Abstract:
Work engagement is important for academic excellence, innovation and success in
higher education. This study examined the impact of knowledge-oriented leadership
on the work engagement of academics in higher education in Sri Lanka, with the
mediating role of knowledge sharing, as limited empirical research has explored this
phenomenon within the Sri Lankan university context. The population of the study
consisted of 1,863 academics (UGC statistics) from two urban and two rural state
universities, namely, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Wayamba University of Sri
Lanka, University of Colombo, and University of Kelaniya. Using a structured 39-
item questionnaire, a sample of 330 was targeted, and data was successfully collected
from 95 academics through both physical & online surveys. Data analysis was
conducted using SPSS version 25 with the PROCESS macro for mediation testing.
The findings highlighted the significant positive impacts of knowledge-oriented
leadership on work engagement (p = .000), knowledge sharing (p = .000), and on
work engagement (p = 0.0360). Moreover, there was a significant positive partial
mediating impact of knowledge sharing on the relationship between knowledge oriented leadership and work engagement (p = 0.0436). These results highlighted that
knowledge-oriented leadership behaviours encourage knowledge creation, sharing
and open communication, facilitating the strong work engagement among academics.
Thus, it is recommended to focus on adopting and integrating knowledge-oriented
leadership practices into organizational culture in Sri Lankan higher education sector
that supports knowledge sharing to improve academic performance.
