The Influence of Value-Based Leadership and University Culture on Students’ Islamic Identity in the State Islamic Higher Education Institutions in North Sumatra

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of value-based leadership and university culture on Students’ Islamic Identity as perceived by university students in selected state Islamic higher education institutions in Indonesia. This study involved 380 students from three selected state Islamic higher education institutions in Indonesia who completed the questionnaires survey. The statistical analysis techniques utilised in this study were Descriptive Analysis using SPSS version 24, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and full-fledged Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using the software Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) version 24 to address the research questions as well as to test the research hypotheses. Based on the results of CFA, six distinct factors were found present in the constructions of perceived value-based leadership (VBL) and university culture (UC) also were found six contracts. In contrast, there were also four constructs of the dependent variable, Student’s Islamic Identity. This study found that university culture (UC) has a direct causal effect on Students’ Islamic Identity. However, value-based leadership (VBL) has no significant or only has a small influence on students' Islamic identity. This finding indicates that practised value-based leadership ​​(VBL) had no direct impact on students' Islamic identity. However, university culture has been shown that significantly influences students' Islamic identity. The six construct of university culture contributes significantly to the formation and enhancement of students' Islamic identity. Thus, the implication of the study offers a reference for developing theories regarding the relationship between university culture and students' Islamic identity and practically suggests Minister of Higher Education, university top management, and policy maker to consider the imperative role of university culture in forming the students’ Islamic identity. Moreover, higher education institutions should develop policies that promote a conducive Islamic culture through activities, customs, regulations and the atmosphere in the campus environment to enhance the formation of Islamic identity among students. Finally, the study recommends more examinations on the underlying construct, such as adding mediating variables, for instance, personal religiosity, value internalisation, moral reasoning, or psychological empowerment, as well as developing VBL instruments that are more complex and appropriate to the context of Islamic higher education institutions.