Shared Leadership and Management Effectiveness in Locally Funded Higher Education Institutions: The Empowered Program

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between shared leadership and management effectiveness in a locally funded higher education institution (LFHEI) in the Philippines. Although shared leadership has been widely examined in corporate and Western academic contexts, empirical evidence remains limited in politically governed public higher education institutions, particularly in developing countries. This study addresses this gap by examining shared leadership practices within a politically embedded governance structure. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed using a validated Shared Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) administered to 75 employees of Parañaque City College. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation were used to examine the relationships between shared leadership dimensions, namely social support, employee motivation, employee commitment, and employee innovation, and indicators of management effectiveness, including communication skills, adaptability, strategic thinking, and ethical behavior. Results indicate that shared leadership practices are evident, with social support and employee commitment rated highest. Management effectiveness was perceived as above average, particularly in strategic thinking and ethical behavior. A strong and statistically significant positive correlation was found between shared leadership and management effectiveness (r = 0.812, p < 0.01). The findings provide empirical support for the viability of shared leadership in politically governed LFHEIs, extending shared leadership theory beyond corporate and Western academic settings. The study contributes context- specific evidence to leadership research in public higher education and proposes the EmpowerEd Program as an evidence-based framework for institutionalizing collaborative decision-making, ethical governance, and leadership capacity-building in locally funded higher education institutions.