Leadership In Higher Education From A Transrelational Perspective

There is an abundance of research saying that not only is leadership in higher education ineffective but also that it actually undermines the essential work that should be happening in universities. Christopher M. Branson, Maureen Marra, Margaret Franken and Dawn Penney provide a new insight into leadership that has proven to be far more effective for all involved – the transrelational approach to leadership. This new way of leading places an emphasis on the importance of the relationships that the leader develops with each and every person they are leading. However, in order to apply this new way of leading, higher education institutions must change some of the key ways they work. This book provides direction in how this can happen, what benefits would result, and offers a view on what the future for higher education might be if such changes to leadership are not made. Leadership in Higher Education from a Transrelational Perspective both critiques the likely implications of adopting this transrelational form of leadership into a higher educational institution and discusses the implications of not doing so. Although a transrelational approach to leadership might seem daunting for higher education institutions to adopt, is there any other choice? The authors argue that it is inconceivable for institutions founded upon promoting human development as a consequence of research to ignore such research that not only questions the suitability of current leadership practices but also offers a more effective alternative.

"There is an abundance of research saying that not only is leadership in higher education ineffective but also that it actually undermines the essential work that should be happening in universities. Christopher M. Branson, Maureen Marra, Margaret Franken and Dawn Penney provide a new insight into leadership that has proven to be far more effective for all involved - the transrelational approach to leadership. This new way of leading places an emphasis on the importance of the relationships that the leader develops with each and every person they are leading. However, in order to apply this new way of leading, higher education institutions must change some of the key ways they work. This book provides direction in how this can happen and what benefits would result, and offers a view on what the future for higher education might be if such changes to leadership are not made. Leadership in Higher Education from a Transrelational Perspective both critiques the likely implications of adopting this transrelational form of leadership into a higher educational institution and discusses the implications of not doing so. Although a transrelational approach to leadership might seem daunting for higher education institutions to adopt, is there any other choice? The authors argue that it is inconceivable for institutions founded upon promoting human development as a consequence of research to ignore such research that not only questions the suitability of current leadership practices but also offers a more effective alternative."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

There is an increasing pressure for leading universities to perform well in competitive global and national ranking systems. International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education studies the complexity involved in the development and upkeep of good higher education provision. Without taking anything about leadership, management, governance, administration, authority or power for granted, this book draws together international case studies relating to specific instances of leadership to analyse how they relate to critical thinking and global challenges in higher education. Using a selection of global case studies, this book explores: The extent to which critical thinking on global challenges is employed by higher education leaders, The potential for an increase in the role of critical thinking in leadership, The creative potential for critical leadership thinking to transform institutions and communities, The essential attributes of critical thinking, namely cognitive, affective and social dimensions, and The possibility for critical thinking to contribute to the global public common good by encouraging enhanced research, teaching and public service excellence. Responding to the ever-increasing demands of the higher education climate, International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education is a vital resource for anyone occupying leadership positions in higher education institutions and any researchers or students looking to explore the landscape of critical thinking.

This book draws on interdisciplinary social science and philosophical frameworks to offer new dimensions to debate about intellectual leadership and higher education. The chapters are focused on provoking readers to think critically about intellectual leadership in precarious times. The contributors frame critical questions about the unevenness, ambivalences, and disruptions that now mark everyday life and interactions. Rather than thinking about 'freedom from precarious times and precarity' they consider 'freedom from within' and how the sovereignty and autonomy of the individual to think and speak within the public realm might be retained, if not reclaimed. In the precarious present and in times of precarity, what has changed and why? What might now be the new social reality within which we work? Each of the contributors have been invited to take up their own perspective on what is precarious, and to examine the impacts on intellectual leadership. What does it mean to do intellectual work and be an intellectual leader? What are the implications for intellectual work and leadership if the academy itself is in precarious times?

What is the future of the contemporary university and for those who lead them? Considering leadership in the broadest sense, including academic leadership (teaching and research) as well as leadership practices of those in formal management positions, Jill Blackmore outlines how multiple pressures on universities have produced leadership practices in management and research which are more corporate than collegial, and which discourage many academics from aspiring to leadership. She uses a range of theoretical tools, informed by critical and feminist organisational studies, to unpack higher education and how it is being transformed in ways that undermine its core work of teaching and research. Drawing from three Australian university case studies, this book uses leadership as a lens through which to investigate the effects of restructuring of the higher education sector which have impacted differently on academic identities and careers.

Values and Virtues in Higher Education Research centres on practitioners studying and researching their practices in higher education settings, in order to improve those practices for the benefit of others and themselves. Making research public is a key aspect of ensuring the quality of educational research and educational practices: Values and Virtues in Higher Education Research raises questions and develops conversations about why higher education practitioners should study and improve their work, how this may be done, and what might be some of the benefits of doing so. What we do as practitioners is influenced by and linked with what we value, what we believe is good. Improving practices therefore involves becoming aware of and interrogating the values that enter into and inform those practices; a study of practices becomes a study of the relationships between the practices in question and their values base. From an international group of contributors in this growing field, this book provides strong theoretical resources and case study material that shows how this transformation may be achieved, including topics such as: Theorising practices to show personal and organisational accountability Developing inter-professional and inter-disciplinary dialogues for social transformation Establishing communities of inquiry in higher education and other workplace settings Reconceptualising professional education as research-informed practice Locating educational theory in the real world for human and environmental wellbeing Showing the evolution of theory through critical engagement, this text will be a valuable companion for lecturers, students and professional developers in higher education. This book will form core reading for those who are interested in engaging in practice-based research, and as additional reading for those whose aim is to broaden their thinking in relation to the role of values and virtues in educational research. Jean McNiff is an independent researcher and writer, Professor of Educational Research at York St John University, and Visiting Professor at Oslo and Akershus University College, Beijing Normal University and Ningxia Teachers University. She is also the author of key texts Action Research: Principles and Practice, You and Your Action Research Project and Writing Up Your Action Research Project.

Higher Education is in a state of ferment. People are seriously discussing whether the medieval ideal of the university as being excellent in all areas makes sense today, given the number of universities that we have in the world. Student fees are changing the orientation of students to the system. The high rate of non repayment of fees in the UK is provoking difficult questions about whether the current system of funding makes sense. There are disputes about the ratio of research to teaching, and further discussions about the international delivery of courses.

The global higher education sector has changed dramatically as universities continue to face unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are struggling to navigate this crisis while maintaining high-quality course delivery, ensuring strong student recruitment numbers, and providing clear communication to staff and students. Issues have emerged at an exponential rate, and coping with the pandemic has been particularly difficult for universities as they serve several functions, such as being educational institutions as well as major employers. Leadership and Management Strategies for Creating Agile Universities reflects on the challenges that higher education institutions have faced during the pandemic and the associated projected socio-economic impact yet to be felt. It also considers how different universities have addressed the challenges so as to learn what has and has not worked and speculates what future implications exist for the vision of a new higher education sector in a changing world. Covering topics such as developmental leadership, IT governance, and lifelong learning, it is ideal for policymakers, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, governors, decision makers, teachers, and students.