Transactional Leadership and Its Impact on Instructors’ Job Satisfaction

This study focuses on identifying instructors’ perspectives toward their rectors’ transactional leadership and exploring its role in influencing instructors’ job satisfaction in private higher education institutes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and multiple linear regressions, the research involved 304 instructors selected through simple random sampling, with careful instructions provided to ensure accurate responses. Findings revealed that instructors hold positive views of their rectors’ transactional leadership and job satisfaction levels, with a moderately high correlation between transactional leadership and job satisfaction (R = 0.67, Adjusted R² = 0.445, p = 0.000). Specifically, rectors’ transactional leadership significantly influences extrinsic job satisfaction but not intrinsic job satisfaction, indicating that while it plays a crucial role, it may not be sufficient on its own. These results align with previous studies and highlight the need to explore additional leadership styles and factors affecting intrinsic job satisfaction. Practically, the study suggests that institutional leaders should ensure fair salaries, conducive working conditions, strong interpersonal relationships, and performance-based rewards to enhance job satisfaction among instructors.