Transformational Leadership and Job Engagement in Quality Enhancement Cells of Pakistani Universities: The Mediating Role of Creative-Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate impact of transformational leadership on employee job engagement in Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) of universities in Pakistan. In the higher education sector of developing countries like Pakistan, QECs is playing the vital role in ensuring academic quality, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness under the guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. However, employees in these offices often face bureaucratic challenges, resource constraints, and increasing performance demands that are making employee engagement a critical concern. Based on Bass’s (1985) transformational-leadership-theory along with Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy-theory, research proposes and tested a mediation model in which creative-self-efficacy plays as a mediator role between transformational-leadership and job engagement. This study addresses the notable research gap, as limited empirical evidence exists on leadership dynamics within specialized quality assurance units in non-Western higher education contexts. To test the research questions, quantitative cross-sectional survey was carried out. Data collected from 318 QEC employees across Pakistani universities using a structured online questionnaire. Structural-Equation-Modeling (SEM) techniques used as instrument to test hypothesized relationships. The findings of this empirical research indicated a meaningful positive direct impact of transformational leadership on job engagement. Creative-self-efficacy was found to partially mediate this relationship with given model explaining 68% variance in job engagement. From a theoretical point of view, this paper aids transformational-leadership and job-engagement literature by adding creative-self-efficacy as a psychological mechanism. This integration is also providing a deeper understanding of the psychological processes through which leadership influences employee outcomes and job engagement. On the Practical angle, the findings provide valuable insights to higher education administration and policymakers like Vice Chancellors, Directors and Deans to enhance leadership development programs, foster employee creativity, and improve quality assurance practices in higher education institutions. This study highlighted the strategic importance of transformational leadership in strengthening institutional quality mechanisms in resource-constrained environments.