Examining the Psychological Power Distance Among Academics at Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) in Sabah, Malaysia: A Quantitative Study
Abstract
Psychological power distance is the micro-level, individual mindset, comprising an individual’s personal beliefs about hierarchy, prestige, and conflict with authority. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the psychological power distance among academics at private higher educational institutions (PHEIs) in Sabah, Malaysia. The sample consisted of 61 academics (n = 61) from four PHEIs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, who completed the Psychological Power Distance Scale on Google Forms. Data were transferred onto a spreadsheet and subsequently analyzed using SPSS 29.0. Percentages of agreement showed that academics tend to experience high psychological power distance at their workplace. Further, Mann-Whitney U test revealed significant gender differences in perceived psychological power distance at p < .05. However, Kruskal-Wallis H test indicated nonsignificant differences in terms of age and job experience. Additionally, Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that 12 of the psychological power distance items were significantly different from the hypothesized median value of 3.5 at p < .001, while three of the items were significantly different from the same hypothesized value at p < .05. Findings imply that Malaysian PHEIs tend to have a high psychological power distance index, reflecting that they are deeply hierarchical. In light of the findings, recommendations are made on ways that academics can successfully achieve at PHEIs characterized by high psychological power distance.
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References
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