The Impact of Muhammadiyah’ Leadership Style and Total Quality Management on Competitive Advantage in Universities – Case on Universities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The distinctiveness of the Muhammadiyah Leadership Style (MLS) and the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in realizing the competitive advantage of higher education, especially at Muhammadiyah-'Aisyiyah (PTMA) universities, is an interesting situation to be revealed. This article explores the Muhammadiyah Leadership Style's distinctiveness with Total Quality Management's role in increasing competitive advantage. This research uses a positivistic paradigm with an explanatory research type, data collection through questionnaires on 115 study programs at Ahmad Dahlan University, Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta University, and 'Aisyiyah Yogyakarta University using saturation samples and smartPLS as a testing tool. The results showed that the Muhammadiyah Leadership Style, directly or indirectly through Total quality management, positively increased competitive advantage. The treatment of Total Quality Management in higher education proved to bring Muhammadiyah-'Aisyiyah universities to achieve a competitive advantage. The research subjects were taken at the study program of the Muhammadiyah-'Aisyiyah College (PTMA) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) among the many study programs in the PTMA environment located in various regions of Indonesia and abroad, which is a limitation of this study. For universities, the importance of leadership styles is carried out by the unique considerations of each university to realize the organization's competitive advantage and provide insight into the development of leadership styles under the Muhammadiyah Association.