Effectiveness of Village Head Leadership in Improving Community Welfare: A Qualitative Case Study in Mangunsari Village
Keywords:
village head leadership, leadership effectiveness, community welfare, rural governance, qualitative case study, IndonesiaAbstract
Effective leadership at the village level is a critical determinant of rural community welfare, yet evidence from Indonesian village governance remains limited. This study examines the effectiveness of the Mangunsari Village Head's leadership in advancing community welfare through a qualitative case study approach. Data were gathered via semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven purposively selected informants including the village head, two village officials, and four community members complemented by non-participant observation and document analysis. Data were validated using source and method triangulation and analysed through Miles and Huberman’s interactive model (data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing). Findings reveal that leadership effectiveness is shaped by the interplay of seven interconnected factors: leader personality and quality, past experience and expectations, superior’s expectations and behaviour, subordinates’ characteristics and behaviour, task requirements, organisational culture and village policy, and peer expectations and behaviour. The village head’s participatory and transformational leadership style positively contributes to infrastructure development, public service delivery, and community empowerment initiatives. However, declining community participation in the second term indicates the need for renewed leadership responsiveness and adaptive strategies. These findings have practical implications for local governance policy and rural development programmes in Indonesia and comparable developing-country contexts.
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