Perceived Transformational Leadership and Career Success Among Chinese University Teachers: The Mediating Role of Career Adaptability

xinlai Zhao, Man Jiang

Abstract


Abstract

Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that excels at aligning their vision and mission with their followers, motivating them to break away from their interests and dedicate themselves to the effectiveness of the organization, and being able to inspire their followers to realize their potential and strengths. In the field of education, the relationship between transformational leadership, career adaptability, and career success remains worthy of study in the academic arena. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between perceived transformational leadership on career success among higher education faculty in Gansu Province, China. The study employed a convenience sampling method to collect cross-sectional data from 605 faculty members across 12 universities in Gansu Province using standardized questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro. The results revealed that transformational leadership not only demonstrated a significant positive predictive effect on teachers' career success, but more importantly, career adaptability played a crucial partial mediating role in this relationship. These findings provide novel empirical evidence for understanding the intrinsic mechanisms through which leadership influences faculty development. This research holds both significant theoretical value and practical implications. Theoretically, it constructs a "leadership-adaptability-career success" theoretical model, deepening our understanding of faculty career development mechanisms in higher education contexts. Practically, it offers concrete strategies for university administrators to enhance faculty career development, including actionable recommendations such as implementing transformational leadership training programs and establishing career adaptability cultivation systems.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.4.19


Keywords


university teachers; perceived transformational leadership; career success; career adaptability; education management

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References


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