Leading Change with Empathy: Managing Cynicism and Building Support in Higher Education Transformation

Abstract

Globalization has reshaped higher education, where university rankings have become a new form of competition and a benchmark for quality improvement. As part of the Indonesian government’s mandate, 11 state universities with legal entity status are required to enter the global ranking system. However, the top-down nature of these initiatives often generates mixed responses, including faculty cynicism toward organizational change. This study empirically investigates how emotional regulation can mitigate the negative effects of cynicism on change-supportive behavior among academic and administrative staff in Indonesian higher education institutions. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), the study posits that leaders who demonstrate empowering behaviors and emotional regulation competence can foster trust, psychological safety, and proactive engagement during institutional transformation toward world-class university goals. Using survey data from universities in Indonesia, the research examines two groups: academic leaders (department heads and program coordinators) and administrative leaders (heads of sections and sub-sections), to compare behavioral patterns in supporting organizational change. The findings are expected to provide theoretical contributions to leadership and organizational behavior literature in the context of high-power distance and collectivist cultures, as well as practical implications for change management and university governance in emerging economies.