An Intervention In Transformational Leadership To Improve The Behavior And Attributes Of Faculty Supervisors In Private Universities In Panama

Abstract

Faculty engagement in private universities in Panama is low. This dissertation explores the underlying factors of part-time faculty engagement in the context of higher education in Panama, and studies the potential effectiveness of an intervention in transformational leadership with faculty supervisors as the participants. The dissertation includes a needs assessment, which contributes to a better understanding of the problem in the Panamanian context, where private university presidents participated in individual interviews regarding the topic of faculty engagement. The study involves the application of an intervention in transformational leadership to faculty supervisors, with the objective of increasing the knowledge and awareness about transformational leadership and its impact in organizational culture and engagement. The design was experimental, with mixed methods, through the use of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire before and after the application of the intervention. The results suggest that the program produced a positive impact in the treatment group’s knowledge and awareness regarding the importance of transformational leadership in the context of higher education. The data and analysis produced in this study will allow university decision-makers and leaders to better understand some of the challenges regarding leadership of faculty supervisors. Furthermore, this study opens a path for future opportunities in studies of engagement and transformational leadership within the context of higher education in Latin America.