| Current literature on leadership in higher education indicates that there is a direct relationship between leadership style and faculty members’ job satisfaction.However,there is a lack of research regarding faculty experiences of the relationship between leadership style and faculty members’ job satisfaction in higher education institutions in Kazakhstan.The purpose of this mixed method study is to explore full-time faculty members’ experiences as they relate to leadership style on their job satisfaction.The central research question is,what kind of leadership style the leaders are using in the institutions,and how faculty members satisfied with the leadership style of their leaders? The study used an explanatory sequential mixed method design informed by a pragmatic worldview of the researcher.The data collection and analysis were structured transformational leadership theory and Path Goal theory.The data were collected throughout in person Teacher Job Satisfaction Survey and Leadership Survey,developed and designed for the purpose of the study,and personal interviews.The findings of the study emerged from the quantitative and qualitative data integration and made a significant contribution to new knowledge and understanding of the issues related to faculty members’ job satisfaction with their leaders’ leadership style.The major finding is that the transactional leadership style has the most influential effect on faculty members’ job satisfaction in Kazakhstan with contingent rewards,leader-member idea exchanges,and support of faculty members.This means that if leaders want to motivate faculty members,they should provide rewards,reduce workplace anxiety,help faculty members focus on clear organizational goals,and have an exchange of ideas between leaders and faculty members.In contrast,the laissez-faire leadership style has a negative influence.Previous studies have shown that the transformational leadership style has the most influential effect on motivation,collaboration,communication,and the relationship with followers,providing the most influential factors for faculty members to be effective.The results of this study show that in higher education institutions,if leaders use the transactional leadership style,faculty members are more motivated and work more effectively.In other words,the satisfaction of faculty members is dependent on the leadership style used in the workplace.Most importantly,leaders should be communicative,provide contingent rewards to subordinates,and provide clear explanations about the main goal of the organization.In a positive way,leaders should focus on fixing rules and standards that are no longer effective.In a negative way,leaders might leave negative comments regarding faculty members’ failure according to the agreement made previously.At the same time,leaders should give priority to listening to faculty members’ voices if they want to have effective workers or faculty members in their institutions. |
