CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTING THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF STATE VOCATIONAL COLLEGES IN NANNING CITY, GUANGXI PROVINCE, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Abstract

This study had two main objectives: 1) To examine the levels of transformational leadership, human resource management, learning organization, knowledge management, and organizational performance of public vocational colleges; and 2) To investigate the causal relationships among these factors influencing the organizational performance of public vocational colleges. This research employed a quantitative research approach, In this study, the sample group consisted of personnel from government-operated vocational and technical colleges in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, People’s Republic of China, totaling 18 institutions. The sample size was determined based on the 10:1 rule suggested by Tabachnick and Fidell resulting in a sample of 700 participants. With an emphasis on structural relationship analysis to explain the factors affecting the effectiveness of vocational education institutions within the context of public sector management. The sample consisted of 700 personnel from public vocational colleges and technical colleges operated by the government in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, People’s Republic of China. The participants were selected using accidental sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire developed to cover all variables based on the conceptual framework of the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to explain general characteristics, inferential statistics to test research hypotheses, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine causal relationships among the variables. The results revealed that: 1) Human resource management had the highest mean score, followed by knowledge management, learning organization, organizational performance, and transformational leadership, respectively; and 2) The factors that had a direct influence on the organizational performance of public vocational colleges in Nanning City were transformational leadership, followed by learning organization and knowledge management, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of leadership roles and the development of learning-oriented organizations in achieving the success of vocational education institutions in the contemporary context.