, 2025-08) Lalisa Feyissa; Teklegiorgis Assefa (PhD).Different scholars have examined the significance of corporate governance practices in promoting the development and protection of investors. Although these researchers contributed a lot to this matter, the researcher believed that more attention should be given to minority shareholders. To fill this gap, this study was conducted. The study aimed to examine the effect of corporate governance practices on minority shareholders' rights at Awash bank. A quantitative research approach and convenience data collection method were applied in the study. From the total population of 300 minority shareholders, 172 were sampled by Yamane’s sampling technique, and primary data was collected from 150 respondents of minority shareholders of Awash bank using a structured questionnaire. Both correlation and regression were conducted to analyze the data. Using SPSS software, the multivariate multiple linear regression model was used to examine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The finding indicated that corporate governance practices have a positive and significant effect on the rights of minority shareholders. Hence, the researcher recommended that Awash bank should enhance its corporate governance practices like fairness, independence, and transparency to ensure the rights of minority shareholders. Finally, since the concept of minority shareholders' rights is a broad term, the researcher focused only on the right to protection from abusive actions, the right to accessibility to relevant information, and the right to participation in general meetings. Therefore, the researcher argued the importance of future research on other areas of minority shareholders' rights that this study did not coverItem Scalable Business Models for Solar Milk Cooling in Rural Ethiopia: - A Case Study of Denkaka Cooperative to Support adoption and Sustainability(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Lijalem Eshetu; Bahren Asrat (PhD)Post-harvest milk spoilage remains a significant barrier to dairy sector growth in Ethiopia, where smallholder farmers lack access to reliable cold chain infrastructure. Solar Milk Cooling (SMC) technologies offer a renewable energy-based solution to this challenge, yet their adoption and scalability remain limited. This research investigates how a sustainable and scalable business model for SMC can be developed and implemented within Ethiopia’s unique socio-economic and geographic context. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on surveys (n=178) and qualitative interviews across smallholder farmers, cooperative members, and institutional stakeholders. The findings highlight widespread milk spoilage (10–30% loss), strong interest in SMC, and key barriers such as high capital cost, limited financing, and technical support gaps. Leadership within cooperatives and stakeholder collaboration emerged as critical enablers. The study proposes a cooperative-based, service-oriented business model grounded in the Business Model Canvas framework, supported by tailored financing, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. The results offer strategic recommendations for policy makers, development partners, cooperatives, and the private sector. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on renewable energy for agriculture and provides a practical roadmap for scaling SMC in Ethiopia by aligning technology, cooperative governance, and financing to the country’s rural dairy ecosystemItem Adaptive resilient Leadership, Challenges, and opportunities: The case for Ethiopian Airlines(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Mael Habte; Adane Atra (PhD)The global airline industry functions within a high-risk, rapidly changing environment where external shocks—ranging from pandemics and geopolitical tensions to technical failures—demand agile and resilient leadership. Two critical disruptions in the past decade—the COVID-19 pandemic and the Boeing 737 MAX grounding—caused widespread operational and reputational damage across the industry. Ethiopian Airlines, facing both crises firsthand, emerged as a unique case of resilience by not only maintaining operational continuity but also strategically adapting its business model. These dual disruptions—public health and technical—offered an ideal lens through which to explore adaptive leadership in real-world, high-stakes settings (Makoni, 2021; IATA, 2020; BBC, 2019). This study investigates how adaptive resilient leadership is practiced within Ethiopian Airlines in response to systemic crises. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, while the 737 MAX crisis—following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302—demanded strong institutional response and stakeholder communication. Examining both events allowed for a multidimensional understanding of leadership under pressure, combining emotional, strategic, and operational challenges unique to African carriers. To explore this, the study employed a qualitative case study design, which is suitable for understanding human behavior and leadership within context (Yin, 2018). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews until saturation was reached, ensuring no new themes emerged and data collection was sufficient for thematic rigor (Guest, Bunce, 2 & Johnson, 2006). Thematic analysis using an inductive approach revealed recurring patterns of decision-making agility, cross-departmental collaboration, and systems thinking. The findings show that adaptive resilient leadership at Ethiopian Airlines is not a fixed model but a dynamic, culturally embedded practice. Leaders responded to rapidly changing events through decentralization, moral clarity, operational improvisation, and institutional learning. These behaviors align with Duchek’s (2020) conceptualization of resilience as a capability to anticipate, absorb, and adapt to disruptions. This research addresses a critical gap in leadership literature by presenting a non-Western, empirical case of organizational resilience in the aviation sector. It reinforces the importance of systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and contextual agility for leaders operating in resource-constrained, high-pressure environments. The study recommends integrating resilience into formal leadership development, improving strategic flexibility, and codifying crisis playbooks within African aviation institutions.Item The Effect of Strategic Leadership on organizational Performance: In the case of Ethiopian Airlines(Addis Ababa University, 2025-09) Mahlet Debebee; Wasihun Mohammed (PhD)The objective of this research. is to examine strategic leadership and its effect on the organizational performance of Ethiopian Airlines. The research employs a quantitative approach with a descriptive-explanatory design that combines both descriptive and explanatory methods. A random sampling method was used to select the sample, resulting in 240 distributed questionnaires and 200 valid responses. The data analysis was conducted in two parts: descriptive analysis addressed the first research question, while regression analysis covered the remaining questions. The descriptive analysis reveals that strategic intent and vision, strategic ownership tendency, and human capital elicited a favorable response regarding current organizational performance. However, innovation received the highest level of disagreement. In the regression analysis, the correlation for organizational performance is significant at an 88% confidence level, while it ranges between 61% and 87% for the other variables. Strategic ownership tendency and human capital have a correlation confidence level varying from 79% to 98%, both positively correlating with the dependent variable. Conversely, the independent variable innovation demonstrated an insignificant and negative correlation with the dependent variable, at a confidence level of 89%. Additionally, a hypothesis test using beta coefficients indicated that strategic intent and vision, strategic ownership tendency, and human capital had a positive and significant effect on the organizational performance of Ethiopian Airlines, with P-values greater than 0.05 and beta coefficient values of 0.111, 0.216, and 0.320, respectively. In contrast, the independent variable innovation exhibited a negative and insignificant effect on the dependent variable organizational performance, with a P-value less than 0.05 and a beta coefficient value of -0.110. The findings of this study provide decision-makers with insights for improvement, particularly regarding variables that show a negative correlation, such as innovation. Additionally, management at Ethiopian Airlines should actively invest in fostering a culture of innovation within the organization. This can be achieved by implementing comprehensive awareness programs and training sessions that emphasize the importance of innovation in the workplace. Equipping employees with the necessary skills and resources will empower them to think creatively and contribute to the airline's growth.