Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate leadership practices and policy
directives in revitalizing academic research publications within Ethiopian public
universities. To achieve this goal, the study adopted an explanatory sequential research
design grounded in pragmatism. A total of 378 academic staff, 142 academic leaders, and
21 research experts were selected using multistage and purposive sampling techniques.
Quantitative data were gathered through questionnaires, while qualitative data were
collected via interviews and document reviews. Quantitative data analysis employed
descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequency, percentage, multiple regression,
structural equation modeling, Pearson correlation, and one- and two-way ANOVA.
Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed a strong
and positive correlation between leadership practices, policy directives, and academic
research publications. With F (2,542) = 672.316, P < 0.001, the R2 value of 0.722
indicated that 72.2% of the revitalization of academic research publications could be
attributed to leadership practices and policy directives. Leadership practices and policy
directives significantly influenced research publication revitalization (B = 0.380, P <
0.001), though policy directives had a slightly weaker effect (B = 0.270). Among
leadership practice models, "model the way" emerged as the strongest predictor, showing
a positive and significant effect (B = 0.505, P < 0.001) on revitalizing academic research
publications. However, "enable others to act" (B = -0.049) and "challenge the process" (B
= -0.128) demonstrated negative and statistically insignificant effects, highlighting
challenges in translating these behaviors into tangible improvements in research output.
The qualitative analysis emphasized the critical role of factors such as funding, skill
development, collaboration, incentives, equitable resource distribution, and journal
indexing. Additionally, gaps in the implementation of research policies were identified
within Ethiopian public universities. The study recommended organizing awareness workshops and providing training for leaders and policymakers. Further
recommendations were directed at university leadership and policymakers, urging them
to address key factors to effectively enhance academic research publications
