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There are myriads of research outputs regarding the nexus between leadership behaviors and organizational effectiveness. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of empirical studies examining the indirect effect of leadership behaviors on academic performance in higher education settings via organizational learning. The present study examined the effects of leadership behaviors on departmental performance through organizational learning in Ethiopian public research universities. Adopting a mixed research method, the researchers selected four universities from a total of eight public research universities using a simple random sampling technique, and1176 staff members using a stratified random sampling technique, and 14 key informants using a purposive sampling technique to involve them in the study. Quantitative data was collected using multiple tools, namely the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire, and New Tool for Measuring Global Academic Performance. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interview. The quantitative data were analyzed using Frequency, Percentage, Multiple Correlations, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM). The qualitative data was analyzed thematically using Open Code version 4.03. The results indicated that the directions of relations among the three variables of Leadership Behaviors (LB), Departmental Performance (DP), and Organizational Learning (OL) were positive while the magnitudes of the relations ranged from very weak to moderately strong. The dimensions of LB and OL accounted for the largest cumulative variance in DP. The study further demonstrated essential patterns that would guide future policy and managerial actions.

Cooperative learning is more effective in a well-managed classroom with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. To that end, this study examined the state of applications of cooperative learning and student diversity in polytechnic colleges in southwest Ethiopia. A qualitative research methodology, specifically grounded theory design was employed to achieve the research purpose. The empirical data was gathered from 20 educational officials through in-depth interviews at sample polytechnic colleges. Student diversity found to have a significant influence on how cooperative learning is implemented. It has also been found that the perception of department heads towards diversity has a significant influence on the application of cooperative learning. The study’s findings also showed that managing diversity among students and interacting with peers within groups and from other groups has a positive influence on cooperative learning. In conclusion, the application of cooperative learning is affected by perceptional and structural factors of student diversity. Thus, this research recommends further study to be conducted on the relationship between diversity management and cooperative learning.

This study explored the links between leadership styles and leadership effectiveness using a correlational research design. A total of 616 academic staff members drawn from five public universities were included using proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results unveiled the domination of laissez-faire leadership style than the transformational and transactional styles in public universities. The results further unveiled that transformational leadership had high and significant correlations with all the leadership outcome measures of employees’ extra effort, perceived leadership effectiveness and finally staff satisfaction, while transactional leadership had moderate and significant relationships with employees’ perceived extra effort and staff satisfaction, but moderate and non-significant relationship with perceived leadership effectiveness. Besides, laissez-faire leadership style had low and non-significant relationships with all the three measures of leadership outcomes. Finally, the findings indicated that 55.8 % of the extra effort, 59.9 % of leadership effectiveness, and 53.9% of perceived staff satisfaction were explained by the three leadership styles. Policy directions are also forwarded in the study towards the end.