Leadership Practices and Work Engagement in Higher Education: The Mediating Role of Job Demands-Resources

Abstract

There has been extensive research on leadership and work engagement, but little is known concerning leadership practices and work engagement levels in higher education in Namibia. This study examines leadership practices and work engagement in higher education, as well as the mediating role of job demands and job resources in the link. A quantitative approach was adopted following an explanatory research design to explain the mediating roles of job demands and resources in the interplay between leadership practices and work engagement. A combination of sampling strategies (stratified, convenience, and purposive sampling) was adopted to draw a sample of 450 respondents from different groups of employees within the target population of the study. The primary data was collected through an online survey, which was formatted using the Likert-type rating scale. Quantitative data was analyzed using structural equation modelling via SmartPLS Version 3.3.9. Leadership practices have significant relationships with both job demands and resources. On the other hand, job demands have a significant positive relationship with work engagement, but job resources exert no significant effect on work engagement levels. Therefore, the relationship between leadership practices and work engagement was fully mediated by job demands in higher education.