Practice of transformational leadership within and across Ethiopian public research higher educational institutions: perspectives of academic and administrative staff

This study examines the practice of Transformational Leadership (TL) in Ethiopian public research higher education institutions (HEIs) from the perspectives of academic and administrative staff. Grounded in TL theory, the study addresses an underexplored developing-country HEI context. A quantitative, descriptive survey design was employed, using standardised questionnaires administered to 726 staff members across three public research HEIs. TL was assessed across four dimensions: idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualised consideration. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The results revealed significant institutional differences in idealised influence, with Hawassa Higher Educational Institution scoring lower than Jimma Higher Educational Institution and Addis Ababa Higher Educational Institution. No significant differences were found for inspirational motivation or intellectual stimulation, while individualised consideration approached significance, indicating relatively lower perceived support at HHEI. The study extends TL theory to a resource-constrained HEI context and offers practical insights for targeted leadership development interventions.