Leaders Of Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Maintaining the Meritocracy Myth: A critical discourse analytic study of leaders’ talk about merit and gender in academia

The belief in meritocracy – that advancement is based solely on individual capabilities and hard work – remains ingrained in organizations despite evidence that it is a flawed concept perpetuatings gender and other social inequalities. Critical streams of research have highlighted the ideological character of meritocracy discourse, its entrenched nature and acceptance as ‘common-sense’. Less is known about how this ‘meritocracy myth’ is maintained, that is, how this hegemonic discourse retains its potency in day-to-day talk in organizations. We argue that leaders, given their active discursive roles and opportunities to establish and control discourses, play an important but underexamined role in the reproduction and legitimization of this seemingly progressive yet ultimately destructive discourse. We conduct a critical discourse analysis (CDA) drawing on qualitative interviews with leaders in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom focusing on their talk about women’s recruitment and progression in academic roles. We identify three discursive interventions through which leaders routinely maintain and reinforce and on occasion challenge the existing system of meritocracy: invisibilizing gender inequality through gender-neutrality; denying constraints through individualization; and problematizing meritocracy to uphold or challenge the status quo. We argue that by uncovering the means through which meritocracy discourse retains its resilience, our paper offers the opportunity to scrutinize and challenge these discursive underpinnings that uphold the ‘meritocracy myth’. We suggest that it is possible to re-imagine what might be considered ‘merit worthy’ in universities, recognizing and centring structural gender and other social inequalities to create more equal institutions.

Organizational Resiliency of Academic and Non-Academic Leaders in Selected Private and Public Universities: A Continuous Improvement

The Philippines has seen significant changes as a result of the implementation of the K-12 education system, which has brought about a series of robust reforms. Leaders of higher education institutions face ongoing difficulties from both internal and external sources. The objective of this research was to investigate and evaluate the resilience capabilities of academic and non-academic leaders in higher education institutions, namely in private and public colleges located in the City of Malolos, Bulacan using a descriptive survey approach. This research has the potential to assist leaders in higher educational institutions in safeguarding themselves against future disruptions or achieving a more expedient recovery. The variables used in this study were self-assurance, personal vision, flexibility and adaptability, organization, problem-solving ability, resourcefulness, rapidity, and proactivity. Research was done to empirically investigate the impact of several dimensions of resilience on the organizational leadership of leaders in higher education institutions. The findings suggested that there were no statistically significant disparities in the robustness of organizational leadership between private and public colleges. Based on the data conducted to compare the resilience of academic and non-academic leaders in organizational leadership was revealed to be not statistically significant, indicating that there is no significant difference between the two groups at a significant level. Keywords: resilience, resilience quotient, academic leaders, non-academic leaders, public universities, private universities, continuous improvement

Transforming higher education institutions through EDI leadership: A bibliometric exploration

This comprehensive bibliometric study analyzes 1820 journal articles from the Web of Science database to explore Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) leadership in higher education institutions (HEIs). Utilizing co-citation and co-word analysis, the study identifies distinct thematic clusters. The co-citation analysis reveals five key themes: Race, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI), Diversity, Leadership, and Self-Efficacy (DLSE), Gender Dynamics and Leadership Challenges, Women's Representation in Academic Medicine Leadership, and Transformational Leadership in HEIs. Meanwhile, the co-word analysis highlights three critical areas: Transformative Collaborative Resilience in HEIs, Advancing Gender Equality in Academic Medicine and STEM, and Inclusive Educational Leadership in HEIs. These themes collectively provide a deep understanding of the EDI leadership field's intellectual structure, suggesting significant areas for future research and practical application. The study emphasizes the necessity for HEIs to engage comprehensively in EDI leadership research, shedding light on the importance of transformative collaborative resilience, gender equality in STEM, and inclusive leadership. This research offers valuable insights for developing effective EDI leadership policies and practices, highlighting the interconnectedness of these themes in fostering a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment in higher education and beyond.

Unveiling the key skills and characteristics for the selection of academic leaders in higher education institutions

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the essential attributes considered for the selection of academic leaders in higher education institutions in universities from Arabic countries. Through the administration of an open-ended online survey of experienced academic leaders, comprehensive data was collected. The findings of this study revealed that individual qualities and scientific background are the most highly regarded attributes for the selection of academic leaders in higher education institutions for universities in Arabic countries. These individual qualities include personal attributes such as a good reputation, moral obligation, and loyalty and skills and abilities such as excellent communication, specialized qualifications, efficient planning, and proficient time management. Drawing upon the research outcomes, the study concluded that the most significant attributes for selecting academics for leadership roles encompass personal attributes, skills and abilities, scientific background and knowledge, and extensive leadership experience. The implications of these findings contribute to the enhancement of leadership selection processes in higher education institutions.

The struggle for pedagogical recognition in higher education: short stories of tension and triumph in the professional identity construction of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) practitioner in Hong Kong

AbstractA considerable body of work now exists on the role that identity plays in understanding teachers and teaching. Developing and sustaining teacher identities in higher education can, however, be challenging given the subordinate positioning of teaching in some educational contexts. Despite the growth of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes in many parts of the world, recent research suggests that EAP practitioners are especially vulnerable to being assigned marginalized identities within the academy. Therefore, this paper reports the results of a study which used a short story approach to investigate the tensions and triumphs one EAP practitioner in Hong Kong experienced in constructing her language teacher identities (LTIs). Findings suggest that her identity tensions and struggles take place across space and time and play out at different scales, including classrooms, educational institutions, and within broader societal discourses. However, the short stories presented in this paper speak not only of tension and struggle, but also of determination and resilience to construct LTIs in the academy. Consequently, the results of this study can help to raise awareness amongst stakeholders, including policy makers, leaders of higher education institutions, and language teaching practitioners, of how they can support and sustain the construction of LTIs within the academy. Implications for professional learning for language teaching practitioners and suggestions for future research are considered.

Open access to scientific resources of institutional repositories of Ukrainian higher educational institutions for information and library direction

The purpose of the article is to analyse the level of providing open access to scientific resources in Ukrainian higher education institutions’ institutional repositories for information and library direction. The research methodology is based on general scientific and special cognition methods, including analysis, synthesis, monitoring and comparison. The scientific novelty of the work consists of expanded ideas about the possibilities of activating the work of higher educational institutions’ institutional repositories for information and library direction as a component of determining their ratings at the world level through the maximum realising openaccess provision to their scientific resources for developing scientific and technical progress. Conclusions. The article analyses the institutional repositories of 10 higher education institutions for information and library direction by using Webometrics, QS World University Rankings, and SimilarWeb. The analysis of using the levelof institutional repositories testified to its inadequacy. The research based on using web analytics by SimilarWeb made it possible to identify four leaders of higher education institutions in terms of the number of users’ visitsto their repositories: West Ukrainian National University (WUNU), National Aviation University (NAU), Ternopil National Technical University named after Ivan Puluj (TNTU). Geographical, gender, age, thematic diversification of higher educational institutions’ institutional repositories, as well as the level of their using the main communication channels (direct appeal, regular search, referrals, e-mail, social networks) thanks to the analysis of their websites’ traffic were determined. The recommendations for improving information culture for scientific and pedagogical staff, students, librarians, management of higher educational institutions for information and library direction, and all participants of scientific communication were given through activating their using institutional repositories to promote them in the global scientific and educational space as components in increasing the rating positions of higher educational institutions in Webometrics and QS World University Rankings thanks to providing open access to scientific resources for developing scientific and technological progress

Advancing African Women in Academia: Charting Modern Solutions

There is a gross underrepresentation of women in teaching, research, and leadership in higher education institutions (HEIs) globally. Despite the fact that a few studies have reported some gains in gender balance in HEIs, there are still glaring inequities of women in higher education, particularly in Africa. These challenges include but are not limited to, barriers to academic progression and career development, intersections of race, gender and motherhood, and identity and belonging. While several authors have revealed these gender gaps, it is valuable to understand the lived experiences of woman in academia on the African continent. African women encounter multifaceted challenges in academia. Structural barriers such as limited access to education, gender bias, and cultural norms that prioritise domestic responsibilities over career pursuits hinder their advancement (Founou et al., 2023). Additionally, the scarcity of female role models and mentors exacerbates feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome, further deterring women from pursuing academic careers. These challenges contribute to the underrepresentation of African women in leadership positions and fields traditionally dominated by men.

Ethics and Organizational Performance: Exploring the Impact of Leadership in Higher Education

It is impossible to overstate the role that ethical leadership plays in driving higher education institutions (HEIs) success in light of the rapid pace of change in the sector. This study analyzes the revolutionary potential of ethical leadership in higher education institutions and demonstrates its huge impact. We delve into faculty members' perceptions and descriptions of their own institutions' achievements and failures to examine the link between ethical leadership and organizational performance in HEIs. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was employed. The participants of the study were teaching faculty of higher educational Institutions of District Dera Ismail Khan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Through surveys, 210 faculty members from HEIs provided the data for this study, which was then analyzed using SPSS-26. This study investigates how much ethical leadership practices have an impact on organizational performance in the setting of higher education. The findings shed important light on how faculty members view ethical leadership and its bearing on organizational success. The study's findings add to the existing body of information on ethical leadership in HEIs and have implications for leaders and administrators in developing a culture of ethical leadership to improve organizational performance.

Ethical Leadership in Institutions of Higher Education

A study was conducted on ethical leadership in institutions of higher education. Objectives of the study were: (i). Illustrate theories of ethical leadership in higher education institutions; (ii) Determine importance of ethical leadership in higher education institutions; and (iii) Determine challenges facing ethical leadership in institutions of higher learning. The total number of written texts sampled was 32. The researcher employed non-probability sampling. The type employed was online convenience sampling using web scraping. The interpretivism philosophical assumption led this investigation, and the qualitative approach was used. Case study was employed as a design and content analysis as a data analysis tool. The study found out that ethical leadership is essential in higher education institutions because it establishes a solid ethical foundation, fosters an environment of integrity, and contributes to the institutions' long-term success and viability. It acts as a model for all stakeholders, motivating them to follow ethical concepts and values in their academic pursuits and institutional responsibilities. The challenges of ethical leadership in higher education institutions range from fiscal limits to issues about diversity, governance, and technology. It is vital for higher education institutions to address these concerns in order to maintain their integrity and efficiency. Recommendations included but were not limited to the following: (i)Ethical leaders should model the behaviour they expect from their staff and students. Show integrity, honesty, and justice in your acts and decisions; (ii) Establish Clear Ethical Standards: Develop an ethical code or set of fundamental ideas for your educational community. Ensure that these expectations are communicated to all stakeholders, including staff, students, parents, and the general public;(iii). Encourage Open Communication: Create an environment in which faculty and students can express concerns and report unethical behaviour. Encourage transparency and active listening while responding to remarks; and (iv). Ethical Decision-Making Training: Provide leaders and personnel with ethical decision-making training and professional development opportunities. Use case studies and real-life occurrences to help in discussions about ethical quandaries

Influence of Social Media Platform Trends on Academic anagement and Leadership in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Review

The growth of influencers in social media with respective delivery topics and their followers' reactions towards leader profiles and characters will lead to some extent to soft skills that can influence the performance of organizations as a whole. However, limited knowledge exists of how it is defined, how it operates, and how it relates to institutional leadership, including both administration and teaching. Therefore, this study aims to review current social media platform trends in Malaysia, the relationship between social media, management, and leadership, as well as how social media trends affect academic leadership and administration. The descriptive content analysis method was applied to examine 1,727 empirical, review, conceptual, and commentary papers published by Scopus and Web of Science journals. After considering other irrelevant information, the authors only reviewed a total of 494 from both websites. Considering Malaysia’s scholars, only 27 were chosen to be reviewed for title and abstract. Of these 27, only three articles were chosen for detailed review. All the information relevant to the research was extracted from each article and analysed using Excel software. Results showed that in 1,727, only three articles were related to social media and Malaysian scholars. According to these three articles, most organizations use Twitter, Instagram, and other digital technologies like digital communications, smartphones, and many others for social interaction. This is because workplace wellbeing can be achieved through human connections on social media. This workplace well-being can be related to leadership and work engagement in organizations. Hashtags in social media, especially Twitter, can be used to express sentiment, and this sentiment can influence human emotional state and well-being. In conclusion, the paper will add to recent efforts on how to improve the current situation, especially for new leaders with prospective approaches to the field, and contribute to the global knowledge base.

Current state of female leadership in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia

Current state of female leadership in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia

The Role of Servant Leadership Style in Improving Innovation in Higher Education Institutions

Purpose: The research aims to empirically study the role of adopting a servant leadership style in improving innovation in higher education institutions. Theoretical framework: (Piorun et al., 2021) cited that servant leadership will make people emerge as the power will flow down to the subordinates. (Geuther, C. 2014) mentioned that servant leaders can establish a supportive workplace and promote the employees’ self-esteem. In addition, Chinese philosophers in the 5th century BC such as Laozi agreed that servant leaders are those who are characterized by people who say, "we did it ourselves” when things are done (Tarallo, 2021). In the current study, the researcher will explore the adoption of Servant Leadership in Higher Education Institutions, and its influence on the innovation of these institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The researcher adopted a quantitative research methodology. The research design is as follows: objectivism research ontology, positivism research philosophy, the research approach is deductive, and the research choice is mono-method quantitative. The research strategy is a survey, and the time horizon is cross-sectional. Items of the questionnaire were adopted and adapted from the Servant Leadership Questionnaires published by (Liden et al., 2008), (Northouse, n.d.), and (Hess & Dumas, 2015). Primary data was collected from higher education institutions and the secondary data was from trusted previous studies found on Google Scholars. The sample size is 208 respondents, and data was collected using Survey Monkey, the online survey development tool to gather data and feedback. Collected Data were statistically analyzed utilizing SPSS, starting with descriptive analysis, followed by Reliability Analysis, Factor Analysis, Chi-Square Test, and Regression Analysis using ANOVA and T-Test. Findings: The researcher found that the behavior of servant leaders will play a key role in promoting innovation, and as she/he is a role model, the possession of highly ethical practices has a positive relationship with learners’ satisfaction. In addition, asking for career goals will help strengthen employees' experience in this institution. The campus environment, its maintenance, and attractiveness play a role in increasing the university’s fees. Research, Practical & Social implications: The results will set the path in which innovation will be cultivated at the level of the whole higher education institutions by focusing on the set of patterns of behaviors adopted by the leaders. Originality/value: This study is among the first to tackle servant leadership and innovation in higher education institutions. In addition, this will add to the knowledge in Academia about servant higher education institutions.

Status of Women in Student Politics: Gender Imbalance in Student Leadership in Higher Education Institutions in Ghana from the 1960s to the Present

Across Ghana’s higher education institutions, women’s representation in student leadership has been generally low despite the gender-neutral requirement. Women’s participation in student leadership politics in Ghanaian higher education institutions, specifically universities, has received little attention from higher education and feminist scholars who have briefly mentioned or completely glossed it over. This intellectual omission makes this paper relevant. Here, it is argued that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that, despite the neutrality of student leadership policies, men dominate student politics. This paper problematises the question of gender inequality in student leadership, through the African feminist lens.

Effect of School Organizational Culture on Teacher Leadership

This study used distributed leadership theory to investigate the relationship between a school’s perceived organizational culture and teacher leadership in higher education institutions in eastern China. In total, 509 teachers at universities in eastern China participated in a questionnaire survey through the correlation analysis, regression analysis and other data analysis methods for the result analysis. The results indicated that clan and adhocracy cultures had a significant and positive impact on teacher leadership, while a hierarchical and market cultures had a significant and negative impact.The results revealed the influence of clan culture, adhocracy culture, hierarchical culture and market culture on teacher leadership, and provide suggestions for school administrators on how to improve university teacher leadership through school organizational culture. In addition, the contributions and limitations are discussed at the end of this study.

The Mediating Effect of Perceived Institutional Support on Inclusive Leadership and Academic Loyalty in Higher Education

Globally, people have a rising desire to obtain certificates, degrees, and diplomas in higher institutions, described as “diploma disease”. Additionally, the need for sustainable education becomes imperative as globalization increases. To meet these demands, there is a need for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to have adequate support for both students and academics. However, these HEIs are faced with the challenge of meeting set goals and values. For leaders in HEIs, inclusion is a critical challenge. This paper investigates perceived institutional support’s (PIS) role in mediating the co-relationship between academic loyalty and inclusive leadership within HEIs. The study presents a literature review to give some background. This paper’s conceptual framework is built on PIS from social exchange theories. Based on the design, a quantitative survey was adopted for the study. A random sample of 402 academics in HEIs was deployed for the study. A questionnaire instrument was designed to elicit information from the respondents. A structural equation model (SEM) was then adopted for the data analysis. The SEM approach was utilized to investigate the connection between academic loyalty and inclusive leadership at HEIs, with the mediating factor of PIS. The findings reveal a positive relationship exists between academic loyalty and inclusive leadership. While PIS positively connects both, there is also an inference that institutional support exists. This study provides insights that could assist stakeholders in formulating policies on employee needs and what could be done to improve and attain sustainable education in HEIs. It highlights applicable impacts towards increased productivity in HEIs, reflecting achieved targets regarding key performance indicators (KPI) and improved institutional performance.

Institutional Support for Academic Engagement in Online and Blended Learning Environments

In light of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of higher education institutions around the world have been contemplating ways to help their universities engage in a digital transformation that must have student engagement and learning as the foremost considerations. This study reports on the work conducted at a university in Colombia that created an evaluation instrument based on the Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) framework (Borup et al., 2020) to examine how well the institution was supporting the affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) dimensions of engagement in its online and blended learning course offerings. This survey, the ACE in Higher Education (ACE-HE), measures indicators of the ABC engagement dimensions as well as indicators of institutional support for those elements. The survey was completed by 1,295 university students representing a broad demographic profile. Structural equation modeling found good fit for both the model of ABC engagement dimensions and the model of institutional support for ABC engagement dimensions. Institutional support for affective engagement showed strong relationships to affective, behavioral, and cognitive indicators of engagement, while institutional support for behavioral and cognitive engagement did not have the same outcome. This research provides access to both English and Spanish versions of the ACE-HE instrument. It also highlights ideas for institutions that want to improve their support for student ABC engagement dimensions in online and blended environments. Finally, several implications for making updates to the ACE framework are shared.

Kepemimpinan dalam Lembaga Pendidikan Tinggi di Program Studi PAI Universitas Al-Washliyah Labuhan Batu Sumatera Utara

The success of an organization or institution is inseperable from the role of a leader. Especially higher education institutions as the last station before someone plunges into the world of work. To produce a superior generation, have competitiveness and be able to create jobs, it takes a higher education leader who can realize this vision. The leadership of a high the desired changes in the future. Leaders in the world of education, especially in tertiary institutions who are called rectors, have an important role because they are able to influence, coordinate, guide and direct and supervise all personnel in matters related to the activities carried out so that the goals of education in tertiary institutions can be achieved effectively and efficiently. As a leader, the chancellor must be able to ancourage the enthusiasm and confidence of lectures, staff and student in carrying out their respective tasks so that the goals set have been achieved. Higher education, especially for undergraduate programs, is the last educational institution that delivers students to their future. For this reason it is hoped that the leadership of higher education institutions will be able to produce generations in accordance with national education goals. Research conducted with descriptive method. Date collection technique were carried out by interviews, observation and document review. The results of the study show that leadership in the higher education institution Alwasliyah Labuhanbatu Sumatera Utara. Leadership in the higher education institution of the PAI study program at Alwasliyah Labuhanbatu University has good managerial skills and intelegence as well as a democratic leadership style that guarantees the implementation of the Tri Darma of Education so that higher education goals that are aligned with national goals can be implemented properly.

Formación de líderes académicos en la educación superior. La importancia del contexto para el desarrollo eficaz del liderazgo

Amidst the changing nature of higher education, one may wonder how leaders of higher education institutions [HEIs] can succeed and thrive in today’s highly uncertain environments. This qualitative case study examined the factors, practices, and competencies that contributed to effective leadership development of academic leaders at one Canadian university. Through the document analysis and qualitative interviews with academic leaders, it explored the organizational context and individual strategies and competencies that supported leaders in their roles in higher education [HE]. The analysis showed the significance of context as a crucial factor in the effectiveness of leadership development. The findings support further work on developing a different approach to leadership development for academia; one that is founded on an understanding of what academic leaders and their institutions require to succeed and flourish during this time of unprecedented change.

Urgency of Managing Digitalization in Higher Education

The digital transformation of higher education institutions has become one of the most significant trends in recent years. Unfortunately, this change is facing many challenges and pitfalls. Therefore, understanding how to manage digitalization amid continuous change should be a top priority for leaders of higher education institutions. This article reviews previous research focused on digitalization in higher education. Using non-systematic literature methods, it starts by summarizing the main driving forces, barriers, and pitfalls of digitalization in higher education. The selected papers were chosen based on their relevance to the article's purpose. The findings discuss the four main elements of managing digitalization in higher education. These four elements should be a priority in universities' strategy. Finally, the proposed framework in this article is expected to contribute to developing theory and practice in managing digitalization in higher education.

Conflicts Management through On-line Education among China’s Universities During the COVID 2019

Conflicts are ubiquitous in many fields, including higher education. This present study is focused on a higher education institution with Chinese characteristics involved in the occurrence of conflicts every now and then. During the pandemic of COVID 2019, university authorities have taken strict countermeasure to prevent the epidemic from affecting campus life, but conflicts have occurred between the authorities and teachers, authorities and students, and students and teachers, to name a few. Referring to Thomas- Kilmann conflict model, this paper puts forward strategies for conflict management to members and leaders in higher education institutions in order to solve possible unexpected conflicts.