**4.3 Opportunities of TUs in relation with TL**

Opportunities exist for leaders of TUs who practice transformational leadership styles. **Table 3** shows the opportunities that exist for TL in TUs. TL are able to establish collaborations in the organization and externally [55]. They support the idea of working together to achieve a common goal. Leadership of the TUs form collaborations and partnerships with institutions both nationally and internationally for industrial attachment, scholarships, research and development of projects. All the TUs have collaborations with industries and international institutional linkages.

In creating a new future, TL sets new goals and select different behaviours for diverse followers for continuous improvement of their institutions [11]. The TUs, began as technical institutes involved in trades and craftsmanship programmes, and in technical and vocational education training (TVET), and later introduced the entrepreneurship education concept in their curriculum [2]. All the 10 TUs have entrepreneurship centres established to offer entrepreneurship training to the students for skills development.


#### **Table 3.**

*Opportunities of transformational leadership in technical university education.*

#### **Figure 4.**

*Opportunities of TUs in relations to TL. Source: Author's Construct (2021).*

*Leadership in a Changing World: Relating Transformational Leadership to Internal… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102574*

For the TL, links with the external environment is critical for innovation. The actors in the external environment include the governmental, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and the general public. The TUs therefore have established language centres and offer consultancy services for stakeholders. The TU's websites and portals have been made accessible to the general public for the needed information.

Creating an enduring organization is meant to ensure sustainability of the performance for the institution [56]. The TUs are strategically positioned for easy accessibility and attraction to many clients. Each of the TUs have a niche in their programme offerings, and makes them unique and desirable to potential students, industry, institutions at the local, national and international level and have a global impact (**Figure 4**).

#### **4.4 Threats of technical universities in relation to TL**

TL are faced with threats that hinder them from exhibiting all the behavioural qualities for continuous improvement and innovations in the organization. **Table 4** shows the key threats which affects the TL in TUs. Issues of leadership bias, low transformational behaviours, no meaningful changes in strategy of the organization [11, 57]. In the TUs, there are threats of lopsided perceptions about the concept of the TUs by government giving more attention to traditional public universities than the TUs. There is discriminating against the TUs in terms of remuneration, resources, programme offerings and job placement [2]. Due to this, there is instability in the TUs due to the many strikes. The TUs have been inhibited by accreditation challenges for some of their programme offerings from the Regulators. Furthermore, the low transformational behaviours of the TU leaders make it difficult to compete with other tertiary institutions both nationally and internationally for students and projects. The poor public perception about TVET and the TUs has been one of the major threats of the TUs, which accounts for the low enrolment of students as compared to the traditional public universities (**Figure 5**).

#### **4.5 SWOT analysis of TUs**

**Figure 6** presents the SWOT analysis of TUs on two main themes on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the TUs. On the strengths of the TUs, the two key features identified in the strategic plans were experienced and qualified staff and flexible academic programmes.

The weaknesses in the TUs were inadequate teaching and industrial experienced staff resulting low research output and innovation. These weaknesses affect the number of staff required in attaining the goals of the university. Many of the TU staff after training leave to the traditional public universities. Inconsistencies in the TU statues and policies affected the stability of staff.


#### **Table 4.**

*Threats of transformational leadership in technical university education.*

#### *Leadership in a Changing World - A Multidimensional Perspective*

**Figure 5.**

*Threats of TUs in relations to TL. Source: Author's Construct (2021).*

**Figure 6.**

*SWOT analysis of the TUs. Source: Author's Construct (2021).*

Opportunities which exists in the TUs are the collaborations and partnerships with institutions and industry and offering of consultancy services to the public. The opportunities include sponsorships and skills development for staff and students.

On threats, the TUs, are faced with competitions with other public tertiary institutions for students. The negative public perceptions of the TUs was revealed as one of the main threats for the TUs (**Figure 6**).
