LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
“The function of leadership then becomes the creation
of systems, structures, and environments where …
interaction and learning can occur”
- Allen, Bordas, Hickman, Matusak, Sorenson, & Whitmire,
(1998) Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
KEYWORDS
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Higher education leadership
Effective leadership skills
Transformational leadership
Academic leadership
Positive leadership
Professional leadership practices
LEADERSHIP IN HEI
 Interact with a variety of professionals
 Key to look at all aspects of leadership – autocratic,
bureaucratic, transactional, transformational, etc
 Transformational leadership (Davies, 2009) as one of
the effective leadership in HEI , includes collaboration
and mentorship
 Components of vision, voices and values (integrating
a shared vision of change, empowering voices in a
collaborative community and reflection on vision
value.
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EFFECTIVE LEADING
Interpersonal
communication
Creativity
thinking
Technology
CORE LEADERSHIP
KNOWLEDGE IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
OBSERVING AND
REFLECTING
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
VISION & COOPERATION
KEY LEADERSHIP
SKILLS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
HUMOR AND
HAPPINESS
FACILITATING AND
EMPOWERING OTHERS
BUILDING RELATIONSHIP
Criteria for Leadership in Sustainability
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Economic Criteria
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Economic Stewardship
Regional Economic Development
Social
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Employee Well-Being
Quality of Life in Communities
Business Ethics
Environmental
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Environmental Impact Minimization
Natural Resource Protection
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Sustainability Elements
Endowment Investments
Regional Economic
Development
Land Use
Operations
Champions
Learning Laboratory
& Model Campus
Food & Water
Green Building Oversight Committee
Transportation Impact Mitigation
Strategies
Green Purchasing Task Force
Presidents Climate Commitment
Implementation Committee
Comprehensive Master Plan
Campus Life Green Team
Waste & Pollution
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Materials
Climate Commitment
& Energy
Built Environment
Transportation
"...the challenges facing our world are great. The
time to address and ameliorate them is short. The
opportunity for action is now. And the agent of
positive change – perhaps more than ever before
in our history – can be Cornell."
President Skorton 19 October 2007
www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu
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Challenges Facing Higher Education Administration
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We are asked to cut overhead costs without increasing
business risk
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We are asked to reduce central administrative costs
while increasing services
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We have been on a decade long quest to increase
employee productivity
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We must recruit a new generation of administrative
leadership in a time of increasing market pressures
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THEORIES OF HEI
 Structural theories
 Political theories
 System theories
STRUCTURAL THEORIES
 Structural assumptions – to understand organizations
we have to examine the organizational structure
 Organizations as hierarchical structure
 Universities as a series of concentric circles
 Structural functionalism – series of interrelated parts
STRUCTURAL THEORIES
 Organization exists to accomplish goals
 Structural form can be designed to fit particular
circumstances
 Organizations work most effective under norms of
rationality
 Specialization permits expertise and performance
 Coordination and control essential for effectiveness
 Organizational problems because of inappropriate structure
STRUCTURAL THEORIES
 Dual structure in universities – academic and non
academic
 Structure dominates organizations
 Relate universities to bureaucratic organizations
POLITICAL THEORIES
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Political assumptions – three related theories
Conflict theory
Community power theory
Interest group theory
EDU5823/Models
Political Model of universities
•Politics is basically a process of interaction among contending
groups to acquire domination and resources in a social system.
Power and control are the objects of obsession.
•Interaction strategies include association, coalition, fragmentation,
exploitation, manipulation, aggression, intimidation, etc.
•The resources are money, space, support, visibility, security, fame,
information, jobs, etc .
EDU5823/Models
Political Model of universities
•Underlying theories - conflict theory, community power
theory, interest group theory
Characteristics
- political cycles - power struggle
-dynamic process of political activities
EDU5823/Models
Political Model of universities
•University as a political system
- political stage exists in universities
- existence of various groups, competing views, diverse
interests
- university constitution permit functional representation
- Board of directors, Senate, Faculty, Committee,
Associations
- power struggle between groups
- appointment to key posts to serve political interests
- academic representation versus lay-representation
EDU5823/Models
Political Model of universities
•Baldridge (1971)
Bases the political on three theories – conflict theory,
community power studies, and theory of interest groups
in organizations.
Has five points of analysis – social structure features,
interest articulation processes, legislative phases, policy
formulation, and policy execution.
A complex social structure generates pressures, forms
of power impinge decision makers, legislative stage
translates pressures into policy, policy execution
generates feedback in the form of new conflicts.
EDU5823/Models
Theoretical background for Political Model
Conflict theory
Community Power Theory
Interest Group Theory
1.
Conflict and competition
1.
Forms of power and
influence
1. Influence of internal
groups
2.
Emphasis on change
processes
2.
Multiple centers of
influence
2. Influence of external
groups
3.
Role of “classes” and
interest groups in
promoting conflict
and change
3.
Interest groups and
veto groups
3. Conflict and competition
4.
Goal setting as a prime
object of study
4. Divergent values as
source of conflict
Role of conflict in
“political” decision
making
5.
“Spheres of influence”
and study of
specific issues
5. Goal-setting activities
6.
Interaction of multiple
types of influence
4.
EDU5823/Models
Assumptions of the Political Model
Six underlying assumptions
Inactivity prevails – small groups govern major decisions
Fluid participation – people move in and out of the decision
making process.
Fragmentation into interest groups – power blocs and
interest groups to influence policy.
Normalcy of conflict – conflict is normal and is expected in a
dynamic organization.
Limitations of formal authority – authority is limited by
political pressure and bargaining.
External interest groups – external groups may exert
pressure.
Political Model as the
Governance
Mechanism in
Steering Universities
Presenter:
Soaib Asimiran
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
University
Governance
THE
RESEARCH
FINDINGS
CONCLUSION
Introduction
UG as the framework by which
authority, power and university’s
functions are systematically
organized according to university
constitutions.
Dominant model in
Malaysian public
universities
UG – Political Model,
Bureaucratic Model, Collegial
Model, Corporate Model
The idea of a university to
discover, disseminate and
protect knowledge
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
The Problem
 Researches on university governance have come up with several
models such as the political, bureaucratic and collegial models.
 Each model captures distinctive perceptions or viewpoints of the
researcher relative to issues, problems, location, and changes.
 Despite the many models in the literature, however, there is still a
lack of empirical work to portray the applicability of the models in
the governance of public universities, particularly about which
model dominating the governance of universities.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
The Research
Objectives
To examine the governance practices from
the political theories perspective.
To explore how the governance mechanism
through political model was understood by the
main players in the governance practices in the
Malaysian public universities.
Methodology
Qualitative - interviews, documents analysis.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
What are the dimensions of political model that are practiced in
the governance mechanisms in Malaysian universities?
Legal Framework
The Constitution of a University describes the
provisions for the proper governance framework
and functioning of the university.
There is an indication and inclination that the
government has control over the universities by
showing how the state maintain control over
universities.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
What are the dimensions of political model that are practiced in
the governance mechanisms in Malaysian universities?
University Power
A self-governing community of scholars for
academic domination was legally laid down by
the Constitution.
Constitutional ambiguity with regard to the
provisions of powers and authorities contributed
to conflicting views and perceptions among the
interviewees.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
How the governance mechanism through political model was
understood?
Constitutional Framework in Uniformity
The statement of purpose delineates the formal procedures to
guide a university.
Conflicts in Governance
University governance embraces a political process.
Representation in Governance Structure
Representation in governance structure not favoring the
academic community.
External and Regulating Interventions
The issue of external governance versus internal governance
emerged demanding a clearer demarcation.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
Discussion:
Political nature
The law established the levels of authority with various names.
Universities are embedded within market and political
environments that place certain demands and expectations.
Public universities have multiple functions and are expected to
serve many purposes in the political life of ruling governments.
Members of public governing mechanisms structures are political
actors, often seen as protecting the political interest of the ruling
government.
It was felt that in practice, the Board has less power as compared
to Vice-Chancellors.
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY
Conclusion:
The universities are expected to contribute to national development by
providing quality academic programs relevant to the current demands and
needs.
The public universities are viewed as government’s arms to fulfil the national
education, thus have made the public universities subservient to the political
aspirations of the government.
It is our contention that there must be an enabling law environment which
would encourage the public universities to innovate more freely and less
political interventions.
EDU5823/Models
Collegial Model of universities
•Regards universities as the community of scholars (Millet, 1962,
1978, 1980) Goodman (1962).
•Professional qualifications of academics, the lack of clearly
defined roles and organizational ambiguity are main elements
that consider decision makings are done based on consensus.
•Millet defines the academic community model as a structure
and process bringing together three or more groups of a campus
to decide issues of campus governance.
•There is a community of authority. Power is shared by faculty,
students, alumni, and administrators.
•The academics has a dual role, as individual and collegial.
Individual refers to academic as a unit in educational process
while collegial academics have roles in department, faculty, univ.
THANK YOU
AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY