Abstract

The study aimed to examine the transformational leadership of a state university in the central Philippines and its influence on compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards outlined in Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, s. 2020, jointly issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Civil Service Commission (CSC), and Department of Health (DOH). It sought to address the prevailing challenges of partial compliance with OSH standards within the Philippine public sector. Purposive sampling was employed to select 228 respondents, including faculty, students, and non-teaching staff, who participated in the study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the proposed research model by evaluating model fit, path coefficients, factor loadings, direct and indirect effects, and the overall explanatory power of the latent variables. Given that all SEM parameters were satisfied, the findings revealed that transformational leadership exerted a strong influence on compliance with OSH standards across six dimensions: (1) Workplace/Learning Place, (2) Emergency Preparedness, (3) Occupational Safety and Health Program, (4) Support Facilities, (5) Working Hours, Break and Leave Privileges, and (6) Work/Learning Environment. Highlighting its novel contribution to the body of literature in this context, the research is beneficial not only for institutional leaders but also for policymakers in ensuring full compliance with OSH standards through transformational leadership. Moreover, the study serves as a benchmark for addressing partial compliance across Philippine public sectors, including academic institutions, government agencies, local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), public hospitals, and other entities mandated to adhere to OSH standards.