Transformational classroom leadership and workplace engagement. Is there a relationship?
| Published date | 02 July 2018 |
| Date | 02 July 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-07-2017-0046 |
| Pages | 333-342 |
| Author | James S. Pounder,Peter Stoffell,Edward Choi |
| Subject Matter | Education,Curriculum, instruction & assessment,Educational evaluation/assessment |
Transformational
classroom leadership and
workplace engagement
Is there a relationship?
James S. Pounder,Peter Stoffell and Edward Choi
Teaching and Learning Centre, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study was to explore whether the transformational classroom leadership
concept could describethe notion of the inspiring professor that the Gallup–Purdue survey (2014) found to be
a major factor in enhancingcollege and university graduates’workplaceengagement.
Design/methodology/approach –Surveys of existing students and alumni of Lingnan University in
Hong Kong were conducted to ascertain whether transformational classroom leadership is a proxy for the
inspiring professornotion and to gauge the possible effect that transformational classroom leadershiphas on
alumni workplaceengagement.
Findings –The results of the study suggested a potentiallink between the experience of transformational
classroomleadership and alumni subsequent levels of workplaceengagement.
Research limitations/implications –The results should be treatedas indicative only, given that the
Hong Kong studywas limited to one university, and the samplesizes were similarly limited.
Practical implications –Should further investigationsconfirm the Hong Kong results, thiscould trigger
a shift in emphasis and resources in higher education from research to teaching. Furthermore, the nature
of transformational classroom leadership provides tremendous scope for establishing a professional
developmentframework based on the model.
Originality/value –This is the first study thathas explored the link between transformationalclassroom
leadershipand alumni levels of workplace engagement.
Keywords Workplace engagement, Gallup survey, The inspiring professor,
Transformational classroom leadership
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In May 2014, US News published an article headed: “Gallup: College type has little to do
with success”. This article reported on the findings of a study of 30,000 US university
alumni and stated that: “Just having one inspiring professor can double a graduate’s
odds of being engaged at work”(Bidwell, 2014). However, in the Gallup, Inc. and
Purdue University (2014) study that gave rise to this article, the notion of the inspiring
professor is not articulated in such a way as to provide clear guidance on the
behaviours expected of such a professor. In light of this, a study was carried out in
Hong Kong that explored the extent to which the idea of the inspiring professor could
be explained by the notion of transformational classroom leadership (Pounder, 2014)
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial
of not-for-profit sectors.
Classroom
leadership and
workplace
engagement
333
Received27 July 2017
Revised2 April 2018
Accepted3 May 2018
QualityAssurance in Education
Vol.26 No. 3, 2018
pp. 333-342
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/QAE-07-2017-0046
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