RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT AS MEDIATOR IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Responsible leadership has attracted growing academic interest in higher education when universities confronting the growing demands to develop ethical, human-focused & socially responsible academic institutions. Still, there is limited empirical evidence in developing countries especially of Pakistan. This study aimed to examines the role of responsible leadership with respect to students’ performance at university level and explores the mediating effect of student engagement in Lahore. The data was gathered with the help of a cross-sectional, quantitative design based on the sample of 412 students from public and private universities. Findings affirm that responsible leadership has a significant impact on academic performance and that student engagement partially mediates the relationship between responsible leadership and academic performance. These results are an extension of Social Identity Theory, which illustrates that the responsible leaders influence the student’s identification to the academic institutions, that results in better engagement and grades. The research has theoretical value as it places responsible leadership in the student behavioral context and provides the valuable practical values to the universities in Pakistan that want to improve the academic outcomes by implementing responsible leadership practices.