An Exploration of Change Leadership at Public Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of mid and lower-level academic leaders in bringing about change readiness in the university. To this end, 180 academic staff were sampled from the five colleges and one institute using a stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using a modified form of the organizational change recipients’ beliefs scale and an adapted change attitude assessment scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using simple linear regression. The analysis of the collected data revealed that change readiness in the university is low and met usually with resistance from the academic staff of the university. Moreover, the relationship between change leadership and change readiness of the academic staff of the university revealed that there is a significant relationship between change leadership and change readiness of the academic staff of the university. Accordingly, the regression coefficient between change leadership and discrepancy, principal support, valence, efficacy, and appropriateness of the change effort was found to be .464, .212, .444, .347, and .202, respectively. Thus, it was recommended that the mid and lower-level leadership of the university as a whole need to work toward improving the change readiness perception of the academic staff of the university. It should also show commitment to the smooth implementation of change tools being implemented in the university and provide adequate material, psychological, training, and other forms of support needed for smooth implementation of change in the universities.