TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND LECTURER PERFORMANCE IN INDONESIAN UNIVERSITIES: EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING AS A KEY MEDIATOR AND THE LIMITED ROLE OF OCB

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of transformational leadership on lecturer performance in Indonesian higher education institutions, focusing on the mediating roles of employee well-being (EWB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). It addresses the ongoing debate on whether OCB universally enhances performance and highlights the psychological mechanisms underpinning leadership effectiveness in academic settings.

Design/methodology/approach:  quantitative, multilevel research design was employed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were collected from 220 lecturers across public and private universities in Riau Province, Indonesia. Measurement scales were validated through confirmatory factor analysis, and structural relationships were assessed with bootstrapping procedures.

Findings: Transformational leadership significantly improves lecturer performance both directly and indirectly through EWB, underscoring the importance of psychological well-being in academic productivity. While transformational leadership strongly predicted OCB, OCB did not significantly affect lecturer performance. This challenges the assumption of OCB’s universal benefit, suggesting its effect may depend on performance evaluation systems that emphasize quantifiable outcomes such as publications and teaching loads.

Practical implications: University leaders should prioritize leadership development programs that foster psychological support, individualized consideration, and motivational competencies. Institutional policies should integrate well-being initiatives and adapt performance appraisal systems to recognize discretionary contributions such as mentoring and community engagement.

Originality/value: This study contributes to leadership and organizational behavior literature by: (1) integrating employee well-being into leadership–performance frameworks, highlighting its role as a vital mechanism in higher education, (2) challenging the universality of OCB as a mediating variable by demonstrating its limited effect under specific institutional conditions, and (3) adopting a multilevel perspective that connects individual-level lecturer outcomes to institutional academic competitiveness. These insights extend current debates and provide novel evidence from a non-Western higher education context under increasing global performance pressures.