This study critically examined the evolving role of transcultural leadership within higher education sport programs, situating it at the intersection of organizational effectiveness and diversity inclusion. The purpose was to conceptualize transcultural leadership as an integrative framework that transcends conventional multicultural awareness, to analyse its theoretical foundations, to evaluate its measurable organizational outcomes, and to identify strategic directions for institutional advancement. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from leadership theory, cultural intelligence research, diversity management, organizational systems thinking, and performance evaluation, the study adopted a comprehensive narrative review methodology to synthesize empirical and theoretical contributions from global contexts. The analysis revealed that transcultural leadership is grounded in cultural intelligence, adaptive governance, and inclusive organizational development. Leaders who demonstrate cognitive, motivational, and behavioural cultural competence foster climates of belonging, enhance team cohesion and strengthen stakeholder trust. The findings further indicate that transcultural leadership positively correlates with measurable indicators of organizational effectiveness, including athlete satisfaction, performance sustainability, equitable resource allocation, and institutional legitimacy. Importantly, the study underscores that diversity, equity and inclusion must be operationalized through structured accountability systems, performance dashboards, and longitudinal assessment frameworks rather than symbolic initiatives. The conclusions affirm that transcultural leadership constitutes a strategic imperative in contemporary collegiate athletics, particularly in environments shaped by globalization, technological transformation, and heightened public scrutiny. Institutions that embed transcultural competencies within leadership development, policy design, and evaluation mechanisms are better positioned to achieve sustainable excellence. It is recommended that higher education sport programs institutionalize cultural intelligence training, integrate inclusion metrics into key performance frameworks, adopt mixed-method evaluation models, and pursue cross-regional comparative research to refine contextual responsiveness. Through such measures, collegiate athletics can harmonize competitive achievement with ethical stewardship and inclusive excellence.
Transcultural Leadership; Higher Education Sport; Cultural Intelligence; Organizational Effectiveness; Diversity and Inclusion; Multicultural Governance.
IRE Journals:
Chuks Sunday Ogbona, Thomas Jerome Yeboah, Mforchive Abdoulaye Bobga, Kenneth Boakye "Transcultural Leadership in Higher Education Sport Programs: Implications for Organizational Effectiveness and Diversity Inclusion" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 6 Issue 1 2022 Page 849-867
IEEE:
Chuks Sunday Ogbona, Thomas Jerome Yeboah, Mforchive Abdoulaye Bobga, Kenneth Boakye
"Transcultural Leadership in Higher Education Sport Programs: Implications for Organizational Effectiveness and Diversity Inclusion" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 6(1)