Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews eISSN: 2395-6518, Vol 8, No 2, 2020, pp 495-506 https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.8257 495 |www.hssr.in © Sulaiman COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE AMONG ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS OF TWO FACULTIES AT INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA Ibrahim Fahad Sulaiman Faculty of leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia. Email: ibrahimfahad@usim.edu.my Article History: Received on 14 th December 2019, Revised on 26 th March 2020, Published on 07 th April 2020 Abstract Purpose: This study investigated perceptions about collaborative leadership style via a study among administrative assistants of the faculty of Economics and Management Sciences and Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. Precisely, the study examined their perceptions, collective decision making and differences between faculties under study. Methodology: A survey method was employed to collect the data. The data were analyzed using t-test and descriptive statics (frequencies and percentages). A total of 44 administrative assistants were sampled through a self-administered questionnaire from two faculties, namely Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS) and Faculty of Knowledge and Human Sciences (IRKHS) at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Main findings: The results of the analysis indicated that perceptions of administrative assistants were positive towards a collaborative leadership style. The study also found statistically significant differences between administrative assistants of KEMNS and IRKHS. It was found that IRKHS administrative assistant was more elicit to activities of collaborative leadership than their counterparts. Overall, the study revealed that administrative assistants were of the view that applying a collaborative leadership style will facilitate effective decision making in their respective faculties. Implications/Applications: This study is useful for administrative assistants in institutions of higher learning to adopt and adapt to understanding a clear collaborative leadership concept. Therefore, collaboration among staff will be recognized to develop a general perception in the educational institution. Novelty/Originality: In this research collaborative leadership style had been studied among administrative assistants critically. Permission was granted by the Dean of post-graduate studies from the kulliyyah of Education (IIUM). Keywords: Collaborative Leadership Style, Administrative Assistants, Concept of Leadership Communication, Collaborative Educational Leadership. INTRODUCTION A collaborative leadership style is another way of looking into shared decisions ( DuBrin, 2015 ; Hoy & Miskel, 1991 ). Joint decisions in an organization are very crucial effort which indicates the role of the stakeholders in an organization or institution. As the decision is decided to contribute to the success of a collaborative enterprise, it is viewed as a collaborative leadership style (Rubin, 2009 ). The term ‘collaboration’ is usually used as work jointly undertaken on an activity or project. The participation of every side is considered essential to carry out an activity or project. It is, therefore, a process or method to guide a diverse group of people in finding solutions to complex problems that affect them all ( Brooks, 2018 ; Vroom, 2003 ). Collaborative leadership style is also known as shared decision making where decision making has taken on a peculiar identity of involving subordinates in the decision-making process. This may improve the quality and acceptance of decisions when participation fits the constraint of the situation. This type of shared model of decision making is developed within the suggestions made by subordinates who are involved in making decisions that are made in the organization. This model describes not only when subordinates should be involved, but also the appropriate role of the administration which depends on the decisional situations. The study conducted by Bellibasand Liu (2018) and Rubin, Bartels,&Bommer. (2002) indicated that some factors such as job satisfaction, decision making, job commitment are associated with principals and academic staff collaborative decision making and their involvement in the leadership style of the organization. However, no study has been carried out on the collaborative leadership style of administrative assistants at the International Islamic University, Malaysia. Therefore, this study is timely in making an analysis of the administrative assistants in two selected faculties university. The effort of each one partaking in a collaborative leadership style should not be overlooked in any educational sector. When an effort is recognized in an organization, the participant should be given strong consideration, especially in a positive way. Administrative assistant involvement in collaboration among the top management in the organization will give a different outcome(Kezar & Holcombe, 2017) . Sometimes the implementation of levels in the organization through social communication by engaging assistants to feel reluctant to disagree with the idea been presented. It is appropriate