Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment of Selected Higher Education Institutions in Zamboanga Peninsula

This study aimed to determine the level of transformational leadership practices of Deans and organizational commitment of faculty / staff members in Higher Education Institutions in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The five dimensions of transformational leadership studied were idealized influence (attribute), idealized influence (behavior), intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivation. The study also looked into the level of organizational commitment of the staff and the relationship with the transformational leadership practices of the middle manager. The respondents of the study consisted of 103 faculty/staff employed in the selected Higher Education Institutions in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines. Descriptive analysis and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were the statistical tools used by the researcher. The SPSS was used to examine the gathered data. The Deans' transformative leadership has a comparable impact on continued behavior and normative commitment, suggesting that continued behavior and normative commitment are affected by leadership in a complex way. Therefore, by enhancing their transformational leadership style, deans can raise faculty/staff retention levels and normative commitment. Furthermore, it is advised that future researchers do a study with a similar focus but a broader reach in higher education institutions.


Introduction
Transformational leadership has a significant impact on student advancement and good performance. Schools have a lot in common with businesses, and they might benefit from leadership ideas that have been proven to boost productivity in both professional and academic settings. Education leaders may gain from training and development in transformational leadership styles to enhance performance in both corporate companies and academic contexts (Anderson, 2017). Due to accountability demands, schools worldwide are evolving, and educators need to be change agents to find creative ways to meet students' needs. A leader must include educators, stakeholders, and students in the transformation process to build an atmosphere that supports and encourages creativity and trust. According to Sun, Chen, and Zhang (2017), these are all traits of transformative school leadership.
According to Garg and Ramjee (2013) and Bennis and Nanus in 1985, successful businesses are founded on good leadership. Effective leadership may motivate individuals to embrace change, develop new company cultures and tactics, mobilize and direct resources, and transition organizations from their current states to their intended future ones. According to Bush (2014), Hallinger (2003, and Berkovich (2016), transformational leadership is one of the most significant and effective leadership philosophies in the field of school administration.
TFL has become a well-known leadership style that is employed by leaders in a variety of businesses and professions. Inspiring loyalty by acknowledging and appreciating each follower's unique requirements in order for them to reach their full potential, according to Bass and Avolio (1994;Nyengane, 2007), transformational leaders encourage loyalty. They achieve this by involving followers in decision-making and promoting critical thinking among them via the use of creative strategies.
As defined by Robbins (2006) and cited in Eliyana and Ma'arif (2019), organizational commitment is the phase in which workers recognize a specific group with goals and strive to maintain participation. According to Firestone and Pennell (1943), Balay (2000), and Gökyer (2018), having an organizational commitment is defined as being effective and prejudiced in one's support of the goals and principles of the organization. This level of commitment requires one to contribute to the organization's success with its goals and principles rather than merely using it as a tool. Selamat, Nordin, and Adnan (2013) emphasized that organizational commitment among teachers is crucial in determining the success of education reform and school performance because highly devoted instructors are willing to offer additional effort to achieve the school vision and goals.
With samples of research and development professionals in Singapore, Garg and Ramjee (2013) found that transformational leadership substantially corresponds with organizational commitment. Lee (2005) was referenced in this study. According to Selamat, Nordin, and Adnan's (2013) study, a large and positive linear correlation exists between organizational commitment and transformative leadership behavior. According to them, a principal's duty is to exhibit transformational leadership traits to motivate teachers' organizational commitment. Alqudah's (2011) research shows a high correlation between organizational commitment in all three categories and transformational leadership practices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the connection between corporate commitment to higher education institutions in the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Philippines and transformational leadership methods. The hypothesis focuses on how organizational commitment and transformative leadership relate to higher education institutions.

Theoretical / Conceptual Underpinning
James MacGregor Burns' notion of changing leadership, based on his study of political aptitude, gave rise to transformational leadership. Leaders must encourage and inspire their followers (Burns, 1978;Giddens, 2018). By helping people achieve set goals and objectives, businesses may be improved via transformational leadership. While reaching goals is important, the methods employed are even more important (Rao, 2014).
Transformational leaders frequently view organizational variables from a broad viewpoint. Instead of continually offering advice, answers, and a deeper reservoir of knowledge, transformational leaders inspire followers to solve problems for themselves (Buhler, 1995;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). Transformational leadership is defined by five important elements, according to Garg and Ramjee (2013), who referenced Avolio (2000): idealized influence traits, idealized influence conduct, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual concern.
Idealized influence attributes. It alludes to the leader's socialized charisma, in which the followers have a sense of devotion, adoration, and respect for the leader (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). According to Tajasom et al. (2015), a leader with idealized influence instills in followers a sense of purpose that is inspiring, acts as an ethical role model, fosters respect for and identification with the leader and his or her articulated vision, and conveys to them that the leader puts the needs of the group before personal interests.
Idealized influence behavior refers to the charismatic actions of the leader, whereby individuals transcend their self-interest for the sake of the organization and develop a collective sense of mission and purpose (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). According to Northouse (2009), quoted Tajasom et al. (2015), these leaders exhibit strong moral and ethical standards, inspiring followers to follow them to increase the quality and effectiveness of their job.
Inspirational motivation is the process by which transformational leaders energize their followers by articulating a compelling future vision. This excites followers, raises their expectations, and conveys confidence in their ability to accomplish challenging goals (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). A leader with inspirational motivation talks favorably about the future and exudes confidence in achieving collective goals to inspire and encourage others. In order to inspire followers to achieve goals, leaders must also speak enthusiastically about what has to be done and offer a clear vision for the future (Tajasom et al., 2015).
Intellectual stimulation. It describes how transformational leaders challenge the existing quo, intellectually appeal to followers, encourage them to think critically about their presumptions, and welcome original and creative solutions to issues (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). By questioning assumptions, reframing problems, and adopting fresh ways to situations that are already common, leaders may stimulate the minds of their followers and encourage them to be inventive and creative. It also occurs when the leader solicits alternative solutions to problems and obstacles (Nyengane, 2007).
Individualized consideration. It describes a style of leadership that helps followers feel satisfied by paying careful attention to their unique needs, serving as a mentor or coach, and fostering their growth and self-actualization (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013).

The Concept of Organizational Commitment and its dimensions
A person's identification with the group or organization they belong to is examined by the social identity theory, which is connected to organizational commitment. According to this hypothesis, individuals have a favorable perception of the organization's exterior status or image (Al-Jabari, & Ghazzawi, 2019). Following Allen and Meyer (1990), Al-Jabari and Ghazzawi (2019) said organizational commitment has three dimensions: affective commitment (AC), normative commitment (NC), and continuation commitment (CC). According to Cabaron's study from 2023, which had an evident rate of 3.78, social identity is crucial. Since their social identities enable them to be identified by their friends, peers, and other social network members, the respondents place a high value on them. The component of a person's self-concept made up of their perceived social identities is referred to as their social identity as a member of the proper social group.
Affective Commitment. Meyer and Allen (1991) proposed the first dimension, which states that each employee decides to remain committed to the organization based on their emotional connection to it. It is a positive outlook on the business (Singh & Gupta, 2015). Regarding turnover, absenteeism, work performance, and organizational and civic behavior, affective commitment is correlated with a wide variety of favorable outcomes (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001;Nyengane, 2007).
Continuance Commitment refers to side-bet theory, which states that as individuals remain in an organization's employment for extended periods, they accumulate investments, which become costly to lose the longer an individual stays. Some examples of these investments include time, effort at work, organizational-specific talents that might not be transferrable, higher costs of leaving the organization that deters individuals from pursuing alternative jobs, professional connections, and political deals (Nyengane, 2007). Without necessarily identifying with an organization's goals and views, positive extrinsic advantages are nevertheless gained, which causes organizational members to acquire commitment (Faloye, 2014; Al-Jabari & Ghazzawi, 2019). Employee views of the costs of leaving the company are discussed (Jonathan et al., 2013).
Normative Commitment. It displays a worker's feeling of obligation-driven dedication. It is less of a personal commitment and a societal expectation when one remains faithful to the employer who pays for services rendered (Singh & Gupta, 2015;Al-Jabari & Ghazzawi, 2019). Randall and Cote (1991), quoted by Nyengane (2007), noted that workers might feel forced to stay with a company if they believe it has invested excessive time and resources in their training and development.

Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment
According to Al-Yami, Galdas, and Watson's (2018) research, transformational leadership strongly influences organizational commitment. Garg and Ramjee's (2013) research shows a tenuous but statistically significant link between transformative leadership and emotional, normative, and continuation commitment. According to Nyengane (2007), transformational leadership behaviors and commitment have a beneficial link, as mentioned in Garg and Ramjee (2013). According to Thamrin's (2012) research, transformational leadership increases organizational commitment. Additionally, according to Atmojo's (2015) research, transformational leadership significantly impacts an organization's commitment. The conceptual framework investigated in this study is presented in Figure 1. In order to collect data on specific variables, this study used the descriptive-correlational approach and a standardized questionnaire. This study was carried out at the dean's offices of the chosen Higher Education Institutions on the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Philippines. The respondents in this study were all 103 faculty and staff members who were permanent professors or workers at the chosen higher education institutions. A Raosoft calculator was used to calculate the sample size .
The researcher utilized a standardized questionnaire. The survey questionnaire consisted of three sections: (1) Demographic Information, (2) Transformational Leadership, and (3) Organizational Commitment. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ; 5X) of Bass and Avolio (2000), cited Nyengane (2007), was used to measure Transformational Leadership. The respondents were asked to complete the MLQ based on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 'not at all' (1) to 'frequently' (5). For each question, the subjects indicated either the degree of their agreement or disagreement or how frequently the statement was true in their case by checking the box. Each respondent was asked to evaluate and identify how frequently their leader exhibits the characteristics stated by each item.

Transformational Leadership
• Idealized influence attributes Organizational Commitment comprises a 5-point Likert scale, and the respondents were instructed during the administration of the questionnaires by the researcher to mark the most suitable answer ranging from "strongly disagree" (1) to "strongly agree" (5). Nyengane (2007) pointed out that the mean reliability from all the studies was 0.82 for affective, 0.73 for continuance, and 0.76 for normative. These results showed that the three commitment constructs could be reliably measured. Weighted mean, standard deviation, and Pearson r were the statistical tools employed by the researcher using the SPSS.

Results and Discussion
Where leaders did not assess themselves, Table 1 shows the ratings given by respondents for transformational leadership in terms of idealized impact traits. The highest average weighted value, which earned a score of 3.97, behaves in ways that foster respect. The average values for each statement fall between 3.41 and 4.20, close to 4. .397, the most significant standard deviation. It suggests that respondents have a favorable opinion of transformational leadership and view it as having ideal characteristics. Overall, this dimension's ratings are higher than Bass and Avolio (1997) deem necessary for effective leadership. This study confirms the study of Bass and Avolio (1990), cited in Nyengane (2007) that the followers feel a greater degree of respect and trust for the leader. The "backbone" of this theory is that followers are more motivated to enhance their performance through transformational leadership. The idealized influence on behavior is shown in Table 2. The statement "Considers the moral and ethical consequences of decisions" had the highest weighted mean (3.84). With a weighted mean of 3.36, the statement "Keeps track of all mistakes" came in second place. The statement "Talks about their most important values and beliefs" had the lowest weighted mean, at 3.08. Based on the respondents' ratings, which is 3.36 with a standard deviation of 0.424, it can be concluded that the Deans frequently kept track of their shortcomings and occasionally practiced communicating their beliefs and values, emphasizing the necessity of having a sense of purpose. According to Northouse (2009), quoted Tajasom et al. (2015), these leaders exhibit strong moral and ethical standards, inspiring followers to follow them to increase the quality and effectiveness of their job.  Table 3 presents inspirational motivation. The statement "Talks optimistically about the future" received the highest weighted mean of 3.91, followed by "Talks about what needs to be accomplished enthusiastically," with a weighted mean of 3.85. On the other hand, the statement "Expresses confidence that goals will be achieved" had the lowest weighted mean of 3.10. In summary, considering the grand mean of all the respondents' ratings, which is 3.50, it indicates that some Deans fairly often practiced the level of optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence in their communication about the future.
A leader's capacity for inspiring motivation will increase if team members believe the organization's direction is inspirational. Leading by example, retaining optimism in the face of hardship, and looking for methods to lighten the load on their team members are all characteristics of inspirational leaders (Nyengane, 2007).  Table 4 displays the intellectual stimulation aspect. The statement "Gets me to look at problems from many different angles" received the highest weighted mean of 3.70, followed by "Seeks differing perspectives when solving problems," with a weighted mean of 3.67. On the other hand, the statement on how to suggest completing assignments in a new way had the lowest weighted mean of 3.28. In summary, transformational leaders are willing to question assumptions, seek different perspectives, consider multiple angles of problems, and propose new approaches to assignments. Dean's fundamental responsibility is to provide intellectual leadership intertwined with followers' academic demands and objectives. The blatant self-rating suggests that supervisors deliberately supported subordinates continued intellectual progress.
According to Avolio (2000), cited in Garg and Ramjee (2013), intellectual stimulation refers to how transformational leaders question the status quo, appeal to followers' intellect, stimulate them to question their assumptions, and invite innovative and creative solutions to problems.  Table 5 displays the individual consideration. It is evident from the table that the statement "Helps me to develop my strengths" received the highest weighted mean of 3.63, followed by "Treats me as an individual rather than just as a member of a group," with a weighted mean of 3.50. On the other hand, the statement "Spends time teaching and coaching" had the lowest weighted mean of 3.24.
In summary, the overall average rating, which is 3.42 with a standard deviation of 0.588, suggests that the Deans sometimes spend time teaching and coaching, consider their unique needs and abilities, and actively contribute to developing their strengths. Further, these findings implied that the Deans of Higher Education Institutions had displayed leadership behaviours based on the transformational theory of knowledge and action.
A transformational leader contributes to follower satisfaction by paying close attention to the individual needs of followers, acting as a mentor or coach, and enabling them to develop and self-actualize (Avolio, 2000;Garg & Ramjee, 2013). Table 6 contains descriptive data for the five transformational leadership subscales. The mean values for each transformational leadership subscale are all relatively close to 4 except for Individualized behavior. The greatest standard deviation in the transformational leadership dimensions is individualized consideration which attained approximately .588 standard deviation scores, with Intellectual stimulation a close second. The standard deviation of the variables is relatively high, indicating widespread responses.

Transformational Leadership
As seen in Table 6, Idealised Influence (attributed), Idealized Influence (Behaviour), Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individual Consideration were, on average, 4, indicating that leaders felt that these attributes were "always" displayed. While attributes of Idealised Influence (behavior) attributes were rated on average as three, indicating that they were "sometimes" displayed.
Bass and Avolio (1997), cited in Nyengane (2007), argued that for the most effective leadership, they suggest mean scores of greater or equal to 3.0 for the five (5) dimensions. The overall scores of leadership subscales obtained in this study (3.36, 3.42, 3.50. 3.50, and 3.70, respectively) are higher than what Bass and Avolio (1997) suggested, and they are also higher than the average scores obtained from Higher Education Institutions studies. This implies that Deans are displaying the ideal levels of transformational leadership. Organizational Commitment Table 7 displays the organizational commitment's mean and standard deviation scores in terms of affective commitment. The result depicts that mean scores of all four statements range from 3.20 to 3.68, which indicates that the Deans are between sometimes to fairly committed in Higher Education Institutions. They were fairly often committed with regard to Affective Commitment, with an average rating of 3.41.
Considering the Grand mean of all the ratings, which is 3.41 with a standard deviation of 0.570, it can be concluded that the organization generally cultivates a sense of inclusion, belonging, and emotional attachment among the respondents, resembling a family-like environment. Additionally, the organization holds a certain level of personal significance for the respondents, although slightly less than the other aspects assessed in this rating. Highly affective devoted instructors can also become strong instructional leaders in the classroom because they can grasp the subject matter they teach and can exhibit excellent teaching. Teachers with high emotional commitment may also constantly check on their pupils' work, be in charge of the classroom, and participate because they frequently display organizational citizenship behavior in extracurricular activities. On the other hand, emotional commitment, normative commitment, and perseverance commitment offer comparably favorable final results (Allen & Meyer, 1996;Selamat et al., 2013). Grand Mean 3.32 .647 Table 8 displays the organizational commitment's mean and standard deviation scores regarding continuance commitment. The result depicts that the Deans under study in the Higher Education Institutions were fairly often committed. After all, they would not leave the organization immediately because they have a sense of obligation to the institutions, with an evident rating of 3.63.
For Jonathan, Darroux, & Thibeti (2013), continuance commitment refers to employees' perceptions of the costs of leaving the organization. The data indicates that individuals' express concerns regarding the moral implications, trust, and guilt of leaving the organization. Furthermore, their sense of obligation towards their colleagues or the people within the organization plays a significant role in their decision to remain with the organization.  Table 9 displays the organizational commitment's mean and standard deviation scores regarding normative commitment. The result depicts that the Deans under study in the Higher Education Institutions were sometimes committed in normative aspect with an average rating of 3.35. However, they were fairly often committed when too much of their lives would be disrupted if they decided that they wanted to leave this organization immediately, with a rating of 3.58. The findings indicate that individuals perceive leaving the organization as disruptive, expensive, and resulting in significant personal losses.
The authors pointed out that when employees feel that the organization has spent too much time or money developing and training them, they might feel obligated to stay with the organization (Randall & Cote, 1991;Nyengane, 2007). The mean score in Table 10 for affective commitment was 3.41, significantly higher than normative commitment at 3.35. Table 10 also indicates mean scores for continuance commitment, which are slightly higher than those for normative commitment. The mean scores indicate the pattern postulated by Allen and Meyer (1996). On average, the modal frequency for commitment was 3.36 (neutral) for Continuance Commitment, Normative Commitment, and Organisational Commitment. The faculty/staff agreed with a commitment to their organization with an evident rating and average of 3.41.
The affirmative commitment concept is the decision to stay committed to the company is made by each employee individually based on their emotional connection to the company. It is an optimistic perspective toward the company (Meyer & Allen, 1991;Singh & Gupta, 2015).  Table 11 presents the significant relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment. Pearson-r (person correlation coefficient) is a statistical measure used to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between two continuous variables. As data is analyzed, the value of Pearson-r indicates the level of significance, which is 0.005, which implies a positive correlation between the two variables.
From Table 11, it is evident that there is an extremely weak but insignificant positive relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment (r = 0.182, p < 0.074). Therefore, the researcher concludes there is insufficient evidence at the 5% significance level of the relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment. It is also clear that there is a relatively weak but significant positive relationship between transformational leadership and continuance commitment (r = 0.256, p < 0.011). The researcher concludes that there is sufficient evidence, at the 1% significance level, that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and continuance commitment.
Further, a relatively weak but significant positive relationship exists between transformational leadership and normative commitment (r = 0.339, p < 0.001). The researcher concludes that there is sufficient evidence, at the 1% significance level, that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and normative commitment.

Conclusion and Recommendation
Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concluded that the transformational leadership of the Deans in Higher Education Institutions is effective. They displayed ideal levels of leadership, which confirms the study of Bass and Avolio (1997) that scores greater than three are most effective. On the other hand, the faculty/staff agreed with their commitment to their institutions. Generally, the transformational leadership of the Deans has a similar influence on continuance and normative commitment, which indicates that leadership has an interactive effect on continuance and normative commitment. Therefore, Deans can increase the faculty/staff continuance and normative commitment levels by improving their transformational leadership behavior. It is further recommended that future researchers may conduct the same study but broader scope in Higher Education Institutions.