ERIC Number: EJ1475729
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1757-7438
Available Date: 0000-00-00
From Tradition to Innovation: Proposing Agile Leadership as the New Paradigm for a Higher Education Institution in a Developing Country
Power and Education, v17 n2 p255-278 2025
Higher education institutions (HEIs) face competition globally. Many HEI's were unable to respond to the changing dynamics amidst decreasing public funds, bureaucratic constraints, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic (Ivetic and Ilic, 2020; Philbin, 2015). This challenging environment contributed to low morale and high staff turnover. Survival in this new era requires leadership approaches that are responsive to the dynamic, fast-paced realities of today's higher education environment. Agile leadership is a flexible, proactive, and technologically driven management approach that reduces bureaucracies. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study explored leadership style practices within a Jamaican HEI and the implications for its success. The research addressed three concerns: faculty perceptions of current leadership approach; how the leadership approach supports and advances the organization's goals; and how the application of the agile leadership model can strengthen the effectiveness of its leaders. The findings indicate weaknesses in leadership capacity stemming from lack of training and reliance on cultural practices. Participants' perceptions of their understandings of the different leadership approaches differed greatly from the overall leadership practices that were identified and their perceived leadership practices. Recommendations include the need for training for members in positions of leadership and for the adoption of an agile leadership approach.
Descriptors: Colleges, Developing Nations, Leadership Styles, Foreign Countries, College Administration, Leadership Effectiveness, Administrators, Administrator Attitudes
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Jamaica
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Technology, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica