Research on Higher Education Sustainability Leadership in Pakistan Education System

Abstract

Sustainable leadership (SL) is increasingly recognized as a key driver for advancing sustainability goals in higher education institutions (HEIs), especially in fostering social innovation (SI). This research explores the relationship between SL, SI, and competitive performance (CP) in HEIs within the context of Pakistan’s education system. Grounded in the Upper Echelon Theory (UET), the study proposes that SL positively influences SI, which, in turn, enhances CP. Employing a cluster sampling technique; data were gathered from 263 respondents across universities in Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. The findings, analyzed through PLS-SEM, reveal that SL significantly impacts SI and CP, with SI acting as a partial mediator in the SL-CP relationship. These results contribute to the literature by offering empirical evidence of the role of SL in promoting SI and improving competitive performance in HEIs, while also providing actionable insights for leadership development in the education sector of Pakistan. The study emphasizes the importance of SL in driving innovation and sustainability-oriented organizational outcomes.

Keywords: Sustainable leadership, Education sector, Social Innovation, Sustainable Performance