Instrument validation for transformational leadership, organizational culture and innovation capability among young lecturers in Chinese universities

Abstract

Grounded in Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory(1994), Schein’s model of organizational culture(1992), and Amabile’s (1988) Componential Theory of Creativity, this pilot study aims to validate the reliability and validity of measurement instruments and preliminarily explore the structural relationships among transformational leadership, organizational culture, and innovation capability among young lecturers in Shandong universities, China. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative design, a stratified random sample of 130 young lecturers was surveyed via a structured questionnaire, with data analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability tests. The EFA results yielded factor structures highly consistent with theoretical predictions: a 4-factor solution for Transformational Leadership, a 3-factor solution for Organizational Culture, and a 3-factor solution for Innovation Capability. All items demonstrated satisfactory factor loadings (>0.5) and corrected item-total correlations (CITC > 0.3). Furthermore, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for all sub-constructs exceeded 0.7, indicating good internal consistency and construct validity, thus no items were deleted during the purification process. By integrating seminal theories with empirical testing, this study confirms the cultural adaptability and structural validity of the scales within the specific context of Chinese higher education. The findings support the validity and reliability of the measurement instrument for assessing transformational leadership, organizational culture, and innovation capability among young lecturers in Chinese universities.