Distributed Leadership and Early-Career Turnover Intention Among Generation Z Faculty of Higher Education A Comparative Study of Public Private Sectors

Abstract

This study looked at whether a way of running a university called distributed leadership where decisions and responsibilities are shared among staff rather than kept only by senior managers can help keep these young teachers, known as Generation Z, in their roles. It also looked at whether feeling engaged and enthusiastic at work helps explain this link, and whether the pattern differs between public and private universities, between men and women, and across different lengths of early-career experience. Data were collected from young faculty members at universities in Punjab. The results showed that when universities share decision-making, delegate real responsibility, and encourage teamwork, young faculty are far less likely to want to leave. Faculty who felt more engaged and enthusiastic about their work were also much less likely to think about quitting. This pattern was stronger in private universities than in public ones, and stronger for female faculty and those with a little more experience. Overall, the study suggests that giving Generation Z faculty a genuine voice in how their university is run is one of the most effective ways to keep talented young teachers from leaving.