Leadership style and job satisfaction in higher education institutions

Purpose – Although leadership is found to have impact on the followers’ attitudes and performance there is a gap in leadership studies in HEIs, especially having Lithuania in mind. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of leadership style on job satisfaction of faculty in higher education institutions (HEI). Design/methodology/approach – In order to investigate before mentioned problem, the representative quantitative empirical research was conducted in 2013. It includes 72 faculty members and ten supervisors from Lithuanian public and private universities. The survey was conducted to check how leadership styles of supervisors influence faculty job satisfaction and compare the opinion of supervisors and subordinates. Findings – The empirical research revealed significant positive impact of leadership style on job satisfaction of faculty where servant leadership style has been found to have the highest positive significant impact on job satisfaction of faculty while controlling autocrat leadership style has the lowest impact. Research limitations/implications – There are several implications for further research. It can be expanded whether geographically (e.g. comparative analysis in different countries) or institutionally (e.g. in other educational institutions, such as schools or pre-schools). Practical implications – Practical implications reveal that supervisors have the power to increase the levels of job satisfaction of their faculty members, by defining their role as a leader, demonstrating certain leadership behaviors. Originality/value – This survey covers the area which lacks academic research, namely, the impact of leadership on HEI faculty. Previous leadership studies in HEI focus on particular leadership style demonstrated (van Ameijde, 2009), the impact of leadership on culture (Asmawi et al., 2013), organizational effectiveness (Siddique et al., 2011) and other factors. However, very few of them (one of the examples is the study of Webb, 2009 in USA) investigate the direct managers’ leadership style and faculty job satisfaction. Besides, the previous surveys have not covered as many leadership styles as this one does.

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The influence of organisational culture on leadership style in higher education institutions

Personnel Review ◽

10.1108/pr-08-2018-0280 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 709-732 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Babatunde Akanji ◽

Chima Mordi ◽

Afam Ituma ◽

Toyin Ajibade Adisa ◽

Hakeem Ajonbadi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Leadership Styles ◽

Social Exchange ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Organisational Culture ◽

Cultural Dimensions ◽

Teaching Staff ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of organisational culture (OC) on leadership styles in Nigerian universities. The study utilises the cultural dimensions theory (Hofstede’s insights) and the social exchange concept as theoretical lenses to examine the phenomena. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory qualitative approach, 40 interviews were conducted with senior academics and non-teaching staff working in Nigerian universities. Findings The findings reveal hierarchical, patriarchal, servile, and interdependent values as the underlying characteristics of organisation culture, shaping the choice of leadership styles in the management of Nigerian universities. As a result, it emerged from the study that positional, formalised exchanges, paternalism, relational approach and gendered reactions to leadership were typically adopted in university administration in this context. Research limitations/implications The study relies on a small qualitative sample size, which makes the generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study provides a good understanding of cultural hegemony, framing leadership styles different from those of western cultures. Originality/value The findings of this study help to bridge the research gap concerning the implications of OC, and its influence on leadership behaviours in the Sub-Saharan African context. Research within this subfield in Africa is rare. Specifically, the study also enriches our understanding of cultural dimensions, informing the leadership methods adopted in higher education institutions.

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Embedding employability within higher education for the profession of policing

Higher Education Skills and Work-based Learning ◽

10.1108/heswbl-06-2018-0061 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 319-328

Author(s):

Ian Pepper ◽

Ruth McGrath

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Research Study ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Content Type ◽

Educational Provision ◽

Professional Body ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of an employability module, the College of Policing Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP), on students’ career aspirations, their confidence and wish to join the police along with the appropriateness of the module. This will inform the implementation of employability as part of the College of Policing-managed Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). Design/methodology/approach A three-year longitudinal research study used mixed methods across four points in time to evaluate the impact on students studying the employability module. Findings The research suggests that the employability-focussed CKP was useful as an introduction to policing, it developed interest in the police and enhanced the confidence of learners applying to join. Lessons learnt from the CKP should be considered during the implementation of the PEQF. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalise findings across different groups is limited as other influences may impact on a learner’s confidence and employability. However, the implications for the PEQF curriculum are worthy of consideration. Practical implications As the police service moves towards standardised higher educational provision and evolution of policing as a profession, lessons can be learnt from the CKP with regards to the future employability of graduates. Originality/value Enhancing the employability evidence base, focussing on policing, the research identified aspects which may impact on graduates completing a degree mapped to the PEQF. The research is therefore of value to higher education and the professional body for policing.

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The impact of self-development on the tendency toward organizational innovation in higher education institutions with the mediating role of human resource agility

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/jarhe-05-2020-0151 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Narenji Thani ◽

Ebrahim Mazari ◽

Somaye Asadi ◽

Maryam Mashayekhikhi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Organizational Innovation ◽

The Self ◽

Content Type ◽

Nonacademic Staff ◽

Self Development ◽

Development Approach ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications

PurposeConsidering innovation and its improvement as an essential strategy to enable organizations to continue their lives in the new competitive environment leads to a focus on employees' self-development as a factor that affects human resource agility (HRA) and the tendency toward organizational innovation. Consequently, the purpose of the study was to explain the impact of self-development on the tendency toward organizational innovation with the role of the mediator, HRA in higher education institutions as one of the most important and vital organizations in any society.Design/methodology/approachThe study was an applicable one with the quantitative approach using the descriptive–correlative method. The population consisted of 477 nonacademic employees of Kharazmi University among whom 214 ones were selected as the sample group, using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through the self-development, HRA and the tendency toward organizational innovation questionnaires and then analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach.FindingsThe study findings revealed a positive impact of self-development on the HRA (γ = 0/79) and HRA on the tendency toward organizational innovation (β = 0/6). Also, self-development with mediating HRA impacts the tendency toward organizational innovation (β = 0/58). Finally, self-development had no direct impact on the tendency toward organizational innovation.Research limitations/implicationsTaking the circumstances of doing this research into consideration, if there were the opportunity to do the research on the staffs of more than one university simultaneously and categorize the university staff into executives, managers and experts, more favorable results could be achieved. Also, considering group and organizational factors with the attention to the self-development approach and its factors would provide more awareness-training information on the higher education system in Iran. For future researches, both the individual and group factors are suggested to be surveyed and compared, to assess the weight and impact of these factors all together and to provide an adequate clarification of the role of the group and the organization. Finally, in future studies, it is also recommended that a qualitative approach be used to reach deeper clarifications on the aspects of these variables in the context of higher education.Practical implicationsThese findings have major practical implications concerning the higher educational settings. The findings of this study must give significant and practical insights for policymakers of universities and other higher education stakeholders, as well as recommendations to the academic community for further research in this area. First, they should recognize that nonacademic staff members are professional employees who contribute to improving organizational innovation. Higher education must focus on designing and implementing successful mechanisms and a well-planned self-development program that can help and promote the self-development approach among all staff. If the above-mentioned programs are designed based on the employees' needs analysis, they will get trained in a way to enhance mental and behavioral flexibility. The programs with such an approach can result in the proactive, adaptive, resilient behavior and agility of HR.Originality/valueThe model for this study has integrated and prioritized the key innovation drivers that would help universities design, adopt and implement policies and practices that facilitate and encourage improvements and adaptation to a fast-paced environment. Furthermore, the convincing reason for the significance of the current research is that although several types of research have been carried out on each of these three variables in different contexts separately, very few studies, like this, have directly examined the correlation between these three variables among the non-academic staff in higher education institutes. So, given the importance of the issue and rare availability of evidence in this regard, the authors were intrigued to discover whether the self-development through the mediation of HRA could reinforce and strengthen the tendency toward organizational innovation and whether HRA could be an appropriate mediator of the relationship between self-development and the tendency toward organizational innovation among the nonacademic staff of Kharazmi University as one of the most prestigious and celebrated universities in Iran.

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The effect of leadership style on virtual team efficiency

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-11-2021-0229 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Keyword(s):

Leadership Styles ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Media Richness ◽

Content Type ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Pertinent Information ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications

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Physician leadership style predicts advanced practice provider job satisfaction

Leadership in Health Services ◽

10.1108/lhs-06-2019-0032 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 56-72

Author(s):

Robert S. Guevara ◽

Jared Montoya ◽

Meghan Carmody-Bubb ◽

Carol Wheeler

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Health Care ◽

Transformational Leadership ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Advanced Practice ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Provider Type ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between physician leadership style and advanced practice health-care provider job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A total of 320 advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) in Texas rated their supervising/collaborating physicians’ leadership style using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X Short (Bass and Avolio, 2000) and assessed their own job satisfaction using the Abridged Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall and Hulin, 1969). Regression models tested the relationships between physician leadership styles and several facets of job satisfaction of advanced practice providers while controlling for advanced practice provider age, gender, ethnicity, years of experience, salary level, clinical practice setting, level of physician supervision/collaboration and advanced practice provider type. Findings The results demonstrated that physician transformational leadership accounted for between 4.4 and 49.1 per cent of the variance in job satisfaction depending on the aspect of job satisfaction. Satisfaction with job supervision and satisfaction with job in general were those in which transformational leadership was found to have the most impact, explaining 49.1 and 15.5%, respectively. Demographic variables such as advanced practice provider type, age, years of experience and number of hours per week of physician collaboration/supervision had small but statistically significant associations with job satisfaction. Practical implications Recommendations for physician leadership development focusing on transformational leadership as a way to increase the satisfaction among other providers on health-care teams are discussed. Originality/value This paper examines the impact of supervising/delegating physician leadership style on other nonphysician members of the health-care team, specifically advanced practice health-care providers.

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Communicating science in higher education and research institutions

Journal of Communication Management ◽

10.1108/jcom-06-2019-0094 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 189-205

Author(s):

Thorsten Schwetje ◽

Christiane Hauser ◽

Stefan Böschen ◽

Annette Leßmöllmann

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Online Survey ◽

Organizational Context ◽

Research Institutions ◽

Content Type ◽

Daily Work ◽

Internal Stakeholders ◽

The Impact ◽

Executive Boards ◽

Practical Implications

PurposeThe paper reports on a research project exploring the change in the organizational context of communicators and communication units in higher education and research institutions (HERIs), the importance of informal processes within their daily work and the great diversity of expectations communicators have to tackle.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, a mixed-methods study combining expert interviews with 54 German HERI heads of communication units, an online-survey and a document analysis of organizational characteristics was conducted. Findings were validated in four focus groups.FindingsThe study illuminates the impact of organizational and operational structures of HERIs on communicators and their boundary spanning activities. Due to varying expectations of stakeholders, communicators constantly have to switch roles. Members of HERIs' executive boards affect status and working conditions for communicators in the organization.Research limitations/implicationsInterviews with other HERI actors, especially members of the executive board, are proposed to get more thorough insights into the organizational context of HERIs and the mutual expectations of different internal stakeholders.Practical implicationsInsights from the project may help HERI actors to reflect their organizational context and to identify potentially contentious structures or processes.Originality/valueCommunicating science sometimes clashes with complex organizational and operational structures. Despite the “organizational turn” in HERI research, there is a lack of data on the relation between communicators, their communication units and the larger organizational context. The exploratory study addresses this gap.

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Who’s the boss?

Development in Learning Organizations An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dlo-11-2019-0270 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Keyword(s):

Leadership Styles ◽

Case Studies ◽

Leadership Style ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Reading Time ◽

Charismatic Leadership ◽

Cutting Edge ◽

Content Type ◽

Pertinent Information ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings When it comes to leadership styles, people invariably think of “who” rather than “how.” If, for example, a leader adopts a charismatic style, they then become synonymous with that style, or are compared with someone famous with a similar way of leading, such as Sir Richard Branson. This can be problematic, however, for a number of reasons. Firstly, while Branson has a high media profile and comes across on TV as charismatic, few people know if this is actually his leadership style in the Virgin group of companies he owns. And secondly, what is actually meant by charismatic leadership and what its strengths and weaknesses are get lost in the focus on personality. Practical implications This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

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Increasing employee job satisfaction

Development in Learning Organizations An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dlo-10-2019-0239 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 53-55

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Critical Role ◽

Supervisor Support ◽

Content Type ◽

Employee Job Satisfaction ◽

Work Atmosphere ◽

Pertinent Information ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications

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Testing the effects of job satisfaction on organizational commitment

Journal of Management Development ◽

10.1108/jmd-07-2018-0210 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 525-542

Author(s):

Barooj Bashir ◽

Abdul Gani

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Job Satisfaction ◽

Organizational Commitment ◽

Organizational Support ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Percentage Increase ◽

Content Type ◽

University Teachers ◽

The Impact

Purpose As universities are human capital intensive organizations, practices followed by a university for enhancing the satisfaction of its teachers can be of great help in attracting, retaining and managing highly qualified and competent teachers. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of job satisfaction (JS) on organizational commitment (OC) of university teachers in India. Design/methodology/approach A total of 396 academicians are surveyed to assess the subjects’ responses to JS and commitment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the process of statistical analysis. Findings The results confirmed a significant impact of JS on OC of university teachers in India. With 1 percent increase in estimates of pay and job security (PJS), organizational support (OS) and job challenge (JC), there would be 21, 36 and 49 percentage increase, respectively, in OC of university teachers. Of all the factors of JS, JC is the most significant contributing factor, followed by OC and PJS that help in motivating and retaining the teachers in higher education institutions in India. Research limitations/implications The sample of the study has been chosen from the higher education sector in Northern India, and so it still needs to be explored whether the findings of this study can be replicated in different geographical areas and organizational settings for further verification and generalization. Practical implications Encouraging greater satisfaction among the faculty members may positively influence work-related behaviors, especially commitment among the teachers. The paper may benefit the decision makers in universities to follow the proactive practices to improve the satisfaction and commitment of teachers as educational performance is of priority on the national agenda. Originality/value The study provides useful insights about a JS-OC relationship model and informs the stakeholders on how to create an enabling environment at the policy and practice level that would help in attracting and retaining teachers in universities in India. It contributes to enriching the JS and OC literature in a sector and a country poorly addressed so far in research.

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Feminine? Masculine? Androgynous leadership as a necessity in COVID-19

Gender in Management An International Journal ◽

10.1108/gm-07-2020-0222 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (7/8) ◽

pp. 607-617

Author(s):

Stacy Blake-Beard ◽

Mary Shapiro ◽

Cynthia Ingols

Keyword(s):

Leadership Style ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Leadership Traits ◽

Political Leaders ◽

Content Type ◽

Care Systems ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between leaders’ expressed traits and their impact on their country’s COVID-19 outcomes. Some leaders are over relying on masculine traits and dismissing feminine traits. An alternative – androgynous leadership – supports leaders in drawing from the full portfolio of behaviors. Design/methodology/approach This paper has a theoretical approach using an extensive review of the literature. Findings Leaders can take a number of actions to fully embrace androgynous leadership. These actions include building a diverse “tempered” team, communicating with respect, recognizing the impact of framing and moving from autopilot to realizing their best androgynous self. Research limitations/implications Research limitations include a critique of Bem’s framework as outdated and dichotomous; a categorization of feminine, masculine and neutral behaviors that is determined by the authors; and a focus on leadership style that does not take other dimensions, such as health-care systems, into account. Practical implications The authors propose that an “androgynous” leadership style has been used effectively by some political leaders around the globe in the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 context has provided a laboratory for developing and building competence as androgynous leaders. Social implications The mental capacity to look at a situation, pause and explicitly select effective behavior is necessary, but oftentimes, it is not put into practice. By not drawing from a larger portfolio of androgynous behaviors, the opportunity for leaders to their best work is missed. Originality/value There is an acknowledgement of the benefits of the combination of masculine and feminine leadership traits. There are also clear recommendations supporting leaders in developing their androgynous leadership skills.

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