Transformational Leadership Strategies: A Discourse on the Transition from a “Named University” to an “Unnamed University”

Subject Areas : Grounded Theory

Maryam Shekarynia ¹ , Badri Shahtalebi ² , Mehraban Hadi Peykani ³

1 - Department of Public Administration, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of Educational Management, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 - Department of Public Administration, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2025-07-02 Accepted : 2025-08-12 Published : 2025-09-18

Keywords: Transformational leadership, human resource development, organizational development, Islamic Azad University,

Abstract :

The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying transformational leadership strategies as a discourse of moving from a “named university” to an “unnamed university” at Islamic Azad University. This study was applied in terms of purpose, pragmatic in terms of paradigm, and data-based in terms of strategy. The research environment consisted of experienced faculty members and staff of Islamic Azad University, who were selected through criterion-based purposive sampling (work experience for staff and executive positions for faculty members). The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews. Based on the principle of theoretical saturation, the sampling was completed with 17 participants. In the first stage of the research, 48 open codes or concepts were obtained. In the next step, through the abstraction ladder, these codes were transformed into two main categories: (1) human resource development, with the subcategories of professional development of employees and leadership development, and (2) organizational development, with the subcategories of environmental engineering and organizational culture and structure engineering.The validity of the qualitative data was examined and confirmed according to the method of Guba and Lincoln (1994) using four criteria: trustworthiness, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The findings indicated that transformational leadership, through its capabilities, can transform the university from a showy and “named” institution into an “unnamed” one characterized by dynamism, authenticity, and real function, while avoiding number-oriented approaches and exaggeration, and fostering the education of a civil and faithful subject.

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