Leadership style and higher education performance: A bibliometric analysis of research trends and evolution

The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital transformation in enhancing institutional performance within higher education institutions, by exploring its role in improving the quality of educational and administrative services and strengthening decision‑making efficiency. A descriptive–analytical methodology was adopted, drawing on a wide range of relevant Arabic and international books and scholarly studies addressing digital transformation and institutional performance in higher education. The findings indicate that digital transformation constitutes a strategic pillar for advancing institutional performance, as it contributes to improving service quality, facilitating access to information, enhancing governance and transparency, and increasing responsiveness to rapid changes in the educational environment. The study further reveals that the success of digital transformation depends on several key factors, most notably: the availability of adequate digital infrastructure, the level of digital awareness and readiness among academic and administrative staff, strong leadership support, and the adoption of an organizational culture that embraces change and innovation. Conversely, higher education institutions face a number of challenges that may diminish the impact of digital transformation, including limited funding, insufficient technical competencies, resistance to change, and weak integration among digital systems. Based on these findings, the study recommends increasing investment in digital infrastructure, developing the digital competencies of human resources, formulating comprehensive digital policies and strategies, and adopting an integrated set of key performance indicators to monitor and evaluate the impact of digital transformation on institutional performance in higher education institutions.

Purpose: This research aimed to uncover the role of leadership style in the performance of higher education institutions (H.E.I.s) in Zambia. Methodology: The study utilized a positivist philosophy and collected data randomly and using a census from various University leadership cross sectionally. Using ninety-seven self-administered questionnaires where sixty-nine questionnaires were collected representing a response rate of 71.11%. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to explain the Performance of H.E.I.s and uncover the relationship between performance and leadership style. Findings: The most utilized leadership styles in H.E.I.s are transactional and transformational. Laissez-faire leadership was rarely used, with a higher utility in public universities where this mode of leadership was significantly correlated with research. The order of performance in descending order in H.E.I.s is teaching, size, prestige, impact, internationalization, and research. As mentioned earlier, inspirational motivation and contingent reward had weak to moderate significant positive correlation with performance. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The research only focused on leadership style as a predictor of performance. Additionally, the research cannot be generalized as few Universities, both private and public, were part of the target population. The leaders in public and private universities should focus on inspirational motivation and contingent reward aspects of transactional and transformational leadership to improve underperforming performance areas, except for prestige in improving performance. This will increase the number of enrollment of students.

Purpose Sustainable marketing, which emerged as the third development phase of green marketing, evolved from the economics of sustainable development. It is defined as a simultaneous balanced approach that incorporates and integrates economic, environmental and social goals, while meeting the needs of all stakeholders and respecting the needs of future generations. Such an approach is considered an obligation, rather than an option, and it represents the focus of this doctoral dissertation. In our post-industrial society, highly-educated human resources and knowledge are the most valuable resources and the key prerequisites for the economic development, prosperity and well-being of each individual and of the society as a whole. Therefore, the traditional role of higher education and its institutions has become more important, and this in turn determines great challenges as these institutions are considered the essence of intellectual, cultural, social and technological development of the community (Meštrović, 2017), the fundamental lever and spitirus movens for sustainable development of the society as a whole. Existing research in the field of sustainable marketing is predominantly focused on forprofit sector, while a further extensive and comprehensive literature review identified the lack of research addressing sustainable marketing in the context of public sector, including the higher education sector and public higher education institutions. In order to address the identified research gap and follow the relevant research recommendations, the basic objectives of this dissertation were defined as follows: (1) to investigate and design a systematic and comprehensive critical account of the existing theoretical knowledge in the field of sustainable marketing, (2) to develop and test a conceptual model aimed at measuring the impact of sustainable marketing in higher education, defined by three dimensions: promotion and education for sustainable development, sustainable marketing activities and implementation benefits, on higher education performance, assessed by service quality and success in achieving the multiple objectives of higher education institution, and (3) to test the proposed hypotheses. Methodology To achieve the empirical objectives of the study, a two-stage approach was adopted. The comprehensive literature review was followed by exploratory primary research suitable to explore the attitudes and perceptions of key stakeholders on sustainable marketing and its application in higher education institutions, using a developed measurement instrument to capture attitudes and perceptions toward manifest forms of sustainable marketing in higher education. The research was conducted using a pre-tested online questionnaire on a purposive sample of experts, where 104 valid and complete responses from selected stakeholders related to higher education were received. Qualitative analysis was conducted using the Hotjar online numerical coding and content analysis application (Hotjar Ltd., 2014-2019) to gain insight into higher education stakeholders’ perceptions and understanding of the concept and the importance of sustainable marketing. Quantitative analysis of the collected data was then conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 23.0) programme to determine the dimensionality, validity and reliability of the measurement instrument. Subsequently, the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was applied to determine the manifest variables of the construct (Mejovšek, 2013), with the aim of distinguishing its fundamental factors, since the factor structure was not already known from previous studies. The multidimensional structure of the proposed measurement instrument of sustainable marketing in higher education (Meštrović et al., 2021) and the unidimensional structure of the developed measurement instrument for the multiple objectives of higher education institutions were determined, to be used in the main study. Following pilot testing, the primary quantitative empirical main study was conducted as in the previous exploratory study, using an anonymous Google Forms online questionnaire between May 10 and May 30, 2019. Using a convenience sample in addition to a snowball sampling to reach a wider range and larger number of higher education stakeholders, a total number of 12.317 respondents approached the questionnaire. Since all survey questions were mandatory, the number of completed questionnaires without missing values reached 2.189, and after the data cleaning, 146 questionnaires were excluded due to the inconsistencies in responses, illogical responses and responses with often extreme or same answers through a series of posed questions. Finally, the total number of 2.043 respondents, consisting of 1.663 (81,40 %) students and 380 (18,60 %) other higher education stakeholders as per the screening question, resulted in a response rate of 16,59 %, which was found to be adequate as similar studies have yielded an average response rate of 15 % (Malhotra & Birks, 2000; Ivy, 2008). The sample was described using descriptive statistical analysis, which was also used to evaluate the constructs’ items’ mean scores and coefficients of kurtosis and skewness. To explore the research question if there are differences in mean scores between the two observed samples, the Mann-Whitney U-test for independent samples was used to determine the presence of statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the variables of the sustainable marketing in higher education construct. Finally, two structural models were developed for both observed samples. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to evaluate both structural models and to test the proposed relationships between their constructs. Findings The results of the descriptive statistical analysis demonstrate that respondents in both samples (i.e. students and other stakeholders) rated all dimensions of sustainable marketing in higher education institution (i.e. promotion and education for sustainable development, sustainable marketing activities and implementation benefits) with relatively high average scores. Students evaluated the performance of higher education institution’s by evaluating the perceived service quality ( = 4,43) and other higher education stakeholders by rating the perceived success in achieving the multiple objectives of higher education institution ( = 4,86). The Mann-Whitney U-test for independent samples demonstrates that only 17,65 % or 6 out of the total 34 variables of sustainable marketing in higher education construct are not statistically and significantly different in the mean scores between students and other higher education stakeholders, thus confirming the hypothesis H2 There are statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the sustainable marketing in higher education measurement construct’s items between students and other higher education stakeholders. The Confirmative Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted as recommended by Hair et al. (2010) to confirm the factor structures of the underlying latent variables proposed by EFA. The three-dimensional structure of the Sustainable Marketing in Higher Education construct was confirmed and yielded satisfactory results (χ² = 23286,275, df = 1048,000, p = 0,000, CFI = 0,902, NFI = 0,801, TLI = 0,830, SRMR = 0,079). The CFA results of the adapted Service Quality instrument did not show a satisfactory fit as a multidimensional construct developed in previous research (Štimac & Leko Šimić, 2012; Barilović et al., 2013; Leko Šimić & Štimac, 2013), but yielded acceptable measures as the unidimensional construct (χ² = 5869,980, df = 90,000, p = 0,000, CFI = 0,917, NFI = 0,916, TLI = 0,862, SRMR = 0,039), as well as the unidimensional construct Achievement of Multiple Objectives of Higher Education Institution (χ² = 1068,611, df = 89,000 p = 0,000, CFI = 0,907, NFI = 0,804, TLI = 0,813, SRMR = 0,061). The obtained CFA results defined the framework for model development. Accordingly, two structural models were developed for both observed samples. The reliability and validity of both models were confirmed, as was hypothesis H1, which states that Sustainable Marketing in Higher Education is the multidimensional higherorder construct. Finally, the research findings confirmed the statistically significant positive impact of sustainable marketing in higher education on the performance of the higher education institution as assessed by service quality and success in achieving the multiple objectives of the higher education institution, thus confirming the hypotheses H3 There is statistically significant direct positive impact of sustainable marketing on higher education institution’s performance, perceived as service quality (ß = 0,406, t-value = 22,335, p = 0,000), and H4 There is statistically significant direct positive impact of sustainable marketing on higher education institution’s performance, perceived as success in achieving the multiple objectives of the higher education institution (ß = 0,141, t-value = 6,412, p = 0,000).

This paper aims to propose a quality assessment model for higher education institutions in the technical–technological field and a system for decision support and optimal management strategies for quality improvement. Obtaining research results is based on surveying stakeholders in higher education and obtaining quantitative data regarding key performance indices. Quantitative data and the genetic algorithm method are applied to determine optimal management strategies for quality improvement. Quality in the higher education sector is among the current issues in the academic community. By monitoring and researching the higher education field and analysing the literature and the current situation in the system of higher education in developing countries, it can be concluded that there is no single way to assess the quality of higher education institutions. This knowledge was a good starting point for the research presented in this paper. Accordingly, the findings include developing a system for quality assessment and the ranking of higher education institutions. Additionally, evaluating the relevance of key performance indicators of higher education institutions differs from different stakeholder perspectives. However, it is possible to develop a system for decision support and the selection of the optimal strategy for improving the performance of study programs and higher education institutions with regard to quality. The practical implications include defining a decision support system that enables the adoption of optimal decisions by the management teams of higher education institutions to improve study programs and the performance of the higher education institutions. The presented system may enable the benchmarking, simulation, and verification of different scenarios for improving the quality and performance of higher education institutions. In this paper, the authors analysed the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of different ranking systems to develop and introduce a novel ranking system that suggests weights for the ranking criteria and different perspectives regarding new digital age requirements. The model was tested, and the results are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the developed model. The originality of the research lies in the presented novel model that can be made available to government institutions and serve as a basis for the overall ranking and evaluation of higher education institutions, with the possibility of developing a performance-based funding system. Additionally, other stakeholders can gain an insight into the performance of an institution in relation to their needs and goals.

This research aims to examine the determinants of service performance in higher education institutions on student perceptions. This research uses Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in determining the factors. The construct is built based on the literature on service performance and higher education. Data were collected using a questionnaire to a state university with legal entity students in Bandung. The results indicate that there are seven determinants of service performance, namely reliability, assurance, tangibles, responsiveness, access, and reputation. The total variance of these factors is 65.7 percent, which means that the seven factors determine 65.7 % of service performance in higher education in Indonesia, and 34.3% is defined by other factors that are not examined in this research. The results of this study contribute to the literature on service performance factors in higher education in Indonesia. The factors can be used as a reference by higher education institutions to improve service quality in all aspects

The leadership, culture and performance are indispensable in determining development and success of organizations. However, due to its significant role in socio-economic evolution, this assessment requires further attention in context of higher education institutions (HEIs). Current research aimed to examine the effects of heads of departments (HODs) leadership styles (transactional & transformational) on teachers’ performance. Moreover, this study sought to evaluate mediating effect of organizational culture in bridging the gap between leadership styles and teachers’ performance in HEIs hailing from the southern region, KP province Pakistan. Thus, primary data was collected over dyad questionnaires from heads of departments, and teachers from selected institutions. The data were evaluated using a variety of statistical tools that are correlation (to determine association), and mediation (role of organizational culture). Findings indicate positive correlation, and partial mediation. The findings of this study, consequently, advocate that the policymakers and researchers might opt for leadership styles that are best-suited and vital for the culture and performance of the institutions.

Purpose: Sustained volatility has worse affected, again, the already, noteworthy decline in the financial performance of Libya’s higher education system since the year 2011. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual frame work that would help in understanding the factors that affects the financial position of Libyan university. Design/Methodology/Approach: The intended study will adopt a quantitative research approach and data collection tool for the study will be through a questionnaire survey. The participants of the sample will be the people occupying the positions of directors of the Office of Administrative and Financial Affairs, chiefs and senior managers of financial departments, accountants, auditors, and other officials engaged in financial administration. All the information collected from the survey shall be tested by structural equation modeling (SEM) in the AMOS program. Findings: This study significantly advances our understanding of how organizational culture, knowledge management, and intellectual capital impact the financial performance of higher education institutions in Libya. The findings provide actionable insights and tools for financial stakeholders, policymakers, and decision-makers to enhance financial performance within these institutions effectively. Implications/Originality/Value: This study aims to address the existing gaps in the present literature on organizational culture, knowledge management, intellectual capital, and their influence on financial performance in higher education. The study's results will have practical ramifications for financial professionals, regulators, and stakeholders, providing useful insights and methods to improve the financial performance of Libyan higher education institutions

Transformational leadership refers to a leadership style that aims to inspire and motivate followers to exceed their own self-interests for the sake of the organization and achieve exceptional outcomes. In the context of increasing demands for improved faculty performance in higher education, the relationship between transformational leadership, psychological contract, and faculty performance in higher education institutions remains an active area of academic research. This study focuses on the mediating role of the psychological contract among faculty members in higher education institutions in Shandong Province, exploring the impact of transformational leadership on faculty performance. This study is a quantitative study that used a convenience sampling method to conduct a survey, recruiting 755 faculty members from various higher education institutions across Shandong, China. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, and the results indicated that transformational leadership significantly enhances faculty members’ psychological contract, consequently improving their performance levels. Moreover, the study revealed that the psychological contract is a key mechanism through which transformational leadership enhances faculty performance, primarily by fostering a higher sense of psychological contract fulfillment among educators. These insights underscore the crucial role of transformational leadership practices and the cultivation of a strong psychological contract in enhancing faculty performance in the higher education sector. The study advocates for the adoption of transformational leadership strategies by higher education administrators, coupled with concerted efforts to forge and sustain a meaningful psychological contract within faculties, as a means to bolster faculty performance.

PurposeThis study aims to experimentally evaluate the effects of strategic planning and financial system management on the performance of higher education institutions. Additionally, it examines how financial system management mediates the relationship between strategic planning and organizational performance in higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative approach. Offline and online questionnaires were distributed to academic staff at private universities in Indonesia to gather data for hypothesis testing. The SPSS macro was used to analyze responses from 249 participants and assess the proposed associations.FindingsThe findings indicate that strategic planning and financial system management have a direct impact on institutional performance. Strategic planning exerts a significant and positive influence on financial system management. Furthermore, financial system management serves as a significant mediating variable in the relationship between strategic planning and organizational performance.Practical implicationsTo effectively implement quality management in higher education, administrators must recognize the distinct roles of strategic planning and financial system management in improving organizational performance. To achieve optimal performance, higher education institutions must allocate resources to establish robust strategic planning and financial management practices.Originality/valueAlthough numerous studies have explored the relationship between strategic planning and organizational performance in higher education, research on financial system management in this context remains limited. This study is among the first to adopt a multidimensional approach to both strategic planning and financial system management in higher education, providing insights into their interdependence and practical significance for institutional leaders.

Introduction/Main Objectives: This research explores Dynamic Adaptive Capability to achieve Team Performance in higher education institutions, focusing on the challenges posed by a rapidly changing global environment. The study emphasizes the importance of dynamic adaptability as a mediating variable, connecting Authentic Leadership and Justice Climate as key elements influencing Team Performance. Background Problems: The main question of this research is whether Authentic Leadership improves Team Performance through Dynamic Adaptive Capability. The urgency of this research in Indonesia's higher education context is critical, considering that the ever-changing global environment demands rapid and effective adaptation to remain competitive and relevant. Novelty: Empirical evidence explaining how Authentic Leadership can improve Team Performance in Indonesian higher education still needs to be explored. Therefore, research that finds this mechanism is still required and adds Dynamic Adaptive Capability as a mediator. Research Methods: This research collected a survey of the Head of the Study Program as a team representative, used purposive sampling, and utilized AMOS SEM analysis to test the hypothesis. Finding/Results: The research shows that Authentic Leadership positively impacts Dynamic Adaptive Capability and Team Performance. Meanwhile, Justice Climate has no relationship with Team Performance but positively impacts Dynamic Adaptive Capability. Dynamic Adaptive Capability positively mediates Authentic Leadership and Team Performance while negatively mediating Justice Climate and Team Performance. Conclusion: In addition to supporting several hypotheses, this research also highlights the complex and diverse nature of these relationships, prompting recommendations for strategic planning and further investigation to deepen our understanding of the dynamics in organizational environments.

This study aims to analyze transformational leadership in shaping institutional performance in higher education, based on Bernard M. Bass's perspective integrated with spiritual values and local wisdom. The approach used is a qualitative case study type, where data is collected through interviews, observations, and documentation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques based on the Miles and Huberman model, which allows the identification of key themes related to transformational leadership practices. The results of the study indicate that the application of transformational leadership that integrates cultural and spiritual values can increase the motivation and involvement of lecturers and staff while contributing to improved academic performance. Through five main dimensions, namely idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and cultural-spiritual synergy, this study proves that this approach is able to encourage increased institutional performance in higher education. The implication of this study is the importance of considering the cultural and spiritual context in leadership practices in educational institutions. The integration of these values not only creates a harmonious academic environment but also strengthens innovation, collaboration, and engagement, thus supporting the achievement of institutional goals in a sustainable manner.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Leadership Style (LS) and Performance in Higher Education Institution (PHEI), the mediating effect of Organizational Culture (OC) on the relationship between the two is examined. Quantitative research approach with survey type. Descriptive and verifiable analyses were carried out to confirm and test the predictive causality of the constructed model. The total sample was 43 respondents selected using a purposive sampling approach. Path analysis is applied to analyze data in the research model. Forecasting with a regression approach, the process SPSS macro model was adopted to test the mediation effect. The estimation of the mediation effect was carried out by the Sobel test. The findings of the leadership style research have a positive and significant direct effect on the performance of higher education institutions, leadership style has a positive and significant effect on organizational culture, organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on the performance of higher education institutions. Organizational culture has a positive and significant indirect effect on the influence of leadership style on the performance of higher education institutions, there is a strong mediation effect of organizational culture compared to the direct effect of leadership style on the performance of higher education institutions. Research contributions, implications and recommendations are explained in this paper.

This study investigates whether talent management and values-based ethics are associated with employee performance in higher education, and whether work engagement explains this linkage. Ethical work values in this study are conceptualized as faith-based values rooted in organizational and cultural contexts. We used an explanatory survey design and collected responses from 200 non-academic staff working in public, private, and faith-based universities. The hypothesized relationships were tested using PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that TM is positively related to both engagement and performance. Ethical work values also show a meaningful association with engagement, and engagement functions as a partial mediator in the TM–performance relationship. Furthermore, ethical values amplify the effectiveness of talent management practices in fostering engagement. Integrating talent management with ethical work values provides a value-based human resource management approach that may strengthen employee engagement and performance in higher education institutions. From an applied perspective, the model supports institutional efforts to strengthen quality education (SDG 4) and decent work (SDG 8) by promoting ethical and sustainable HR practices in universities.

In the ever-changing world of higher education services, examining factors that impact students’ performance is important in making sure that student’s learning experience can be improved to reach academic success. This research investigates the impact of University Servicescape (USc) and Information Systems Implementation Quality (ISQ) on student performance in higher education institutions in Malang. USc refers to the physical environment and facilities provided by the university. At the same time, the ISQ pertains to the effectiveness and efficiency of the technological systems employed for academic and administrative purposes. Both factors have been deeply researched separately in the context of higher education service management, but no research has delved into both at the same time. A quantitative empirical survey-based study is employed to examine this topic. The sample consists of university students studying in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. The results empirically show that USc and ISQ significantly impact university student performance in higher education, particularly within institutions in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. These findings should be useful for policymakers, university administrators, and educators in enhancing the delivery of educational services in higher education institutions across Indonesia

Purpose of the study: This study aims to analyze the impact of digital technology on lecturers’ performance in higher education institutions. The analysis focuses on five key indicators: learning enhancement, teaching effectiveness, academic leadership, infrastructure readiness, and the availability of syllabi and lesson plans. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Questionnaires were distributed to 64 lecturers, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with selected participants. The instruments assessed lecturers’ attitudes, behaviors, and the extent of digital technology adoption across teaching, research, and community service activities. A Likert scale was used to measure the level of digital technology acceptance. Main Findings: The findings show that although many lecturers are still in the process of understanding and adapting to digital transformation, the use of digital technology has significantly improved their effectiveness and efficiency. It has also increased learning flexibility and student engagement through more interactive and accessible educational environments. Key supporting factors identified include institutional infrastructure, academic leadership, and supportive policies. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge by exploring the multifaceted influence of digital technology on lecturers' performance. It highlights the critical role of institutional support in facilitating sustainable digital integration in higher education, particularly in the Indonesian context.