Transformational leadership, knowledge-based work passion and organizational citizenship behavior: A survey dataset from public university

The leadership styles in higher education, especially public universities, face enormous challenges in handling global situations, i.e., the Covid-19 pandemic. The current dataset of this study aims to verify how transformational leadership is more effective in influencing organizational citizenship behavior through knowledge-based work passion. Individuals with a high level of knowledge-based work passion are able to feel happiness, pride, and pleasure, and are totally involved and make sense of their work. In addition, they also show highly positive emotions toward the people around them and are happy to assist them. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS 21.0 software is used to analyze the data collected from 221 professional lecturers utilizing a purposive sampling technique from a total of 1,242 lecturers in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia public universities. The loading values of the survey instrument, composite reliability, and average variance extracted are tested to justify reliability and convergent validity for the measurement model in this study. The results show that transformational leadership positively and significantly affects knowledge-based work passion (β = 0.568, C.R. = 6.536; ρ < 0.001) but not organizational citizenship behavior (β = 0.061, C.R. = 0.608; ρ > 0.001). In addition, knowledge-based work passion directly has a positive and significant effect on organizational citizenship behavior (β = 0.696, C.R. = 3.571; ρ > 0.001). Further, the mechanism effect of transformational leadership on organizational citizenship behavior through knowledge-based work passion was tested. The result indicates the mediating role of knowledge-based work passion (β = 0.395, ρ > 0.001) in the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior.  This study contributes significantly to organizational management practices, especially in the field of education, by identifying how transformational leadership improves organizational citizenship behavior through knowledge-based work passion. When individuals recognize their leaders as transformational, they are more likely to behave and engage in volunteering for extra tasks, having a positive work environment, feeling more connected to the organization and being flexible in their duties.