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International Study of Leadership Development in Higher Education

The International Study of Leadership Development in Higher Education (ISLDHE) project is an ongoing study that investigates the efficacy of leadership development in higher education in different countries. The aim of this study is to promote optimal leadership, positive change agency, and job satisfaction in higher education through useful leadership development. Varying levels of formal leadership in universities, colleges and institutes are encompassed in this study. Leadership roles that will be studied will include Head of Department/School, (Vice/Assoc.) Dean, (Vice) Provost, (Vice) Chancellor and President. Currently there are 14 countries involved in this study.

The ISLDHE project was privileged to have been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant ($83,442) in 2021 titled: “Re-imagining and innovating leadership development and leadership theory: Promoting effective university leadership, change agency and job satisfaction”. The SSHRC grant supports the scholarly activities of a doctoral student.

Research questions

The overarching research questions in this study are:

  • How useful are the leadership development experiences for formal leaders in higher education?
  • How do different cultural contexts influence leadership development in higher education and what can be learned from these different culturally-sensitive approaches?
  • How can we optimally support our leaders’ development to ensure increased efficacy, success, and job fulfilment within dynamic university contexts?
  • With a view to ensuring a nexus between theory and practice …How should contemporary university leadership be conceptualized and theorized, and how can these theoretical insights influence optimal leadership development programming?

Further research questions:

  • What types of leadership preparation and development are available to Middle level leaders such as deans, associate deans, and heads of department?
  • How useful are these leadership development experiences in preparing deans for their leadership role in higher education? 
  • What knowledge, skills, and attributes/attitudes (KSAs) do these experiences include to promote optimal leadership and management performance and increased job satisfaction?

Phases

Literature reviews regarding leadership in higher education and the influence of leadership development in support of effective leadership approaches.

Mapping of available formal and informal leadership preparation and development programs specifically targeting Heads of Department/School and/or Deans.

Interviews with Provosts, Directors of T&L centres, HR directors re expectations on deans.

Interviews with Deans, Heads of Faculty/School and/or Chairs to explore their perspectives of the preparation and leadership development activities in which they have engaged and how these have shaped their beliefs about leadership, and their knowledge and skills required to be successful in their role.

Surveying Associate Deans regarding the knowledge, skills and attributes they deem to be essential and exploring whether leadership preparation/development programs have enhanced their leadership capacities and how.

Interviews with Provosts, Presidents, Vice Chancellors.

Cross-cultural comparisons with international collaborators to compare and contrast their culture-specific findings with others in the project with the view to distilling the lessons that can be learned and to identify the rich culturally-nuanced differences.

Instruments

-Interview schedule: Provost/Pro-vice Chancellors, Teaching and Learning and Heads of Teaching and Learning Centres

-Interview schedule: Novice Deans/Heads of Department/School

-Questionnaire: Exploring the Availability and Effectiveness of Leadership Development for Novice Deans

For more information about the quantitative questionnaire and qualitative semi-structured instruments and permissions to use the ISLDHE instruments, please contact:  Dr. Shelleyann Scott co-Chair of the ISLDHE project.

For more information, contact Dr. Donald Scott