CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction The real measure of the civilization of any nation is the capacity to educate the population sufficiently to meet contemporary challenges and make appropriate decisions to function as effective global citizens. This requires an educational process that is characterized by effective institutional leadership and a suitable climate in which to implement quality management (QM) (Allam, 2020; Sagendorf & Jackson, 2019). According to Brown and James (2020) and Okoro (2020), effective higher education provision is a vital mechanism for nurturing growth, poverty reduction, and improving prosperity and national development. According to Leiber (2019), recognition of this has brought quality management practices (QMPs) within higher education institutions (HEI) to the attention of academic scholars. Indisputably, the quality of the education offered to all stakeholders is linked to the climate within the educational environment (Martin, 2018). Therefore, it is essential to establish an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, to serve as a foundation for sustainable growth in the educational sector supporting human capital development (Rangou, 2017). Reflecting the above, a number of environmental factors have been influencing changes in QM procedures across higher education globally. These changes have revealed QM issues that the higher education system needs to address (Ali et al., 2016). In their research, Manatos, Sarrico, and Rosa (2017) indicated that the majority of educational institutions at all stages in a number of countries have sought to adopt QM approaches. As stated by Todorut (2013) and Nyamori and Bett (2018), research examining quality aims to predict how best to improve institutional performance and develop an institutional climate that uses all resources effectively and creatively. Doing so is anticipated to generate confidence among all workers employed in the administration of HEIs. However, a study by Savga, Krykliy, and Kyrychenko (2018) pointed out that as HEIs are accountable to stakeholders, including both internal stakeholders like lecturers and other staff members at the institution and external stakeholders like students and the job market, having systems to evaluate education quality is essential. In this regard, Marginson (2016) indicated that in order to meet the difficulties of the present, several nations are currently focusing on enhancing higher education. Migide (2018) hinted that the act of QM inside universities requires a careful and top to bottom planning of their aspects, components, and systems to adjust to their ecological culture. Higher education's primary purpose is to advance national economic growth, and as a result, the importance of QM in the higher education sector has increased (Lomer, Papatsiba & Naidoo, 2018). Khan (2011) mentioned that in order to ensure employee happiness, senior managers in every firm put a priority on implementing quality controls and QMP tools that provide clear guidance. Unquestionably, implementation of a QM program requires effective leadership (Ali & Zulkipli, 2017; Davies & Davies, 2004; Ismail, Kanesan & Muhammad, 2018). According to Deming and others, strategic leadership is the kind of leadership that is most effective at creating an effective quality management programme, according to several theoretical studies (Davies & Davies, 2004; Dean & Bowen, 1994; Waldman,1994). According to Apoi and Latip (2019), Cilek (2019), Ruslan, Lian and Fitria (2020), and Asif, Qing, Hwang and Shi (2019), it is acknowledged that leadership has the power to inspire and motivate people to collaborate in order to boost productivity and achieve important organizational objectives. s. In addition, studies on organizational climate (OC) in the context of education, such as those by Al Shobaki Abu-Naser, Abu Amuna, and El Talla. (2018) and Al-Kurdi, El-Haddadeh, and Eldabi (2020) have observed that a strong OC might improve the outcomes of HEIs. Pérez-Vallejo and Fernández-Muñoz (2020) showed that interest in the workplace fosters problem-solving to remove any obstacles to achieving learning goals and contributes to security. Thus, increasing worker happiness encourages innovation, boosts output, and supports the production of higher-quality results. A key element of a culture that supports the pursuit of greatness is effective leadership, which is a shared experience Faradiba and Zet (2020). In this respect, Kawiana et al., (2021) recommended that organizations encourage leadership that focuses on achieving aims and promoting workers’ realization of targeted quality outcomes. In their research, Shehata (2017), Mohamed (2013) and Harb (2010) stressed that although the regulations for universities include standards for discipline within academic departments and management, their degree of implementation and practice is low. In fact, traditional management practices that place a low priority on quality are the most common way of running departments in several universities. Department heads' resistance to change and their reluctance to create and implement quality practices point to the necessity for an organizational culture for quality management made up of top managers who can create the vision and mission of university departments as they implement QMPs (Abdel-Satar, 2013). Furthermore, El-Bana (2016) pointed out that universities frequently experience difficulties selecting leaders, as was also confirmed by research completed by Al-Sisi (2014), Anany (2015) and Shehata (2017). Universities are less able to accomplish their goals as a result of these failures, and strategic planning is impossible without strong leadership. According to Alsharqawi (2003), Alharbi (2012), Alalfy and Elfattah (2014), reveals that the key to raising the standard of higher education is effective leadership. The administrative process will be better prepared for the student, lecturers, and teaching process if it is properly managed, strategically planned, organized, and developed. Describing strategic leadership, Ussahawanitchakit (2011) stated that the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions is a key component of strategic thinking and innovation, as is the administrative wisdom that results from taking decisive action in response to climate changes. In addition, for this study OC was chosen as a mediating factor, because many prior studies have generated contradictory evidence concerning the predictors of success when implementing QMPs (Alharbi, Yusoff & Al-Matari, 2017; Al Shobaki, et al., 2018; Salama et al., 2018; Mahmood, Ismail, and Omar-Fauzee, 2019). Moreover, there is very minimal research done on strategic leadership style in Pakistan and that too at school level and a minimal research has analysed the direct and indirect relationships between strategic leadership, OC, and QMPs as variables. By analysing the conceptual and empirical literature on how OC functions as a mediating influence on the relationship between strategic leadership and QMPs, this study seeks to close these research gaps. 1.2 Purpose of the Study This study aims to provide data and suggestions to promote improvements to universities by examining the relationship between strategic leadership, OC, and QMPs in public universities of Lahore, Pakistan. 1.3 Research Questions 1. What is the level of strategic leadership at public universities? 2. What is the level of organizational climate at public universities? 3. What is the level of quality management practices at public universities? 4. Is there a relationship between Strategic Leadership and Quality Management Practices at higher education level? 5. Does the organizational climate mediate the relationship between strategic leadership and quality management practices at higher education level? 1.4 Significance of the Study The study is significant as it addresses three key constructs in educational management. One of these is quality management practices (QMPs) in higher education, which plays an important role in leading societies, due to the many services it provides to different sectors of the economy (Abou Hashish, 2017; Al Shobaki et al., 2018). Strategic leadership (SL) and organizational climate (OC), however, are of growing importance because of their connections to several organizational variables that have an effect on both the behavior of individuals and organizational decision-making, which in turn affects ultimate outcomes (Chanpoom & Intrawong, 2019). This study is significant because firstly, this research will provide essential recommendations to help avoid the negatives and shortcomings of university leaders with regard to QMPs. The study assists university administrations in Lahore to identify the OC that prevails in universities, which in turn helps with adopting new administrative policies that will enhance positive aspects and reduce negative aspects. This will enhance the OC at universities and enhance staff morale and determination in addition to their mental wellness. Secondly, this study fills a gap in the literature, addressing the lack of studies dealing with this topic in the context of the higher education sector in Pakistan. Thirdly, this study will help open up new avenues for future research in the area of educational management. 1.5 Definition of Terms This section defines important terminology as they are used in the research to ensure that readers can quickly understand it. 1.5.1 Higher Education Savery (2015) defines higher education as a level education that is above high school, and results in the acquisition of qualifications from colleges, trade schools, graduate schools and vocational schools and other tertiary institutions responsible for awarding an academic degree or professional certificate. 1.5.2 Quality Management Practices The term "quality management practices" (QMP) refers to the process by which universities strategically adapt to support ongoing customer needs fulfilment using particular techniques, as well as lecturer’s training that focuses on crucial aspects of ongoing improvement of the higher education sector. The top management of the universities essentially put up the (QMPs) technique. This study considered this to be most relevant to the concept of quality management defined by Andersons, Rungtusanatham, and Schroeder (1994); Deming (1986), which refers to developing the system of higher education institutions to support teaching and learning in order to make it easier to adopt process management methods, which in turn reflect ongoing improvement of educational processes. In the current study, the QMPs are listed as essential success factors for universities' survival and include training, teamwork, customer focus, a strategic plan, information, and continuous improvement. 1.5.3 Strategic Leadership Strategic leadership is the process by which executives create a vision for their company that will allow it to adapt to or remain competitive in a changing economic and technical environment. Davies (2004) explains that “strategic leadership is the central activity that facilitates and drives the strategic cycle”. Furthermore, Davies and Davies (2004) suggested the characteristics of strategic leadership include five dimensions of organizational strategic ability and four dimensions of individual characteristics. 1.5.4 Organizational Climate Organizational climate has been defined as a multidimensional construct that refers to various individual evaluations of the work environment (James and James, 1989; Neal et al., 2000). In their work, Forehand and Gilmer, (1964) defined the organizational climate as a group of traits used to characterize organizations and set them apart from one another. These traits are consistent and over time influence how people behave within the organization. For the purpose of this study, collaboration, student relations, university resources, decision making, instructional innovation adapted to examine organizational climate. 1.6 Delimitations of the Study The current study will investigate the mediating influence of OC on the relationship between strategic leadership and QMPs in public universities of Lahore. The study will be conducted via a quantitative survey distributed to male and female lecturers at public universities in Lahore. Delimitations typically refer to the decisions that researchers have made. They provide parameters for deciding which areas of the research will be pursued and which won't. Those that apply to this study are as follows: The research is restricted to only the working lecturers at the public universities in Lahore District. Not every person who works in academia is included in the study. Additionally, participants other than lecturers and professors at the academic institution were excluded.
