Influence of the professional training, strategic direction of organization, strategic leadership of academic leaders on perceived staff performance in Aceh state Islamic higher institutions, Indonesia

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to investigate the impact of professional training (PT), strategic direction of organization (SDO), and strategic leadership of academic leaders (SLAL) on the staff performance (SP) of the State Islamic Higher Education institutions in Aceh Indonesia. Of the 826 targeted participants, 526 lecturers from five institutions (UIN Ar-Raniry, IAIN Langsa, IAIN Lhoksemawe, IAIN Takengon, and STAIN Tgk Dirundeng) participated. The study utilized descriptive statistics, using SPSS version 22.0, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS version 23.0 to analyze the data and test the research hypotheses. CFA results confirmed the validity and reliability of the constructs of PT, SDO, SLAL, and SP, which were represented by five, four, nine, and four distinct factors, respectively. The study found significant direct causal effects between PT and SP (standardized direct effect of 0.35) and between SDO and SP (also 0.35), aligning with prior research emphasizing the importance of training and strategic direction in enhancing employee performance. Furthermore, SLAL was found to mediate the relationships between both PT and SP and SDO and SP, underscoring the critical role of strategic leadership in improving staff performance. The implications of this study suggest that leadership development and strategic direction should be prioritized in higher education to improve staff performance. Limitations include the absence of external variables that may influence performance and the need for longitudinal data to observe changes over time. Further research is recommended to delve deeper into the constructs of PT and SDO, particularly their impact on staff performance in higher education settings. The findings have significant implications for the Ministry of Education in Indonesia, providing insights to enhance leadership practices and professional development within state Islamic higher education institutions.