Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal tot watter mate waargenome leierskapvaardighede van die middelvlakbestuurders in 'n provinsiale hospitaal, 'n voorspeller is van topprestasie. Vanuit die literatuuroorsig word leierskapteoriee, die veranderende konteks van leierskap, leierskapstrategiee en -vaardighede bespreek. Die rasionaal vir topprestasie, visie in topprestasie-organisasies en die beginsels van topprestasie word ook bespreek. Die navorsingsontwerp is 'n beskrywende studie en maak gebruik van 'n gestratifiseerde ewekansige steekproef. Die leierskapvaardigheidsvraelys (Charlton, 1991) is vir die meet van die leierskapvaardighede gebruik en die PA VE-vraelys is gebruik vir die meet van die vlak van topprestasie in die organisasie-eenheid. Die resultate vertoon bemagtiging as die vemaamste voorspeller van topprestasie by die middelvlakbestuurders. Toekomstige navorsing kan temas insluit soos die rol en potensiaal van 'n gedeelde visie, volharding, en werkstevredenheid. Relevante sleutelwoorde is transformerende leierskapvaardighede, topprestasie, bemagtiging en middelvlakbestuurders. / The aim of this research is to determine to what extent perceived leadership competency of the middle level manager in a provincial hospital, is a predictor of peak performance. The literature highlights leadership theories, the changing context of leadership, leadership strategies and competencies. The rationale for peak performance, vision in peak performing organizations and the principles of peak performance are also discussed. The research design is a descriptive study which uses a stratified randomized sample. The leadership competence questionnaire (Charlton, 1991) is used to measure the leadership competencies. The PA VE questionnaire is used to measure the level of peak performance in the organizational unit. The results indicate empowerment as the most prominent predictor of peak performance of middle level managers. Future research may include the role and potential of a shared vision, determination and work satisfaction. Relevant keywords are transformational leadership competencies, peak performance, empowerment and middle level managers. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The pace of globalisation and the continuous advance in technology have created an ever-changing business environment, which is making it increasingly difficult for organisations to remain competitive. To the world community globalisation has been a gradual process, whereas its impact in South Africa was more pronounced and happened over a shorter period. This was due to the re-admission of South Africa to the international community after the 1994 elections. In addition, leaders in this new global economy are facing new, complex challenges associated with the everchanging business environment, and the depth and quality of the leadership that they provide are critical to the success of organisations. It was within this context that this research study was conceived. More specifically, the author became interested in the type of leadership behaviours, practices and characteristics that are essential to lead an organisation in the new global economy. During the last two decades, an increasing number of researchers began to report on a 'new' style of leadership based on innovation, continuous learning, constant renewal and entrepreneurship. This leadership style challenges traditional views on work among employees, creates a new vision and motivates workers to perform above expectation. These leaders have recognised the need for revitalisation and they bring about change within their organisations to meet the challenges of the current, ever-changing environment. This 'new' leadership style is transformational leadership, which has been extensively reported on. Literature abounds with studies on transformational leadership and its impact on organisational effectiveness. It is one of the most extensively researched leadership paradigms to date and is still evolving. This dissertation reviews the development of leadership theory and the paradigm shifts that have led to the development of transformational leadership theory. Furthermore, the author interviewed experienced leaders from Naspers to practically identify essential leadership requirements within a South African multinational organisation. The primary research findings indicate that there are parallels between essential leadership behaviours and characteristics, as identified by the present study, and transformational leadership behaviours and characteristics. The study indicates that some of the successes of the researched organisation could be attributed to the transformational leadership practices that it has employed. It can also be inferred that, should these characteristics and behaviours be nurtured in other leaders and organisations in general, these organisations could become more effective, competitive and growth-orientated in the current organisational landscape. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tempo van globalisering en die volgehoue vordering in tegnologie, het 'n heeltydse veranderende besigheids omgewing teweeggebring, wat dit moeilik maak vir organisasies om kompeterend te bly. Die proses van globalisering was 'n geleidelike proses vir die wereld gemeenskap, maar die effek op Suid-Afrika was meer dramaties. Dit is as gevolg van Suid Afrika se hertoelating tot die wereld ekonomie, na die 1994 verkiesings. Die nuwe wereld ekonomie en veranderende besigheids omgewing stel oak addisionele vereistes en uitdagings aan leiers en die diepte en kwaliteit van hulle leierskap is krities tot die sukses van hul organisasie. Dit was binne die konteks wat die navorsing studie gebore was. Meer spesifiek, die skrywer was geinteresseerd in die tipe leierskap style, praktyke en eienskappe wat krities is om organisasies te lei in the nuwe wereld ekonomie. Gedurende die laaste twee dekades, het 'n groeiende hoeveelheid navorsers begin verslag doen oor 'n 'nuwe' leierskap styl, gebasseer op innovasie, volgehoue studie, konstante vernuwing en entrepreneurskap. Die leierskap styl daag die tradisionele siening van werknemers t.o.v. hulle werk uit, dit skep nuwe visies en motiveer werknemers om bo verwagting te presteer. Die tipe leiers het die nodigheid raak gesien vir vernuwing en hulle bring verandering binne organisasies aan om die uitdagings van die nuwe omgewing te bowe te kom. Die 'nuwe' leierskap styl is transformasie leierskap. Daar is al ekstensief verslag gedoen oor die styl en daar is 'n oorvloed van literatuur beskikbaar oor transformasie leierskap en die impak daarvan op die effektiwiteit van organisasies. Sover is dit een van die mees nagevorsde leierskap paradigmas. Die studie hersien die ontwikkeling van leierskap teorie en die verskuiwing in paradigmas wat gelei het tot die ontwikkeling van transformasie leierskap teorie. Die skrywer het ook onderhoude gevoer met ervare leiers van Naspers, om prakties uit te vind wat se leierskap benaderings en eienskappe nodig is binne Suid-Afrikaanse multi-nasionale organisasies. Die primere resultate van die studie het gewys dat daar ooreenkomste is tussen die leierskap benadering en eienskappe van die huidige studie en die van transformasie leierskap. Die studie wys ook dat die sukses van Naspers gedeeltelik toegestaan kan word aan die transformasie leierskap praktyke wat toegepas is binne die organisasie. Verder kan dit ook afgelei word dat as die praktyke en eienskappe toegepas word op ander leiers in ander oranisasies, kan hulle ook meer effektief, kompeterend en groei georienteerd wees in die huidige organisatoriese landskap.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / The purpose of this research study is to understand the impact of key life experiences on the authentic transformational leadership development of the researcher. The document outlines the events that signify the leadership development of the researcher, from his earliest years in the fishing village of Mossel Bay, through to the tertiary years in Cape Town, to where he finds himself working for a Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed corporate company. The researcher makes use of autoethnography as a research method. Narratives are used to capture life or to trigger events in a way which enables the researcher to get a better understanding of whom he has become as a leader. The researcher has reviewed positive events, as well as events which had a negative impact on his development as leader, such as the low level of involvement of the father figure during his upbringing. The narratives draw a lot from the experience of being raised predominantly by the mother and how this shaped certain transformational aspects of the researcher’s leadership profile. Furthermore, the narratives also viewed the impact of certain early interactions and experiences in the researcher’s work life which influenced the ethical development of his leadership approach. The researcher concludes with a summary of key themes that emerged during reflection of trigger events and experiences, which he hopes may contribute toward others finding their own leadership profiles.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee engagement research is an emerging field of study and several models suggest that leadership is crucial in the development of work engagement. However, a gap remains in understanding what leadership behaviours could influence engagement. High levels of employee engagement, which refers to employees’ investment of physical, cognitive and emotional energy in their work, provide significant organisational benefit in almost every conceivable organisational metric. The objective of this research was to explore the impact of transformational leadership on work engagement in a mining company in South Africa from an employee point of view. This exploratory and explanatory study used a cross-sectional design focussing on middle management employees at a Paterson D-Lower level. All employees worked in a mid-sized mining company in South Africa. An online self-reporting survey was used to measure the following constructs and their respective dimensions: work engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption), transformational leadership (individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation) and transactional leadership (contingent reward and management by exception – active). The research questionnaire was adopted from The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The study indicated that transformational leadership does impact work engagement. The survey achieved a 21 per cent total response rate with a 17 per cent response rate of completed questionnaires. Work engagement showed a statistical significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.454, p < 0.05), but no significant correlation with gender, business unit, qualification or time reporting to the same supervisor. There is partial support for the impact of time in a specific job on work engagement, especially for employees who have been in the same job for less than five years. The study found that transformational leadership correlated positively with work engagement (r = 0.33, p = 0.115) as well as with vigour, dedication and absorption. Inspirational motivation showed the highest significant correlation with work engagement (r = 0.474, p = 0.019), while intellectual stimulation (r = 0.152, p > 0.2) did not seem to correlate significantly with work engagement. Individualised consideration (r = 0.296) and idealised influence (r = 0.282) seemed to correlate positively with work engagement (p < 0.2). The study found that vigour and dedication correlated positively with individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Absorption differed from vigour and dedication by correlating strongly with management by exemption – active and weakly with all other dimensions, except inspirational motivation. Inspirational motivation showed the highest correlation of all the leadership dimensions with vigour (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), dedication (r = 0.437, p < 0.05) and absorption (r = 0.404, p < 0.1). Transformational leadership’s dimensions combined explain more of the variance in vigour, dedication and absorption than transactional leadership. The impact of transformational leadership on work engagement seemed to be more complex than originally suspected, and individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation should all be present for the transformational leader to impact on engagement. More research is needed to explore the complex interaction between transformational leadership and work engagement, considering possible mediating factors like work environment, personal resources and job resources.

<p>The business climate of today demands high flexibility and quick responsiveness from suppliers.</p><p>It has become essential for organizations to have effective leaders in all hierarchal</p><p>levels, which understand and are able to work under these conditions. As the market requirements</p><p>have changed, a new paradigm of leadership has evolved (Bryman, 1992). This</p><p>paradigm puts more focus on charisma and how to motivate followers, which is the essential</p><p>part of transformational leadership. According to Burns (1978), transformational leadership</p><p>is a process between leader and follower rather than exchanges. This leads to the</p><p>question of what effective leadership is and if it can be measured in some way. One</p><p>method is the use of the Multifactor leadership questionnaire, the MLQ-test, developed by</p><p>Bass 1985 from the full range model.</p><p>The conducted research for this thesis is done at PaperPak Sweden AB, a manufacturer of</p><p>disposable incontinence products located in Aneby, Småland.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate if any differences and/or similarities in leadership</p><p>can be found between or within the hierarchical levels. The intent with the report is also to</p><p>investigate those variances and if they are positive or negative for an organization.</p><p>A theoretical framework focusing on leadership has been collected, to enable the fulfillment</p><p>of the thesis purpose. This framework will act as support for the analysis of the quantitative</p><p>investigation, based on the MLQ-test. From this analysis, the authors have made</p><p>conclusions and recommendations. The degree of transformational, transactional and laissez-</p><p>faire leadership has been measured for the three leadership levels top, middle and low</p><p>management. It could be argued that the top management should show the highest degree</p><p>of transformational leadership, and low management the least, due to their positions and</p><p>work tasks. The result of the analysis supported that theory to a large extent. However,</p><p>lower management showed a significantly higher degree of transformational leadership</p><p>than middle management. One explanation could be that middle management lives in a</p><p>more stressful situation, working between top and low management, compared to the other</p><p>two, which is supported by Grout (1994).</p><p>Since the theoretical findings mean that leadership can be learnt and developed, the authors</p><p>suggest that organizations always have to follow up and try to develop their leaders and</p><p>managers towards higher degrees of transformational leadership. Finally the authors suggest</p><p>that further studies of the MLQ-test should investigate the possibilities to include measurements</p><p>of the technical side of leadership, since the test currently does not take those</p><p>factors into consideration.</p>

本研究旨在探討國民中學校長轉型領導對學校組織學習影響之研究，具體目的包括瞭解國民中學校長轉型領導與組織學習現況、不同背景教師在國民中學校長轉型領導與組織學習知覺之差異情形、國民中學校長轉型領導各構面對組織學習的預測情形，最後歸納結論與建議，作為國民中學校長的參考。 本研究採問卷調查法進行。經由文獻探討與參考相關量表編製「國民中學學校組織學校狀況調查問卷」最為研究工具。抽樣方式採叢集抽樣，抽樣台北縣市41所國民中學教師1060位進行正式問卷施測，回收有效問卷860份，回收率81.13%；資料整理後以描述統計、獨立樣本t檢定、單因子變異數分析與逐步多元迴歸分析等方法進行統計分析，本研究的主要結果如下： 一、國民中學校長轉型領導現況以「激勵鼓舞」知覺得分最高，「智識啟發」最低。 二、國民中學學校組織學習現況以「支持專業成長」知覺得分最高，「提升專業知能」最低。 三、男性教師所知覺的校長轉型領導與學校組織學習較高。 四、女性校長之學校教師所知覺的校長轉型領導與學校組織學習較高。 五、不同學歷之教師，所知覺的校長轉型領導與學校組織學習無差異。 六、41歲以上之教師，所知覺校長轉型領導與學校組織學習較高。 七、擔任主任或組長之教師，所知覺校長轉型領導、學校組織學習較高。 八、年資16年以上之教師，所知覺校長轉型領導較高。 九、年資5年以下之教師，所知覺學校組織學習較高。 十、偏遠地區的學校教師所知覺之校長轉型領導與學校組織學習高於其他地區。 十一、國中校長轉型領導對學校組織學習具有預測力。 本研究根據研究結果，提出供校長推動學校組織學習之建議。 / The main purposes of this research are to understand the current situations of principals' transformational leadership and organizational learning in junior high schools, and to analyze the differences among principals' transformational leadership and organizational learning in personal variables, and school environmental variables in junior high schools. Furthermore, it explores the prediction among teachers’perception of transformational leadership and organizational learning with junior high schools. Finally, According to the results of the collected data, the researcher generalized the conclusions and provided suggestions for junior high schools. This study is based on documentary analysis and questionnaires. The “Investigative Questionaire of the organizational learning situations of junior high schools” is the main tool in use. The samples were 1,060 teachers selected from 41 junior high schools in Taiwan, and 860 of the distributed copies were returned as valid. The return rate was 81.13%. A series of statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, T-test, one-way ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were employed in this study. The main results of this study are as the following: 1. Among the perceptional levels of the principals’ transformatIional leadership, the highest one is the “ encouraging motivation” ,whereas the lowest falls on “intellectual inspiration”. 2. In terms of organizational learning, teachers’ perception of” supporting professional development”scores the highest,whereas ” auditing expertise and supporting networking” scores the lowest. 3. The male teachers have stronger awareness on principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning in junior high schools. 4. Teachers in the female principals’ school have stronger awareness on principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning. 5. There’s no significant difference in teachers’ awareness of principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning with respect to different educational backgrounds. 6. Teachers who are older than 41 years old have stronger awareness of principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning in junior high schools. 7. Administrative teachers tend to have higher levels of awareness towards principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning at schools. 8. Teachers with more-than-16-year teaching experience have higher levels of awareness towards principals’ transformational leadership in the schools. 9. Teachers with less than 5 years of teaching experience have higher levels of awareness towards organizational learning in the schools. 10. As to principals’ transformational leadership and organizational learning, teachers in the schools which are located in countryside have higher levels of wareness than those in town and city schools. 11. The transformational leadership can make good prediction of organizational learning. The results gained from this study can be the useful information for school principals.

The purpose of the present study was to get further knowledge about the relationship between transformative and transactional leadership in the context of employee ́s well-being, as well as the relationship between the components of respectively leadership and employee‟s well-being. The study also aims to gain knowledge about previous research on the transformational and transactional leadership and employee well-being and if it‟s applicable in the Swedish culture. The few studies that studied the relationship between transactional leadership and the well-being of employees have found a negative relationship or found no relationship at all. The results of the present study showed a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee‟s well-being. All four components of the transformational leadership showed a positive relationship with employee‟s well-being. Two components of the transactional leadership showed a negative relationship with employee‟s well-being, while the third component showed a positive relationship. This study contributes with information regarding the relationship between transformative and transactional leadership and the components of respectively leadership with the well-being of employee‟s within Swedish culture.

With rapid changes in the business environment, more acute competition and increasingly demanding clients, organisations in the construction industry have identified innovation as a means of achieving competitive advantage. Innovation provides an important avenue for firms to improve performance while differentiating their products and services. Research has identified a number of factors as influencing innovation in construction organisations. Primarily these include internal factors such as organisational climate, innovation championing, leadership and exogenous influences such as clients, regulations, technology and the economy. The role of senior management in promoting innovation is widely recognised in literature. However, in the construction and project based environment, very few studies have focused on middle management and how their day to day leadership activities impact on innovation and project performance. The purpose of this study was to improve middle management leadership behaviour in order to facilitate innovation and improve project performance in construction professional services firms. Through a combination of qualitative case study, questionnaire surveys and qualitative interviews, the research identified how the leadership behaviour exhibited by middle managers in the work place could enhance innovation and project performance. The study was undertaken in five phases to reflect the five key objectives for the research. The first phase comprised a review of the literature on innovation to identify key internal and external factors influencing innovation and ultimately, project performance. The second phase involved a case study of three different innovative projects to examine the role of middle managers in facilitating the innovations studied. Phase three of the study investigated the relationships among transformational leadership, innovation championing and organisational climate for innovation while examining how they combine to promote innovation and enhance project performance. Phase four involved qualitative validation of the relationship among the constructs examined in phase three and preparation of leadership development resource for middle managers which was subsequently trialed in phase five. Key findings from the study suggest that transformational leadership behaviour exhibited by middle managers influences innovation by developing an environment conducive to innovation which in turn fosters innovation championing behaviour and ultimately, enhances project performance. The study contributes to knowledge and adds to the understanding of the role of middle managers in facilitating innovation and improving project performance. It demonstrates that the bypass effect of transformational leadership is applicable in the project based environment since transformational leadership of middle managers directly influenced project performance, circumventing project managers. In addition, the cascading effect of transformational leadership was confirmed, as championing behaviour and climate for innovation mediated the relationship between transformational leadership of middle managers and project performance. Furthermore, it revealed that the individual dimensions of transformational leadership influenced innovation and project performance differently. The study found that individualised support was the most influential dimension impacting on innovation championing behaviour, climate for innovation and project performance. Articulating vision and fostering the acceptance of group goals both influenced climate for innovation and project performance. High performance expectation, modelling behaviour and intellectual stimulation influenced innovation championing and project performance. Beyond these the study has highlighted the particular actions which constituted each dimension of transformational leadership and how they influenced the performance of project team members. Through this study transformational leadership development resource has been developed to help middle managers cultivate the expected leadership behaviour that could facilitate innovation and improve project performance. The study also identified how transformational leadership behaviour can be engrained in the day to day working practices of middle managers. The study presents a more positive view of middle managerial role in improving organisational performance contrary to previous negative reporting on this constituency and identifies the need for greater recognition for their role. The study recommends that construction professional services firms should support middle managers to develop transformational leadership behaviour and create the kind of environment where innovation becomes a part of the normal daily work practices. In addition the study opens a new avenue for the study of transformational leadership by using both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the impact of the individual dimensions. It recommends that future research adopts the same approach in different contexts to further test the suggested relationships. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers to give greater attention to incorporating transformational leadership behaviour into the essential set of behavioural competencies managers in the construction industry need to develop beyond their technical skills.

Over the past few years there has been growing interest in the study of leadership styles and organisational culture. Internal issues and external environment challenge the leadership of manufacturing organisations, Scarborough(2001). The focus of the research was to gain insight into the transformational leadership of manufacturing organisations. Although leadership scholars have generated a significant stream of research on transformational leadership, there has been a lack of attention to the specific features in the context of transformational leadership such as contingency theories, attribution theory, and organisational culture. The study investigates the effects of transformational leadership on situational determinants and organisational culture in manufacturing organisations in Pakistan. Podsakoff et al, (1990) a 23-item measure of transformational leadership inventory questionnaire was employed to evaluate transformational leadership in manufacturing organisations. The objectives of this research study are: Firstly to study transformational leadership in Pakistani manufacturing organisations. Secondly to study transformational leaders' behaviour in manufacturing organisations with respect to situational determinants, i.e., situation strength, attribution theory, feedback, and organisational culture. Thirdly to develop hypotheses concerning the relationship between transformational leadership, and situational determinants and to develop a model of relationship between transformational leadership, situational determinants and organisational culture. Lastly, to suggest further research guidelines for transformational leadership phenomena and leadership in Pakistani manufacturing organisations. Results from the research show that transformational leaders tend to create weak situations for their followers in manufacturing organisations; they favour discretion to their followers and delegate decision-making to followers. Transformational leaders also tend to make external attributions for the causes of poor performance in their organisations, and assume follower's mistake as a learning experience. They try to establish close contact with their followers and seek feedback directly from followers. Transformational leaders favour clan type culture more in their manufacturing organisations; however adhocracy culture is not completely ignored. A new leadership alignment model incorporating various concepts focusing on leadership style, organisational leadership, and situational strength has been introduccd. Results from the data analysis indicate that there is a need to train more leaders in Pakistani manufacturing organisations to benefit from the transformational leadership style, as it has beene stablished that transformational leadershipis an influential form of leadership clearly associated with high levels of individual and organisational performance(, Shamir & Kark, 2002). As pointed out by Bass, (2002) leaders will be prized for their innovativeness, responsiveness, and flexibility, all linked to their frequency of transformational leadership behaviour.

Internal branding in universities has been acknowledged in marketing literature as an important area of research. In the context of higher education institutions, employees play a crucial role in the branding process. Research within the current spectrum of internal branding indicates some ambiguities surrounding internal branding in higher education. Yet very few studies are available in the field of internal branding within universities to explore employee behaviour in brand support. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to examine, from the academic staff’s perspective, the relationships between internal branding in universities and employee brand support and also the relevant underlying mechanisms (specifically, the mediating effects of internal branding aspects, i.e., 1. brand-centred training and development activities and 2. internal brand communications) in a Thai university context. This study employed a mixed methods approach with a dominant quantitative component, involving semi-structured interviews (with 19 respondents) and a pilot survey (with 95 respondents) to collect data for the development of measurement scales. Afterwards, the main survey (with 347 respondents) was conducted in order to test the research hypotheses and the proposed conceptual model. In addition, information from the semi-structured inteviews is used to explain the relationships found in this study after hypothesis testing. Based on a review of the existing literature in a range of fields (including higher education management, brand management, organisational identity, organisational culture and behaviour, corporate communication, human resource management, marketing management, government policy and leadership), this study proposes a conceptual model of the positive relationships between internal branding activities in universities (internal brand communications and brand-centred training and development activities) and employee brand support. In addition, the transformational leadership characteristics of the immediate leader (idealised influence or charisma; inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individual consideration) are also included in the model as determinants of internal branding activities and employee brand support. Brand-centred training and development activities and internal brand communication activities are proposed as mediators of the relationships in the model. The proposed conceptual model is developed on the basis of marketing control theory (Jaworski, 1988) combined with transformational leadership theory (Burns, 1978), social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) and Lewin’s (1947) change theory. From the statistical findings, together with upport from the literature and the in-depth interviews during the exploratory stage, this study finds positive relationships between brand-centred training and development activities, internal brand communication activities, the transformational leadership characteristics of the immediate leaders and employee brand support. However, an unexpected outcome is that the relationship between internal brand communication activities and employee brand support is not significant. This outcome indicates that the brand-centred training and development construct fully mediates the relationship between internal brand communication activities and employee brand support. Therefore, in order to create employee brand support behaviours among academic staff, institutions cannot rely solely on their internal communication activities. This finding highlights a crucial role for brand-centred training and development activities in building employee brand support in the context of higher education. In addition, the study finds that, given transformational leadership characteristics, an immediate leader of academic staff not only affects their brand support behaviour, but also either initiates or influences internal branding activities in the institution, thereby creating employee brand support among academic staff. Therefore, institutions which want to build employee brand support from the academic staff should ensure that the immediate leaders of their academic staff’ should manifest transformational leadership characteristics. Finally, this investigation is expected to be of value in advancing current knowledge about internal branding in universities and also be useful to higher education management and public policy-makers who want to encourage academic staff to support their university’s brand.