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Review Article
Exploring the Role of Transformational Leadership in Enhancing Financial Sustainability of Kenyan Public Universities: A Systematic Review
Evans Okemwa Achuti*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2026
Pages:
74-87
Received:
26 February 2026
Accepted:
9 March 2026
Published:
23 March 2026
Abstract: To address the critical need for context-specific insights, this systematic review synthesizes and interprets existing empirical evidence to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which transformational leadership enhances the financial sustainability of Kenyan public universities. This study examines how transformational leadership influences financial management practices, resource mobilization, revenue diversification, and financial governance in the context of the challenges faced by these institutions. A comprehensive search strategy was employed across multiple electronic databases, and studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria of the present study. This review synthesizes findings from empirical studies, systematic reviews, and theoretical analyses, focusing on four key dimensions of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The synthesized evidence, carefully adapted to the Kenyan context, suggests that transformational leadership contributes to Kenyan public universities’ financial sustainability by fostering innovative financial strategies, promoting accountability and transparency, and encouraging stakeholder engagement, as further detailed and contextualized in the subsequent sections. Transformational leaders address the challenges of inconsistent government funding, limited financial autonomy, and governance inefficiencies by inspiring adaptive strategies and cultivating a culture of innovation within their organizations. The findings are interpreted through the lens of transformational leadership theory, resource dependence theory, and the balanced scorecard framework, providing a holistic understanding of how visionary and adaptive leadership behaviors drive sustainable financial outcomes. This synthesis provides a novel, integrated understanding of how transformational leadership, viewed through the lenses of transformational leadership theory, resource dependence theory, and the balanced scorecard framework, uniquely drives sustainable financial outcomes in the Kenyan context, offering a more robust foundation for targeted interventions and policy development. This review offers policy and practical recommendations for integrating transformational leadership principles into strategic planning, capacity building, and governance reforms to strengthen public universities’ financial resilience in Kenya. Further research is required to examine the direct causal mechanisms between transformational leadership and financial sustainability.
Abstract: To address the critical need for context-specific insights, this systematic review synthesizes and interprets existing empirical evidence to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which transformational leadership enhances the financial sustainability of Kenyan public universities. This study examines how transformational leadership influences financ...
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Research Article
Assessing Bank Success Factors in Bangladesh Through the DuPont Model
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2026
Pages:
88-100
Received:
2 March 2026
Accepted:
17 March 2026
Published:
30 March 2026
Abstract: Using a random effects panel regression model, this study looks at how bank-specific and macroeconomic factors affect the financial performance of commercial banks, as measured by return on equity (ROE). The results, which are based on 105 observations from 21 banks, show that capital adequacy, management efficiency, and liquidity quality all have a positive and statistically significant effect on ROE. Management efficiency is the most important factor, which shows how crucial useful management is for making banks more profitable. But the quality of assets and earnings doesn't have significant impacts on ROE. The unemployment rate has an enormous detrimental impact on how well banks do, which means that bad job market conditions hurt their profits. Conversely, GDP growth and stock market performance exert no influence. The Breusch–Pagan test confirms the use of a panel model, and the Hausman test confirms that the random effects specification is appropriate. The model explains about 41% of the changes in ROE, which has substantial impacts on banking sector performance for both policy and managerial decisions. The research adds to the body of knowledge about banking and finance by giving real-world examples from a developing economy and giving useful information to bank managers, investors, and policymakers. Strengthening managerial effectiveness and optimizing capital structures can enhance profitability and resilience, particularly amid economic fluctuations and competitive market conditions.
Abstract: Using a random effects panel regression model, this study looks at how bank-specific and macroeconomic factors affect the financial performance of commercial banks, as measured by return on equity (ROE). The results, which are based on 105 observations from 21 banks, show that capital adequacy, management efficiency, and liquidity quality all have ...
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Research Article
Corporate Governance and Financial Risk Exposure:
An Analytical Study of Oil and Energy Companies in Saudi Arabia’s
Abdelmotalab Dalil*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2026
Pages:
101-114
Received:
14 March 2026
Accepted:
27 March 2026
Published:
13 April 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.jfa.20261402.13
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Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between corporate governance institutions and financial riskiness in Saudi Arabia oil and energy market, using a balanced sample of thirty companies followed across 2016-2024 (270 firm-years). The study examines the relationship between board size, independent (non-executive) director proportion, CEO duality, board gender diversity and quality of internal control systems with the measured financial risk. The secondary data were based on annual reports and exchange disclosures by the firms and a short structured questionnaire conducted on the senior managers and board members was used to develop an index of internal control quality. Some of the important control variables are firm size (log assets), firm age, leverage, and year dummies in order to appreciate macro trends. The analysis is methodologically divided into descriptive statistics, correlation diagnostics and panel regression. Random effects and fixed effects estimates, based on the Hausman test and model selection, were estimated and the robust (White-corrected) standard errors and a set of post-estimation diagnostics (VIF, Breusch-Pagan) were calculated to confirm the reliability of inferences. Conventional robustness tests used different risk measures and specification tests. Reproducible Python scripts were used to clean and plot data as the main econometric estimations were done in IBM SPSS v.26. The patterns of the empirical results are consistent. The quality of internal internal controls is found to have a negative and strong relationship with financial risk exposure among estimators, and this implies that an increase in audit functions, risk committee activity and formal control procedures prevents volatility and measurements based on default significantly. The lower measured risk is also linked to board size, especially when expansion is coupled with an increase in board competence and not with the number size. In contrast, CEO duality is positively associated with increased pooled estimates of risk, which indicates that combined CEO-chair positions can undermine oversight and opportunistic decision-making unless other governance controls are in place. These findings are strong to different specifications and resistant to various diagnostic tests. The implications of the policy and managerial issues are to focus on internal audit and risk management capacity, hire board directors who possess sectoral and risk-management skills instead of focusing on size alone, and revise governance models that concentrate executive authority. The research adds industry-specific data on one of the most strategically significant regional markets and provides viable advice to regulators, institutional investors and corporate boards in pursuit of greater financial resilience.
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between corporate governance institutions and financial riskiness in Saudi Arabia oil and energy market, using a balanced sample of thirty companies followed across 2016-2024 (270 firm-years). The study examines the relationship between board size, independent (non-executive) director proportion, CEO duality, bo...
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Research Article
Determinants of Corporate Environmental Reporting: Evidence from Sri Lanka
Navoda Dhanangika Edirisinghe,
Udani Chathurika Edirisinghe*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2026
Pages:
115-138
Received:
28 January 2026
Accepted:
10 February 2026
Published:
14 April 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.jfa.20261402.14
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: The study aims to examine the level of Corporate Environmental Reporting (CER) in relation to corporate characteristics and to identify differences in CER across industry sectors on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Despite many previous studies on CER practices in developed countries, there is a knowledge gap in less developed countries with low CER status. The study uses descriptive analysis and the Random-Effect Model (REM) for data analysis and hypothesis testing, based on annual reports from 143 listed companies on the CSE from 2017 to 2021. The findings reveal that Sri Lanka has an average level of CER, with the highest level in the Consumer Goods Sector and the lowest in Possession Processing Services. Further, the study identifies that firm size, the use of global standards, and industry sector are determinants of CER, whereas multinational ownership, profitability, and leverage are not associated with CER. The paper has implications for practitioners and policymakers for improving sustainability reporting in developing countries by identifying characteristics that drive CER. This paper is one of the few attempts to use a significantly larger sample to analyse differences in CER in various sectors of CSE.
Abstract: The study aims to examine the level of Corporate Environmental Reporting (CER) in relation to corporate characteristics and to identify differences in CER across industry sectors on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Despite many previous studies on CER practices in developed countries, there is a knowledge gap in less developed countries with low C...
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