Mohammed Sani Ibrahim

Relationship of multi-dimensional leadership with lecturers work commitment: A study on Malaysian heads of polytechnic's academic departments

The purpose of this study was to determine if Malaysian polytechnic’s heads of department multidimensional leadership orientation affects the lecturer commitment and mediating effects in leadership effectiveness as perceived by the lecturers. The department heads leadership orientations was determined by the structural, human resource, political, cultural, and educational frame used based on Bolman and Deal’s reframing the organization perspective and Sergiovanni’s leadership model. Eight hundred forty-one lecturers and 76 department heads from 24 polytechnics participated in this study. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine the department head’s multi-dimensional leadership effect on lecturers commitment. The study proves that polytechnic’s heads of department practiced multi-dimensional leadership, with human resource frame as the predominant frame. There is a significant relationship between human resource and cultural frames and lecturers commitment. The department head’s leadership effectiveness as perceived by the lecturers mediates the relationship between department head’s multi-dimensional leadership and lecturers’ commitment.

CHANGE ORIENTATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE: EXPERIENCE FROM MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The aim of this study is to find the relationships that exist between change orientation and school organizational climate. This study also seeks to find the level of practice for the aspects in change orientation and school climate. The research samples for this quantitative research were taken from 246 teachers from national primary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data were collected using the combination of two questionnaires namely Faculty Change Orientation Scale (FCOS) and the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE). The data were then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to test the research hypotheses. Findings indicate that the practice level of all three dimensions (faculty openness to change, principal openness to change and community press for change) in change orientation are high. Meanwhile, the practice level of five dimensions (supportive principal behaviour, directive principal behaviour, restrictive principal behaviour, collegial teacher behaviour and intimate teacher behaviour) in school climate are moderate and the other one dimension, (disengaged teacher behaviour) is low. In addition, the Multiple Linear Regression analysis showed one of the dimensions in change orientation (community press for change) has a significant relationship with school climate. Implication of the study shows that pressure for change from community outside school have direct impact on school climate. However, the aspect of support from school heads and intimate relationship among teachers need to be improvised as these are important dimensions that contribute to positive school climate. Some recommendations from this study are; to establish and maintain positive community relations, increase of school heads’ support for teachers and to have strategic management approach in dealing with educational changes in schools

Impact of Malaysian Polytechnics' Head of Department Multi-Dimensional Leadership Orientation towards Lecturers Work Commitment.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the multi-dimensional leadership orientation of the heads of departments in Malaysian polytechnics affects their leadership effectiveness and the lecturers’ commitment to work as perceived by the lecturers. The departmental heads’ leadership orientation was determined by five leadership dimensions adapted from Bolman and Deal’s leadership frame and Sergiovanni’s leadership model. A total of 917 respondents comprise polytechnic’s lecturers and department heads, participated in this study. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine the department head’s multi-dimensional leadership effect on their perceived leadership effectiveness and lecturers work commitment. Significant positive relations were found between human resource and cultural frames and lecturers’ commitment to polytechnics and profession. However, department heads’ leadership frames shows no significant positive relationship towards lecturers’ commitment to students. In addition, the relationship between department heads leadership orientation and lecturers work commitment was influenced by the department heads’ leadership effectiveness as perceived by the lecturers.