Exploring the Impact of Managerial Leadership on Students Academic Progress at the University of Narowal

Abstract

This research was carried out to investigate the impact of managerial leadership style on academic progress of students in University of Narowal. The study concentrated on three main leadership styles namely; transformational, transactional and laissez faire and then examined their impact of the students’ Grade Point Average (GPA), course completion and retention. This study employed a survey research design and 200 students with different academic levels in different departments were surveyed using designed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, multiple regression and logistic regression were used to investigate the relationship between leadership practices and academic progress. To understand the moderating impact of gender, academic year and department of study on perceived and effective leadership, demographic variables such as gender, academic year and study discipline were considered. The results reveal that transformational leadership was the single largest contributor to student academic progress. Students who perceived their leadership being more transformational reported higher levels of engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy and these were manifested in enhanced GPA scores, course completion on schedule and students' retention. Leaders were seen to develop a supportive, participative, and motivating climate (academically oriented) with mentorship, acknowledgment, and a common sense of direction (vision). These practices are linked to the active involvement of the students in their learning, and this involvement leads to effective critical thinking, problem solving skills and university progress. Transactional leadership was found to work moderately well by supplying structure, clear expectations and progress related rewards. Although transactional leadership was effective in controlling and improving behavior in the short term, it may not be as effective as transformational leadership at inspiring students to higher levels of motivation and engagement. Laissez faire leadership (least active management by faculty with few involvement and passive decision making) was negatively related to students' academic progress (lower GPAs, delayed course completion, and greater repetition). This contributes to the lack of support and lack of involvement being directly associated with poor student progress.