Micro-Governance in Action: Assessment of Leadership and Management Styles of Barangay Captains in Conner, Apayao

Abstract

An effective barangay leadership center on transparency, accountability, participatory governance, and strong leadership competencies, with inclusive engagement, continuous training, and the ability to address local challenges being key to building trust and ensuring responsive governance. This study was conducted to assess the leadership and management styles of barangay captains in Conner, Apayao. A combination of quantitative and descriptive techniques was used as research design, and the data were analyzed using percentage and frequency, weighted mean, ranking, spearman rho, fisher’s exact test, and thematic analysis using an adapted survey questionnaire. Results revealed that transformational and democratic leadership styles are most prevalent, reflecting a strong emphasis on participatory governance, strategic planning, and community engagement. Transformational leadership demonstrated the strongest association with planning and decision-making, as well as consistent correlations across all management dimensions, highlighting its effectiveness in resource-constrained environments. In contrast, autocratic and laissez-faire styles showed weak or negligible correlations with management practices, suggesting limited relevance to contemporary barangay governance. Notably, leadership style was found to be independent of length of service, indicating that tenure does not determine leadership orientation. Overall, transformational and democratic leadership strengthen participatory governance and responsive decision-making in barangays. Continuous training and inclusive engagement should be institutionalized to sustain effective and accountable local governance was recommended.