Perceived Leadership Style and its Impact on Employee Motivation in the Islamic Higher Education Context: A Mixed Method Case Study of Faculty Members and Administration at Taif University

Abstract

Leadership is a crucial organizational component and a major factor in determining employee motivation. Appropriate leadership styles can vary from culture to culture, which may influence the achievement of institutional goals and objectives. The government of Saudi Arabia has prioritized education in its 2030 ambitious vision. The daily challenges in the university workplace have an impact on faculty members' ability to stay motivated and productive. The purpose of this mixed method research study was to explore leadership styles and their impact on faculty members motivation in the context of Islamic higher education at Taif University in Saudi Arabia. There were 74 responses from faculty members in the quantitative part, and 7 leaders participated in the qualitative part of the study. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS) were utilized to collect the quantitative data. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gather the qualitative data. The research questions were answered through use of descriptive analysis, multiple regression analysis and via thematic content analysis of interview data. The results of this study indicated that faculty members at Taif University perceived current leadership styles employed in the following frequency: Islamic, transformational, transactional and, lastly, passive avoidant. Leaders perceived their leadership styles to be mostly transformational Islamic leadership. The findings of this research also showed that Islamic, transactional and transformational leadership styles were moderately correlated with faculty members motivation in a positive sense. Passive-avoidant leadership style was weakly associated with motivation in a positive sense. In addition, it was found that Islamic leadership had the greatest impact on employees' levels of motivation and a stronger relationship with intrinsic motivation among faculty members. The interview data analysis indicated that the concept of transformational leadership has been presented and understood by the leaders. Moreover, the informants identified that Taif University has made significant progress toward the 2030 vision educational goals. Also, leaders reported that Islamic environment increases the faculty motivation as long as the principles of true Islamic leadership are followed which include: trust, ethical and moral behavior, and the demonstration of respect. The study may serve as a key resource to current and future leaders at Taif University as they continue to improve the organizational performance and increase efficiency levels of their faculty members.