Transformational leadership for sustainable productivity in higher education institutions of Cameroon

Abstract This study investigates the need for transformational leadership in the sustainable development of the productivity in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Cameroon. While institutions always request additional funding, the need for effective allocation and utilization of existing resources is relevant for sustainability. Participants for this study included teachers from state and private HEIs in Cameroon. Correlation and regression models were used to assess the impact of transformational leadership on sustainable productivity 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 the practice of transformational leadership was observed more in state-owned HEIs, the impact was more in private than in state HEIs. The mean value for intellectual stimulation for sustainable productivity of higher institutes of learning is higher for the private as compared to that of state institutions showing that intellectual stimulation is more used in private HEIs to improve their productivity than in state-owned HEIs in Cameroon. While the correlational analysis showed that intellectual stimulation has the strongest correlate effect on sustainable productivity, the regression analysis showed that inspirational motivation has more added value to productivity. Based on these findings, we recommend a leadership model for sustaining organizational productivity, where the essence of the effective practice of transformational leadership is collaboration, especially in the change process.