Intellectual Stimulation and Higher Education Performance: An Empirical Study of Indonesia Private Higher Education Institutions

Syaiful Bakhri; Ulul Azmi  Muhammad; Alwi Mizal

doi:10.37729/segmen.v22i2.7869

Syaiful Bakhri Institut Bakti Nusantara
Ulul Azmi Muhammad Institut Bakti Nusantara
Alwi Mizal Institut Bakti Nusantara

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37729/segmen.v22i2.7869

Abstract

Growing competition among higher education institutions, particularly private universities, demands continuous enhancement of organizational performance. Transformational leadership, specifically intellectual stimulation, is viewed as a key driver in strengthening institutional outcomes. This study seeks to empirically assess the influence of intellectual stimulation on the performance of private higher education institutions in Indonesia. Using a deductive and causal research design, data were gathered through a survey of institutional leaders in Southern Sumatra, yielding 163 valid responses from 205 distributed questionnaires.

The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and the results confirmed that the proposed model satisfied goodness-of-fit standards. Findings demonstrate that intellectual stimulation significantly and positively affects institutional performance. Leadership behaviors that promote critical thinking, creativity, and innovation therefore play an essential role in improving organizational effectiveness. The study contributes to the literature on transformational leadership in higher education and provides practical guidance for enhancing leadership practices in private universities. Practically, the findings also suggest that private higher education institutions should strengthen leadership practices that encourage intellectual stimulation among academicians in order to improve institutional governance and long-term organizational performance

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