The Impact of Transformational Leadership Style on Employees’ Organizational Commitment: A Study at Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam

Abstract

In the context of higher education innovation in Vietnam towards autonomy, quality, and international integration, the role of leadership in building and maintaining organizational commitment among employees has become increasingly important. This study focuses on exploring the influence of transformational leadership style on organizational commitment of employees in higher education institutions in Vietnam. Based on quantitative data collected from 300 participants who are lecturers and administrative staff from public and non-public universities in Vietnam, the study conducted reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the proposed research model. The statistical analysis results show that the factors of transformational leadership style have a positive and significant impact on the level of organizational commitment among employees in higher education institutions in Vietnam. Among examined factors, the individualized consideration factor has been found to have the strongest influence on employees’ affective commitment. This reflects the role of emotional factors and spiritual companionship between leaders and employees in maintaining a strong bond with the organization. From these findings, the research contributes to affirming the practical value of transformational leadership theory in the field of higher education in Vietnam, while also providing empirical evidence supporting the application of this leadership style as a tool to enhance staff engagement in the context of educational innovation.

Keywords: Transformational leadership style, organizational commitment, higher education, Vietnam