Morale and Performance of Calamba City Jail Manager Towards Strategic Leadership Direction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/jpp.v3i1.8570Keywords:
Correctional Administration, Employee Morale, Job Performance, Leadership Style, Strategic LeadershipAbstract
This study examined the levels of morale and performance of the Calamba City Jail Manager and their This study examined the levels of morale and performance of the Calamba City Jail Manager and their influence on the leadership styles practiced in the jail, with the aim of formulating a strategic leadership direction for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines. A descriptive research design employing a survey method was used. Data were collected online from 40 Jail Non-Commissioned Officers out of 52 personnel assigned to Calamba City Jail, selected through convenience sampling. The researcher-developed instrument was assessed for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, while content validity was established through a one-sample t-test involving 30 non-sample respondents. One-sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to examine differences between expected and practiced levels of morale, performance, and leadership styles. Results revealed statistically significant differences between expected and practiced levels across all four morale dimensions, five performance indicators, and six leadership styles, indicating perceived gaps between ideal expectations and actual managerial practices. Morale and performance were also found to significantly differ across the leadership styles practiced in the jail, highlighting the interrelationship between managerial leadership, employee morale, and performance. Based on these findings, a strategic leadership direction was developed emphasizing clear communication, recognition and appreciation, SMART goal-setting, inter-agency resource sharing, and continuous performance monitoring. The study provides context-specific empirical evidence for strengthening morale-, performance-, and leadership-based management practices in Philippine correctional institutions and offers a preliminary, single-site framework that may be cautiously adapted and be further validated for other BJMP-managed jails in the CALABARZON region. Accordingly, BJMP Calamba City Jail should institutionalize recognition and open-feedback mechanisms, adopt SMART goal-setting and continuous performance monitoring, and strengthen inter-agency resource sharing to address identified gaps in morale, performance, and leadership.
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