The Relationship between University Leadership Orientation and Faculty Involvement: Empirical Evidence from Saudi Universities

Abstract

This study examines the association between relationship-oriented university leadership and faculty involvement within the context of Saudi higher education. Drawing on psychological need satisfaction theory, the study tests whether faculty autonomy, competence, relatedness, and meaningfulness mediate this relationship. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed, and data were collected from 316 full-time faculty members at universities in the Madinah region. Measurement validity and reliability were established prior to hypothesis testing. Structural equation modeling with bootstrapped confidence intervals was used to estimate direct and indirect effects. The results reveal that relationship-oriented university leadership is positively and significantly associated with faculty involvement. Psychological need satisfaction partially mediates this relationship, indicating that leadership influences involvement both directly and indirectly. However, the mediating variables do not fully explain the observed association, suggesting the presence of additional organizational mechanisms. These findings contribute to leadership and engagement scholarship by empirically validating a mediation framework within a non-Western higher education setting and by providing context-specific evidence relevant to institutional reform initiatives in Saudi Arabia.