Transformational leadership, co-worker support, engagement and motivation at institutions of higher learning in Windhoek, Namibia

Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought on a surge of mass changes globally, and academic institutions were not exempted from these changes. Many institutions of higher learning in Namibia transferred and modified most of their courses from the traditional face-to-face mode of learning to online platforms or a combination of both. Research purpose: This study investigated the role of the transformational leadership style and co-worker support and their influence on employee engagement and work motivation of academic staff at institutions of higher learning in Windhoek, Namibia. Motivation for the study: To investigate whether transformational leadership and co-worker support have a bearing on employee engagement and work motivation of academics. Research approach/design and method: Data were collected from 106 academic staff from various institutions of higher education in Windhoek using a purposive sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 27.0. Main findings: The results showed that there is a positive relatedness between transformational leadership and employee engagement as well as transformational leadership and work motivation, even though not statistically significant. Co-worker support was statistically significantly related to employee engagement and work motivation. Practical/managerial implications: Institutions of higher education should manage and capitalise on employee relations in a manner that adds value to the institutions. Contribution/value-add: Institutions of higher learning in Namibia should work on trainings and interventions that allow for the development of positive co-worker relations and support at different organisational levels.