SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP, WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY, LEARNED OPTIMISM ON PROMISE-BASED MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Malaysian public universities face mounting pressure to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and ethical integrity in their operations, governance, and educational outcomes. These expectations require leadership and management approaches that transcend traditional performance metrics. One alternative is Promise-Based Management, which emphasizes making, honouring, and coordinating explicit organizational commitments. This paper presents a conceptual framework in which three interrelated constructs Spiritual Leadership, Workplace Spirituality and Learned Optimism are proposed as key antecedents to successful PBM. These constructs collectively nurture a value-driven culture, enhance psychological resilience, and foster a deeper sense of meaning and commitment among organizational members. Central to the proposed model is the mediating role of trust, which bridges leadership intentions and psychological conditions with concrete management outcomes. Spiritual leadership promotes integrity and intrinsic motivation through values-based leadership; workplace spirituality reinforces community, purpose, and ethical alignment; while learned optimism cultivates optimism, perseverance, and adaptability especially critical in the public higher education sector. The paper synthesizes theoretical insights from leadership studies, organizational behaviour, and positive psychology to construct a robust model relevant to Malaysia’s public university governance. Practical implications include strategies for leadership development, institutional transformation, and value-centric governance reforms. Moreover, the integration of ethical principles such as sincerity and accountability enhances the model’s relevance within the Malaysian socio-cultural context. This conceptual paper lays the foundation for empirical validation and invites further investigation into the application of Promise-Based Management as a vehicle for ethical, resilient, and performance-oriented leadership in the public sector.