Exploring The Interplay Of Visionary Leadership And Institutional Support: Mediating And Moderating Effects On Research Engagement Among Bachelor Students In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop an elaborate model of predictors influencing the research culture among bachelor students in public sector universities of KPK, Pakistan offering business, management and administration education. The independent variables of the model include visionary leadership style (VLS), Law of Attraction principles (LOA), research professor-student interaction (RPSI), and institutional support (IS). The outcome variable of the current study is research culture among bachelor students (RCBS). In addition, it examines the mediating role of RSE and RPSI and the moderating role of SM and RPE. This framework is meant to be tested empirically in future studies to establish its validity and applicability. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Social Constructivism, which centers on the relative influence of social interaction and institutional support in the creation of educational attainment. This conceptual framework is consistent with the notion of the importance of positive faculty-student interaction and the supporting environment in the development of a strong research culture. The study will use a quantitative research design to meet its objectives and obtain data through a survey approach. The target population of the study was bachelor students studying in the public sector universities of KPK, which provide business, management and administration studies. The sample will be drawn to represent the age/gender profile of the student population across various universities using a proportional quota random sampling method. After consultation was established, sample size is estimated to be approximately 350–400 students to have the desirable statistical power to testing the relationships among the variables. This study, therefore, attempts to offer some interesting food for thought on how leadership, institutional support and student involvement interact to create a lively research culture. The results will provide important knowledge that policy makers, educators and institutional leadership can use when developing initiatives that encourage students to develop research skills. Moreover, by emphasizing on the mediating and moderating effects of the identified variables, it calls for future research on the same and promotes collaboration between academy and industry for better research outcomes. In the end, this study makes a contribution to knowledge about creating a supportive academic environment for research and scholarly practice and provides a basis for future empirical testing of the developed model.

Keywords: Visionary leadership style, Law of Attraction principles, research professor-student interaction, institutional support, research culture, research self-efficacy, student motivation, research professor experience, bachelor students, higher education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.