ABSTRACT
This research examines the effect of spiritual and integrated leadership dimensions on organizational commitment in Ethiopia, Ethiopia`s public higher education institutions. By focusing on Hargrove and Hart’s Integrated Leadership Model, and Fry’s Spiritual Leadership Theory, it fills a crucial leadership research gap in developing nation’s higher education institutions, where low morale and bureaucratic rigidity are more predominant. An explanatory research design was employed, combining quantitative data from 476 academic and administrative staffs of Injibara University using relevant data collection tools. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The findings from SEM show that, ethical decision-making, hope/faith, emotional intelligence, and vision significantly predict organizational commitment. However, authentic communication did not exhibit a significant direct effect; this suggests that in hierarchical and exhibiting mistrust academic cultures, transparency alone is insufficient without ethically and emotionally grounded leadership. The study provides a significant contribution to the literature by offering a hybrid leadership model that has been empirically tested in the context of developing nations. It also provides critical insights for promoting employee engagement and organizational trust. Consequently, In order to enhance organizational commitment and promote national sustainable development goals, the implications highlight the necessity of values-based leadership development in higher education institutions.
Keywords: Integrated leadership, Spiritual leadership, Organizational commitment, Higher education institutions.
Strategic Business Research 2 (2026) 100061