Abstract:
The researcher looked at the leadership team's technology transfer (TT) practices from the polytechnic to the MSE in manufacturing sub-sectors in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia's capital, because there is a lack of research on leadership practices in the TVET sector, especially in TT activities, even though it is currently a top priority. Thestudyaimedtoenhanceleadership and management of TT activities. A mixedmethods approach with an explanatory sequential design was used to collect quantitative data .Data were collected from a multi-stakeholder sample of 636 participants including polytechnic leaders, trainers, trainees and 172 MSE personnel, 184 trainers, 245 trainees, and 35 Polytechnic leadership teams (PLTs). For qualitative data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight deans, 18 department heads, five trainees’ representatives, and three senior leaders from the Addis Ababa Technical and Vocational Training and Technology Development Bureau (AATVTTDB), alongside 18 MSE leaders. Data analysis employed SPSS version 26, utilizing descriptive statistics (mean, frequency distribution, grand mean) and inferential statistics (t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman correlation coefficient, ) for reporting.Appropriate post-hoc tests were used to compare group means. Among the key findings the study revealed are the improvements in planning, service delivery and logistics and material administration enhancement via KAIZEN, positively impacting MSEs. However, the study found that polytechnic leadership practices related to scheduling, effective communication strategies, creating conducive environments for TT and innovation, and attracting key TT actors across boundaries were statistically insignificant. Despite the PLT's belief in institutionalization of both transformational and transitional leadership styles, essential aspects such as being role modelling, inspiring followers, and providing motivational rewards were not being practiced. Among the significant barriers affecting TT activities, capital scarcity, limited MSE capacity, ineffective communication, and inadequate support for TT were identified as prominent challenges for the leadership to operationalize TT. Significant perception differences among the key TT actors, namely, the PLT, trainers and MSE personnel, were identified. Regarding TT activities in the context of COVID-19, the current implementation of practices were unsatisfactory despite being viewed as essential ideal prevention platforms by the same respondents. Overall, PLTs faced serious challenges in leading TT activities due to barriers to effective TT that included limited capabilities of MSE, inadequate support for TT and poor governance. Finally, a medium positive association was found between the PLT's planning and communication roles with TCB, TA, and AC, while no association existed between PLT roles regarding the AC. Likewise, a positive correlation was found between PLT’s environment-setting and boundary-spanning roles with TA and AC, but not with TCB. Hence, improving leadership capacity building, increasing income generation potential options, promoting collaboration among stakeholders and establishing a strong monitoring and evaluation framework and revisiting motivational measures, are essential to improve leadership practices in TT.
