Addressing the Dark Side of Leadership in the University System Using Community of Practice (CoP) Approach

Abstract

University systems are increasingly facing the consequences of the dark side of leadership. The dark side of leadership in educational organisations is a worldwide phenomenon affecting universities, academies, and college campuses. To respond to this, this paper explores the potential of community practice as an approach to respond to the dark side of leadership in the university system. The paper is a conceptual argument and derives knowledge from argumentative and logical reasoning, located within an interpretive worldview and analysed using conceptual analysis as a tool to make sense of the arguments. The paper argues that shared commonality, collective problem solving, mutual participation, and social interactions are dimensions of remedy that can ameliorate the dark side of leadership. Based on this argument, the paper concludes that effective dimensions of remedy that could ameliorate the dark side of leadership in university contexts are shared commonality, collective problem solving, mutual participation, and social interactions, with a recommendation that they must be incorporated in university leadership dispositions.