The Relationship Between Sustainable Leadership and Organizational Identification in Universities

Introduction

The impact of globalization, capital liberation, resource exploitation, seeking undeserved gains in the short-term, the exponential growth of the world population, and the threat to the natural environment have raised many concerns, prompting societies to search for solutions (Filho et al., 2020). Towards the end of the twentieth century, the consumption-based worldview, which focused on maximizing the utilization of the world's resources, gave way to a sustainable worldview that emphasized the need to conserve these resources (Šimanskienė and Župerkienė, 2014).

Sustainable development, a development model that aims to meet the present needs without impeding the ability of future generations to meet their needs, has gained global attention through international agreements and has become a universal implementation plan (Carr, 2014). For businesses, the concept of responsible care has emerged as a fundamental approach to sustainability practices, indicating that social, economic, and environmental aspects should be addressed collectively to achieve sustainability in the present (Conway, 2015). To holistically address these dimensions in businesses, there is a need for a corporate sustainability approach and leaders who can manage this process in a healthy and effective manner.

The fundamental principle of sustainability emphasizes the need for a distinct way of life. The current way of life serves as the foundation for ecological problems, such as water resource depletion, seasonal changes, famine risks, melting glaciers, economic issues like income inequality, poverty, and welfare, and many social problems such as social justice, resource access inequality, social exclusion or discrimination, and the consumption of future resources today (Avery and Bergsteiner, 2011). Establishing a different way of life necessitates a unique, future-oriented perspective and management style that differs from the current scenario. It is at this juncture that the concept of sustainable leadership has emerged in management literature as a new leadership paradigm (Okechukwu et al., 2015).

Educational institutions that fail to keep up with changes and do not take related necessary precautions in advance encounter difficulties in adapting to innovations and developments. In today's world, where change is constant and knowledge is continuously evolving, the operation of systems that provide internal and external balance in educational institutions, including universities, has become crucial (Grooms and Reid-Martinez, 2011). In this regard, the realization of a sustainable university structure and the presence of managers who have adopted a sustainable leadership style in this process have gained significance (Lambert, 2012). A sustainable leader utilizes human and material resources efficiently, carries forward its material and moral values, and lays the groundwork for future management (Kantabutra and Saratun, 2013). Such a leader refrains from causing social and ecological harm and instead acts for the benefit of society and the ecosystem. The continuity of changes in the field of education is only possible if the management continues, even if the administrators change and even if there is a gap in the management (Williams et al., 2014).

A sustainable leadership style will have a positive impact on academics, who are internal stakeholders. One of the most important work outcomes is organizational identification. Organizations require leaders who inspire employees to achieve their objectives. For successful implementation of sustainability in universities, sustainability should be at the center of management processes. Therefore, the function of sustainable leaders is critical in making this concept a viable dimension. Positive work outcomes that such leaders create among academics will provide support in achieving the goal of effective and efficient work in universities.

The objective of this study is to reveal the relationship between sustainable leadership and organizational identification for academics working in research universities in Istanbul through structural equation modeling.