Unpacking responsible leadership and its impact on sustainability performance

A qualitative inquiry of Uganda's health and sanitation projects

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21652285
AutoresMahadih Kyambade (0009-0006-0257-9601, Makerere University Business School Department of Leadership and Governance), Rogers Mwesigwa (0000-0002-1887-3251, Makerere University Business School Department of Business Administration), Kassim Alinda (0000-0003-1149-6841, Makerere University Business School Department of Accounting), Sulait Tumwine (0000-0003-1139-7050, Makerere University Business School Department of Accounting), Freddie Lwanga (0000-0002-3445-9552, Makerere University Business School Department of Human Resource Management)
Año2026
Páginas1-28
Fecha de publicación2026-04-22
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1093-4537 • E-ISSN: 1532-4273
EditorialEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/ijotb-02-2026-0043
OpenAlexW7155056257
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas44

Purpose This study examines how responsible leadership influences the sustainability performance of health and sanitation projects in Uganda. Despite substantial investments, many projects fail to achieve lasting impact due to weak leadership, fragmented coordination and limited community ownership. The study investigates how ethical, inclusive and relational leadership practices can enhance the social, economic and environmental sustainability of these essential services. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 21 participants working in health and sanitation initiatives across Uganda. Data were analyzed thematically using a constant comparison approach, guided by relational leadership theory (RLT), which views leadership as a relational process grounded in social interaction, mutual respect and shared accountability. Findings Findings show that sustainability performance is strongly leadership-driven and shaped by four interconnected dimensions of responsible leadership: ethical governance, inclusive engagement, strategic foresight, and collaborative work culture. Ethical integrity and accountability build stakeholder trust; inclusive engagement strengthens community ownership; strategic foresight supports continuity under uncertainty; and collaboration fosters team cohesion and adaptive resilience. Together, these practices enhance social value through empowerment and ownership while improving service governance through continuity, monitoring and accountability. Practical implications The study underscores the need to institutionalize responsible leadership practices such as transparency mechanisms, participatory planning, continuity strategies and cross-sector collaboration within Uganda's health and sanitation governance frameworks. Originality/value This is one of the first empirical applications of RLT in the Ugandan context, the study demonstrates that sustainability performance depends not on individual authority or technical capacity but on relational ethics, inclusiveness and mutual accountability

Accountability · Corporate governance · Empowerment · Grounded theory · Qualitative research · Sanitation · Stakeholder · Stakeholder engagement · Sustainability · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Global Maternal and Child Health · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development