Distributed Leadership, Innovation, and Organizational Performance in Private Higher Education: A Multilevel Analysis

This research intends to analyze the relationships among distributed leadership, innovation, and organizational performance through knowledge management practices. A quantitative approach with an explanatory design was employed in this research. Data was collected through surveys involving middle management and faculty members in educational studies programs at private universities. Using the Multilevel Structural Equation Model (MSEM), data analysis was conducted with distributed leadership variables as individual variables and knowledge management practices, exploratory innovation, exploitation innovation, and organizational performance as team variables. This study involved 71 education study programs in 30 universities, with 71 heads of study programs and 158 lecturers, so that the total number of respondents was 229 people. The research findings indicate that knowledge management practices within educational programs at private universities are positively and significantly influenced by distributed leadership. Furthermore, knowledge management practices positively and significantly affect exploitation innovation in these programs. However, exploratory innovation has no impact on Knowledge Management Practices. Both the impact of exploratory innovation on Organizational Performance and the relationship between exploitation innovation and Organizational Performance of educational programs warrant attention. Interestingly, Knowledge Management Practices do not significantly affect Organizational Performance