Purpose In rapidly changing global village, individuals, organizations and the society are faced with various unforeseen challenges every day, and these challenges continuously trigger and test the instincts for survival, and higher education is of no exception. In the context of today’s most critical uncertainty, i.e. COVID-19, the purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of two leadership styles, i.e. adaptive and academic leadership, and assessing readiness for change among higher education institutions (HEIs) of Punjab, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted to collect data from 404 permanent faculty members in the public sector universities identified using stratified random sampling. The hypotheses developed were tested using co-variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings As per the findings, both leadership styles as exogenous constructs and the presence of organizational learning capability as mediators contributed positively in crafting organizational readiness for change (ORC) among HEIs in the course of unpredictable circumstances. Practical implications The COVID-19 episode globally has reiterated the importance of change, and the role of leadership in this regard cannot be undermined. This study, for that matter, stresses on the importance and benefits of academic and adaptive leadership dealing with uncertainties or change and the readiness of HEIs for change. Several institutions faced challenges in doing so, and the transition was not smooth, except for institutions where leaders were the differentiating factor. On top of it, institutions that had timely invested in digital systems and had enhanced organizations learning capacity survived in these turbulent times. Originality/value COVID-19 has placed tremendous challenges on HEIs to adapt with the rapidly changing conditions. Hence, this study is unique in understanding the academic and adaptive leadership styles in context of ORC. This study further helps in understanding that how public sector universities that are already influenced by stringent bureaucratic structures react to change.

With the increasing pressures and demands from the public sector to be more efficient and effective and accountable, the idea of Public Service Motivation (PSM) and Organization Performance (OP) has become more relevant and critical. This quantitative research hypothesizes that PSM leads towards higher level of organizational performance among public sector officials and also explores the intervening effects of Altruism (ALT), Perceived Social Impact (PSI) and Political Support (PS) in this context. Based on self-administered questionnaire, data was collected from 405 public officials using random sampling strategy. Covariance Based Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the hypothesized model. Following the validation of the measurement model, structural model was developed to test the various paths predicted in the hypotheses. Analysis revealed that PSM, PS and ALT have a positive relationship with OP whereas PSM relationship with PS could not be established.

The sensitivity and importance of public sector organizations in general or the civil service in particular is high, particularly in democratic political environments. Their responsiveness and accountability towards the masses is one of the key requirements in terms of effective and efficient service delivery by all wings of the government. Apart from other factors, the existence of capacity and capacity building plays a vital role in determining success or failure of any public official. For that matter, this study focuses on one aspect of effective service delivery i.e. capacity building of public officials and challenges faced in this regard. A qualitative research strategy has been followed where 33 officers of senior/managerial cadre were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Purposive sampling strategy was used to select the participants of study. The rich data collected were analyzed using a thematic analysis technique. Themes emerging from the data revealed that serious capacity building issues and challenges exist in Pakistan’s public sector owing to several reasons, some of them include lack of structured and service oriented modern programs, lack of the fit between performance and pay, absence of accountability mechanisms and red-tapism involved in Pakistan’s bureaucracy. For that matter, it is the need of the hour that aforementioned factors must be taken into account and the needful shall be done by making changes in the civil service structure through reforms.