Leadership in the Context of Higher Education - Literature review Example

Effective Leadership in Higher Education

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion on styles of leadership and its effectiveness in higher education3

Effective Leadership in Higher Education4

Styles of leadership and Their Impact on Managing Different Aspects of Higher Education8

Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership in Higher Education10

Conclusion10

Reference List12

• Introduction

Leadership is an important aspect in making higher education system more efficient. Good leadership can be termed as the root to bring positive changes in education system and prevent it from lagging behind. Universities are not hesitating to pay as much as $300,000 per year on individual leaders, since they need their leader to be knowledge and skill oriented so that the leaders can help in developing competitiveness of the respective University (Wang and Berger, 2010). The leadership in a university or higher educational institute needs to be multifaceted. For example, he needs to be sufficient enough to provide direction, a collaborative environment, participative decision-making, and protection towards staff’s autonomy (Spendlove, 2007).

Researchers have spent sufficient time in finding the key factor responsible for effective leadership and they have presented with evidence that emotionally intelligent leaders can play the most important role in shaping the productivity and efficient working of universities.

This paper focuses on the effective styles of leadership in higher education and the role of emotional intelligence in shaping effective leadership in higher education.

• Discussion on styles of leadership and its effectiveness in higher education

The researches that have been undertaken by many scholars suggest that leadership is critical to the success of universities. However, there have been debates regarding the appropriate approach of leadership that can be applied to get the desired result in management and organisation of the university. When a new principal or superintendent is appointed, the job description seeks for a powerful and confident leader with a clear vision (Bryman, 2007a).

Leadership can be formal or informal in the context of higher education. Dean, departmental heads represents formal leadership while expert teachers and successful researchers represent the informal leadership. However, it has been often noticed that leadership positions in universities may be adorned with highly qualified academic personnel but they might have little or no experience in executing managerial or leadership responsibilities (Rowley and Sherman, 2003).

In the works of Tricia Vilkinas and Richard K. Ladyshewsky (2012), the Academic Program Directors (APDs) were found to be reporting regularly regarding their frustration because they were not able to effectively execute their role and responsibilities. Many scholars have highlighted the need to leadership training programs to instil leadership capabilities in knowledgeable academics.

• • Effective Leadership in Higher Education

The success of higher education institutions depends upon leadership. Leaders are responsible for improving the quality of the organisational structure and then sustaining the same. In traditional literature concerning leadership in higher education, effectiveness of a leader was measured by his or her personal academic achievements, like, published journals, heading research teams, etc. but in more recent research certain behaviours and practices have been identified that help a leader in executing his or her responsibilities that ranges from providing clear direction, building a trustworthy and innovative organisational structure (Rowley, 1997, Scott, Coates and Anderson, 2008). Scott, Coates and Anderson (2008) had undertaken research to explore the characteristics that evoke effective academic leadership and through their research have identified specific traits to be the indicators of effective leadership. These indicators were responsible for the following five outcomes:

• Personal and interpersonal: achievement of personal targets and development of a working environment which is conducive to building strong bonds among colleagues.
• Learning and teaching: this is concerned with students’ satisfaction.
• Recognition and reputation: achievements that would glorify the reputation of the institution along with communication of the same to get more recognition.
• Financial performance: achievement of financial targets and to check whether resources for each department is adequate or not. If required arrange for funds to facilitate research.
• Effective implementation: making each department efficient enough to accomplish goals within stipulated timeline.

Figure 1: Comparison of Effective Leadership Characteristics

(Source: Kouzes and Posner, 2011, Bryman, 2007a, 2007b)

Effective leadership is not about exercising a set of personal attributes but it needs to be multifaceted so that suitable leadership approach can be practiced corresponding to the demand of the situation. The importance of leadership skill in higher education can be understood from the case illustrated in the work of Wang and Berger (2010). In their research paper they had surveyed the condition of an American University when an acting dean was appointed. As a leader he was expected to manage departmental dynamics and offer examples for his followers to work. However, the dean had lacked capabilities of effective leadership, which caused failure of the entire organisational management. He did not provide any clear vision to direct his subordinates. The criteria for promotion and retention of professors required amendment; instead the acting dean kept professors not having relevant PhDs and publications, diminishing the university’s quality levels. This dean was promoted based only on his services and not on his record of teaching and research, making a fatal mistake for the interest of the university, its staffs and students.

According to many scholars, behaviours of a leader play a very important role in shaping up the style in which he or she approaches a particular issue. This concept necessitated to identify the form of leadership that can be suitable in addressing the challenges faced by a leader in the higher education system. Situational leadership stood out to be the necessary answer. It highlighted the need to demonstrate a particular leadership style which fulfils the demand of the situation.

 Northouse (2015), in his book “Leadership: Theory and Practice”; has explained many approaches of leadership, but many researchers has preached the application of ‘Skill approach’ in obtaining effective leadership in higher education. Skill approach, defines the persona of an effective leader, is based on the presence of three characteristics namely technical, human and conceptual, which helps a leader in building an effective working environment with trust and fellowship. Knowels and Mezirow, have undertaken researches in this field of leadership and learning in higher education where they have advocated that higher education requires innovative, instructional and administrative leadership (Wang and Berger, 2010).

In context to the leadership in higher education, traditional definitions of leadership have been replaced by alternative styles of leadership, which provides with better and superior ways to manage the various departments of a university (Eddy and VanDerLinden, 2006). According to Parrish (2011), a leader needs to follow either Transformational or Transactional or Distributive or Instructional approach of leadership in managing the governance of a university.

• • Styles of leadership and Their Impact on Managing Different Aspects of Higher Education

Transformational leadership deals with a more accommodating perspective from a leader’s end. A transformational leader engages himself or herself in inspiring and motivating his or her followers through a common and shared vision to achieve success in the future. Frequent training and evaluation of skill is a part of this approach, which is accompanied by delegation of responsibilities and effective communication. Transactional leadership is based on carrying out the orders and instructions of leaders by their subordinates. Followers are usually compensated with salaries for their service and if they do not obey the leader’s directive, then he or she owns authority to discipline them in ways the leader seems fit. This aspect of transactional leadership is sometimes seen as a drawback.

Distributive leadership is a collaborative approach and it comprises of members having an excellent knowledge in various disciplines, who come together as a team. All the team members help to realise their shared vision and its implementation (Gosling et al., 2009). On the other hand, instructional leadership is a learning focused style; where the Principal being the leader, concentrates on improving the quality of learning among students.

Parrish (2011) found that many scholars had expressed transformational leadership and distributed leadership to be the best approaches in seeking a thriving administration in higher education. Both these forms of leadership styles have been recognised by researchers to be responsive, convenient and approachable using transparency in communication.

There are a number of challenges that a leader has to face while managing the affairs of a university. The ability to withstand changing conditions in higher education decides the future of any discipline. The teaching that the students get makes them choose their future occupational field. The workforce in any sector decides the allocation of resources in the chosen economic activity further controlling the direction in which a country will move. The leaders in universities have to maintain a proper balance between the competing demands of teachers and the requirements for developing research in every curriculum. It is a test of his or her ability to handle diversity among staffs, students and even in the courses offered by the university (Jones, 2011). Government is the main financial source of universities and hence exerts a strenuous control over it. As a result of which universities are expected to respond to the imperatives and priorities of the government. It is the duty of the leaders to make its staff understand the end result of the government’s policies upon the entire university and also upon each department’s working. Against this backdrop, the leader needs to have a sound knowledge regarding his or her functional jurisdiction and also about department dynamics. The next challenge that is faced by the head of a university is the drive sources of external funding. It brings supreme prestige and pride to the academic staff involved in successful research. The distribution of these external funding in academics, requires cautious and far-sighted leadership abilities.

• • Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership in Higher Education

Goleman, in 1998, had conducted a global research and had presented an association between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. He found that emotional intelligence had been the key factor resulting in 67 percent of effective leadership practices (Parrish, 2011). Goleman’s five components of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills which are illustrated in the works of Wang and Berger (2010). Among these five components many scholars have pointed that empathy has the maximum potential to prove highly crucial in shaping leadership qualities in an individual (Parrish, 2011). Day (2001) had identified leaders in higher education, in order to enhance as well as preserve authority, trust and intellect, need emotional intelligence competencies like, self-regulation, self motivation and self-awareness.

Scholars engaged in finding suitable leadership in context to higher education has also established a noticeable relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational style of leadership. Transformational leaders show effective self-management which makes them suitable to control the reigns of universities. Higher education needs leaders who know how to control themselves according to the needs of a situation. Leaders need to understand the minute details of the interpersonal relationships present within the system.

• Conclusion

Leadership in universities need to be multi-faceted so that it can take care of the diverse issues pertaining to the organisational structure of the institutions. When it comes to effective leadership in the context of higher education, a number of issues have to be addressed. Firstly, the styles of leadership which can be applied to get the best results while managing the affairs of a college or a university. Researchers have found four different approaches like, Transformation leadership, Transactional leadership, Distributive and finally Instructional leadership to be appropriate in this regard; but among these four forms, transformational approach has attracted maximum attention. Transformational leaders are found to be more effective and are in a better position to retrain skills of the professors by making them participate in the decision-making process. Secondly, the leaders should pay ample attention in continuously developing learning skills, which can further enhance their acceptability among his or her followers and Goleman’s Emotional intelligence along with, Northhouse’s ‘skill model’ can be used as a supporting guide in improving their leadership abilities. Finally, this paper has highlighted the role of emotional intelligence as an integral part of effective leadership. So it can be rightfully said that, effective leadership is an indispensible part of higher education and the leaders need to be transformational and emotionally intelligent, so that universities are able to guide its staff and students in the right direction of shaping the future of a country.

• Reference List

Bryman, A., 2007a. Effective Leadership in Higher Education. [PDF] Available at: <http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/filemanager/root/site_assets/research_resources/research/series_1/S1-4%20Bryman%20-%20Effective%20Leadership%20-%20Summary%200f%20Findings.pdf > [Accessed 30 May 2016].

Bryman, A., 2007b. Effective Leadership In Higher Education: A Literature Review. Studies in Higher Education, 32(6), pp. 729-769.

Day, D. V., 2001. Leadership development: A review in context. Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), pp. 581-613.

Eddy, P. L. and VanDerLinden, K. E., 2006. Emerging Definitions of Leadership in Higher Education: New Visions of Leadership or Same Old ''Hero'' Leader? Community College Review, 34(1) pp. 5-26.

Gosling, J, Bolden, R. and Petrov, G., 2009. Distributed Leader ship in Higher Education: What Does It Accomplish? [PDF] Available at: < https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41636088_Distributed_Leader_ship_in_Higher_Education_What_Does_It_Accomplish > [Accessed 30 May 2016].

Jones, G., 2011. Academic Leadership and Departmental Headship in Turbulent Times. Tertiary Education and Management 17(4), pp. 279–288.

Kouzes, J. M. and Posner, B. Z., 2011. Encouraging the heart workbook. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Northouse, P. G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Parrish, D. R., 2011. Leadership in Higher Education: The Interrelationships, Influence and Relevance of Emotional Intelligence. [PDF] Available at: <http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4263&context=theses > [Accessed 28 May 2016].

Rowley, D. J. and Sherman, H., 2003. The Special Challenges of Academic Leadership. Management Decision, 41(10), pp. 1058-1063.

Rowley, J., 1997. Academic Leaders made or born? Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 29(3), pp.78-84.

Scott, G., Coates, H. and, Anderson, M., 2008. Learning leaders in times of change: academic leadership capabilities for Australian higher education. [PDF] Available at: < http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=higher_education > [Accessed 21 June 2016].

Spendlove, M., 2007. Competencies for effective leadership in higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(5) pp. 407 – 417.

Vilkinas, T. and Ladyshewsky, R.K., 2012. Leadership behaviour and effectiveness of academic program directors in Australian universities.Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 40(1), pp.109-126.

Wang, V.C. and Berger, J., 2010. Critical analysis of leadership needed in higher education. International Forum of Teaching and Studies, 6(2), pp. 3-11.