LEADERSHIP IN THE VIRTUAL HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR: Is there a new way to lead in the on-line distance learning environment?

The growth in e-learning and other distance modes of delivery in the higher education sector, the explosion in borderless higher education and the marketisation of higher education, pose a challenge to the traditionally characteristic structures of decision making and consensual leadership in Higher Education. The paper seeks to examine if there is significant difference between leadership in the traditional Higher Education (HE) environment and leadership in the virtual HE environment by examining the framework of leadership models taken from the business literature - transformational and transactional leadership as well as the newer forms of leadership models such as servant leadership and distributed leadership. The models are applied to the case of an emerging virtual arm of a traditional university. The analysis suggests that the virtual higher education institution requires a complex repertoire of leadership skills and abilities but the process of leadership strongly suggests a dispersed or distributed approach

Leadership in the Virtual Higher Education Environment: Towards an Appropriate Model and Framework

Research into leadership in the higher education environment has traditionally mirrored business related constructs. Many of the models and instruments that have been developed for the business environment such as the transactional transformational leadership dyad have been transposed to the higher education environment with relatively minor adaptation. On the other hand, there has been relatively little exploration of leadership models for the Virtual Organisation. This research brings together the literatures of virtuality and the virtual organisation, leadership and higher education management to interrogate the effect of virtuality on leadership styles within the volatile global higher education environment caused by the liberalisation of the sector. Through a case study of a higher education institution (HEI) that is developing a virtual campus, the research explores the perceptions of leadership skills, competencies and behaviours within the virtual higher education environment to determine whether a new model or framework can be developed for a virtual and widely distributed environment. The data from interviews, surveys and focus groups carried out in the case study show that virtuality does impact leadership skills in nuanced ways, thus proposing a configuration of behaviours, skills and competencies more relevant to the virtual higher education environment. The proposed framework adds to the literature on leadership in higher education as well as leadership in the virtual environment and contributes to practice in the areas of recruitment and training of leaders and managers in the virtual higher education sector.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Activist leadership in the Caribbean : The case of the University of the West Indies

This chapter investigates how a cross-national university (the University of the West Indies), in a transitional region such as the Caribbean, implements its third mission. We employ a broad understanding of the third mission as engagement in society including entrepreneurial and innovative efforts. Drawing on the entrepreneurial architecture framework, the chapter discusses how systems, structures, strategy, leadership, and culture form a unique mandate to engage in national, regional, but also international challenges.publishedVersio

Academic leadership: changing conceptions, identities and experiences in UK Higher Education

© Leadership Foundation for Higher EducationThis report presents the findings from a research project on academic leadership in UK higher education. The overall aim of this project was to explore and understand ‘academic leadership’ that relates directly to the core academic functions of teaching, research and service (including academic administration and outreach), as distinct from managerial aspects of leading higher education institutions (HEIs) such as financial and strategic planning, marketing and human resource management (HRM).Leadership Foundation for Higher Educatio

Activist leadership in the Caribbean : The case of the University of the West Indies

This chapter investigates how a cross-national university (the University of the West Indies), in a transitional region such as the Caribbean, implements its third mission. We employ a broad understanding of the third mission as engagement in society including entrepreneurial and innovative efforts. Drawing on the entrepreneurial architecture framework, the chapter discusses how systems, structures, strategy, leadership, and culture form a unique mandate to engage in national, regional, but also international challenges