Transformational leadership and scientific research performance of university faculty: a self-determination theory perspective

From the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT), this study examined the correlation between transformational leadership and the scientific research performance of university faculty in Hunan Province, China, while also assessing the mediating effect of proactive work behavior. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 470 university faculty members, and the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 and IBM SPSS Amos 24 software. This study established that transformational leadership, as defined by vision, motivation, moral model, leadership charm, and personalized care, directly influences the proactive work behavior and scientific research performance of university faculty. Additionally, the proactive work behavior functions as a partial mediator between transformational leadership and scientific research performance. These findings elucidate the relationship between transformational leadership and faculty’s research performance, affirm the significance of work initiatives, and strengthen self-determination theory. In conclusion, the study offers valuable insights for higher education and academic institutions to refine leadership strategies and boost faculty research outcomes.