The Role of Leadership in Promoting Innovation in Pakistani Higher Education

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigated the role of leadership in promoting innovation within Pakistani Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 45 senior leaders (VCs, Pro-VCs, Deans) and structured questionnaires administered to 300 faculty/administrative staff across 15 purposively sampled public and private universities in major Pakistani cities. Quantitative analysis (SPSS) revealed transactional leadership as the most perceived style, but transformational leadership demonstrated the strongest positive correlation (r=.65, p