THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP IN INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE: MEDIATING ROLE OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This study aimed to examine that how strategic leadership can improve the innovative performance in higher education institutions, and to what extent, change management can ease relationship between strategic leadership and innovative performance. In the contemporary era, where globalization and technological advancement demands the change and innovation to meet stakeholders’ expectations, the higher education, in this regard, can play important role to remain academically relevant and stable to ensure desired outcomes. The strategic leadership has been considered as dynamic forces influencing the vision, culture, and mobilization of resources towards innovation. Thus, applying the quantitative research design, the data was collected from academic leaders and teachers in the higher institutions to chase hypothesized relationships as extracted from theoretical framework backed by existing literature. The results provide significant information for reaching desired conclusion and making decisions. In practice, the findings can provide useful information to university leadership and policymakers aiming to enhance the innovative performance using strategic leadership practices with the help of systematic and inclusive change management diverse strategies.