Abstract
The rise of digital technology has reshaped leadership in higher education, necessitating a shift toward e-leadership to effectively manage virtual and hybrid work environments. This study investigates the impact of perceived e-leadership (PEL) on faculty members’ work engagement (EWE), well-being (EWB), and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in Vietnamese universities. The study employs a quantitative research design using survey data collected from 442 faculty members in Vietnamese universities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the direct and mediated relationships among perceived e-leadership, work engagement, well-being, and organisational citizenship behaviour. The findings indicate that perceived e-leadership positively influences faculty work engagement, which in turn has a significant effect on faculty well-being. Well-being is found to be a significant predictor of organisational citizenship behaviour. Moreover, the results confirm the mediating role of well-being in the relationship between work engagement and organisational citizenship behaviour, highlighting the importance of well-being in translating engagement into positive organisational outcomes. This study contributes to the e-leadership literature by empirically demonstrating how perceived e-leadership influences faculty engagement, well-being, and organisational citizenship behaviour in a higher education context. By integrating engagement and well-being as key mechanisms, the study offers new insights into leadership effectiveness in digital and hybrid academic environments and underscores the need for leadership development and digital infrastructure to support faculty work.