Strategic leadership as a mediating variable between organizational climate and quality improvement in higher education

Abstract

Higher education is essential in Egypt as it enhances human capital development, socio-political and economic development. However, the quality of educational systems depends mainly on leaders in the education sector. Similarly, strategic leadership has significance on organizational climate and enhances the continuous quality improvement of a university. Despite its importance, this idea is insufficiently discussed in Public Universities in Egypt. Hence, the study sought to examine the mediating impact of strategic leadership on the relationship between organizational climate and continuous quality improvement in a specific context of Tanta universities in Egypt. A quantitative research design was used in this study. Data were collected from 165 lecturers selected through the G* power sampling technique using a survey instrument. SPSS version 26 and Smart PLS 3.3 were used to analyze data. The study revealed that strategic leadership has a full mediating influence on the relationship between organizational climate and continuous quality management. Therefore, more emphasis should be laid on organizational climate in terms of university source. The study concluded that the organizational climate could be improved through strategic leadership. The study recommends that the top management creates a suitable climate that improves quality improvement in Egypt's public university.