LEADERSHIP AS A MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: THE CASE OF THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES OF AGOSTINHO NETO UNIVERSITY
Abstract
This article analyses the relationship between the leadership styles of academic managers and the motivation levels of teaching and non-teaching staff at the Faculty of Humanities of Agostinho Neto University (FH-UAN), from 2020 to 2024. The study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on ten semi-structured interviews with lecturers, researchers and academic administrators, whose data were processed using NVivo 12 software following Bardin's (2011) content analysis protocol. The findings identify the coexistence of three leadership styles — transformational, transactional and laissez-faire —, with the transactional model predominating and being associated with unstable motivational cycles, predominantly calculative commitment and high staff turnover. The analysis reveals that the mediating mechanisms between leadership and motivation are differentiated recognition of academic merit, perception of autonomy and distributive equity. Based on the evidence gathered, a hybrid leadership model is proposed, combining transformational dimensions with participatory practices, as a necessary condition for strengthening institutional commitment and academic quality at FH-UAN.
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Author Biography
Ph.D. candidate in Social Sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, Angola. Master’s degree in Political Science from the same institution. Bachelor’s degree in Public Management and Administration from the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences, Agostinho Neto University.
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