Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Information Systems and Technology

Department

Information and Decision Sciences

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dr. Shayo Conard / Dr. Ogundare Oluwatosin

Abstract

In this culminating project, a multiple-case study approach was used to investigate the impact of different leadership styles and their effects on mental health in the higher education sector. The research questions are: RQ1: What leadership styles in the past have positively affected employees' mental health at this higher education institution? RQ2: What leadership styles in the past have hurt employees' mental health at this higher education institution that caused a toxic work environment? Three real-world cases out of seventeen were selected and analyzed. The findings care RQ1: The transformational leader boosts and contributes to overall job satisfaction and well-being. RQ2: The autocratic and toxic leadership styles contribute to negatively affecting the mental health of the employee. It was found across the different case studies that autocratic leadership can contribute to the employee feeling a sense of anxiety, stressed, overwhelmed, and burnt out. The cases that highlight these effects of toxic leadership was the studies done in Turkey and Ireland that focused on the mental well-being of higher education employees. Common themes that was presented in these cases were these leaders created a fear-based environment, damaging moral and, higher turnover rates. The conclusions were as follows: RQ1: Higher education institutions benefit from having a transformational leader. RQ2: Autocratic leadership could lead to damaging the workplace and ultimately cause psychological harm to the staff members at the higher education institution. The areas of future research include: RQ1: Exploration of programs that focus on leadership development and the long-term impacts that are tailored towards employee well-being. RQ2: Consider reforming the hiring process so this allows the institutions to get their ideal leader candidate.

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