Departmental and Faculty Committee Distributed Leadership as Predictors of Academic Staff Job Effectiveness in Federal Universities in North- East Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed departmental and faculty committee distributed leadership as predictors of academic staff job effectiveness in Federal Universities in North-East Nigeria. The study was guided by three objectives, three research questions, and three null hypotheses. A predictive correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 6,575 academic staff in Federal Universities in North-East Nigeria. Using simple random sampling and proportionate stratified sampling techniques (simple random sampling of states and proportionate sampling of respondents across selected universities), a sample size of 658 academic staff was drawn for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires: Departmental and Faculty Committees Distributed Leadership and Academic Staff Job Effectiveness Questionnaire (DFCDLASJEQ). The instruments contained 20 items in total and were structured on a 5-point rating scale. The instruments were validated by three experts, while reliability was determined through a pilot study using the Cronbach’s alpha procedure (0.852). Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression and multiple regression analyses were used for hypothesis testing at 0.05 level of significance, using SPSS version 27. Findings revealed that departmental distributed leadership (M=3.47, SD=0.95; F(1,118)=21.959, p<0.05), and faculty committee distributed leadership (M=3.36, SD=0.94; F(1,118)=21.575, p<0.05), significantly predicted academic staff job effectiveness. The study concludes that strengthening departmental and faculty committees distributed leadership practices is critical for improving academic staff job effectiveness in Federal Universities in North-East Nigeria. It was recommended, among others, that institutions should foster teamwork and collegiality among staff through team-building activities, collaborative projects, and recognition of cooperative efforts.