This study investigates the need for transformational leadership to sustain the productivity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Cameroon. While institutions always request additional funding, the need for effective allocation and utilisation of existing resources is relevant for sustainability. Participants for this study included teachers from state and private HEIs in seven regions of Cameroon. Correlation and Regression Models were used to assess the impact of transformational leadership on sustainable productivity, which is grounded in Michael Fullan’s (2011) six secrets of educational change theory. A positive and significant relationship was observed between transformational leadership and the productivity of HEIs. While transformational leadership was observed more in state-owned HEIs, the impact was more in private than state HEIs. The mean value for intellectual stimulation for sustainable productivity of higher learning institutes is higher for the private sector than for state institutions. It shows that intellectual stimulation is more used in private HEIs to improve their productivity than in state-owned HEIs in Cameroon. While the correlational analysis revealed that intellectual stimulation has the most substantial correlate effect on sustainable productivity, the regression analysis showed that inspirational motivation adds more value to productivity. Based on these findings, we recommend a leadership model for sustaining organisational productivity, where the essence of the effective practice of transformational leadership is collaboration, especially in the change process.
Keywords: Higher education, Transformational leadership, Productivity, Sustainability
Citation: Etomes, S.E., Endeley, M.N., Aluko, F.R. et al. Transformational leadership for sustainable productivity in higher education institutions of Cameroon. High Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01334-7
