Sustainable leadership, talent management and organisational health as predictors of university transformation in the Central Region of Uganda

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine sustainable leadership, talent management and organizational health as predictors of transformation agenda of universities in the central region of Uganda. The quantitative study employed 820 university staff both academic and administrative to fill the survey tool. 1000 survey questionnaires were distributed to staff in the universities that have been in operation for the last 15 years in the central region of Uganda. The study further used different statistical tools for data analysis and these ranged from SPSS software version 22 and Amos version 22. SPSS was used to analysis descriptive statistics, and Amos was employed to analyse Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) and a full-fledged Structural Equation Modelling to arrive at answers for study research questions and the same time test the hypothesis. The measurements of fit indices were acceptable and statistically significant with signs of the coefficient values scored. Several analyses were done on the data for the modification purposes. The re-modified measurement models met the requirements of measurement good fitness, statistical significance, composite reliability, total variance explained, squared multiple correlation coefficient and signs of coefficients. A full-fledged structural modelling (SEM) was used to test hypothesises model and at and provide answers to the research questions. Tests of the mediation effect were all examined in the analyses and the path coefficient total effects of all variables on dependent construct were also verified. Since university transformation is a key aspect for the survival and sustainability of universities in the globalization era, the findings revealed that universities must have a succession plan as a long term strategy so that workers’ efforts towards change are not jeopardized. The findings further revealed that talent management cannot stand alone to influence transformation in the university; it therefore needs a strong leadership sustainability plan coupled with a favourable and conducive working environment to attract staff’s dedication and commitment towards organizational change. The results revealed that theoretically there is need to integrate between staff with knowledge, skills, supportive working environment, and good communication strategies and channels to help them interpret and implement university transformation. The study has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge in this field by providing of a structural model for universities that can be used practically to enhance transformation process. The findings of this study have helped to extend the understanding the subject university transformation and at the same time, it exposes the university administrators to strategies needed to attain succession plan and sustainability of university transformation strategies so as to meet the international standards and compete favourably on the world market.