The impact of department chair leadership identity on faculty thriving in comprehensive university reform: the cross-level moderating role of work arrangement flexibility

This study makes three contributions: (1) shifting leadership research focus from overt behavior to leaders' self-concept as a driver of effectiveness; (2) enriching social information processing theory by demonstrating how internal identity becomes a perceivable cross-level social cue; and (3) providing practical implications for universities to cultivate department chairs' leadership identity and implement flexible work policies that enhance faculty wellbeing during organizational transformation.