Organizational Foundations of Sustainable Higher Education: Validation of Leadership, Empowerment, Justice, and Commitment Measures

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to validate a measurement instrument designed to assess transformational leadership, employee empowerment, organizational justice, and organizational commitment among employees of private higher education institutions (PHEIs). Although these constructs have been extensively investigated in organizational behaviour and higher education research, empirical validation of their measurement properties within private higher education remains comparatively limited. This gap is important because PHEIs operate within distinctive organizational environments characterized by competitive pressures, changing governance arrangements, performance expectations, and increasing demands for employee retention and institutional sustainability. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, involving 48 academic and administrative staff members from PHEIs. The measurement model was evaluated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), with assessment focusing on indicator loadings, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), and the Heterotrait–Monotrait ratio (HTMT). The results indicated satisfactory convergent validity, with indicator loadings ranging from acceptable to excellent levels, CR values exceeding 0.88, and AVE values above the recommended 0.50 threshold. Discriminant validity was also established because all HTMT ratios remained below the conservative criterion of 0.85. These findings indicate that the four constructs demonstrate satisfactory reliability and validity and can therefore be used in subsequent structural model analyses. The study contributes methodologically by establishing a psychometrically sound measurement framework for examining organizational factors associated with workforce stability and institutional sustainability in PHEIs. The findings also support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Quality Education, and SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, by strengthening the empirical basis for investigating leadership, empowerment, fairness, and employee commitment in higher education organizations.