The Impact of Externally-Driven Change on Middle Leadershipin a Malaysian Higher Education Institution
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The focus of the thesis is the impact of externally-driven change on the role of academic heads of departments (middle leaders) in a Malaysian higher \neducation institution. The investigation is timely because of the Malaysian government’s recent reform of the Malaysian Education Blueprint for Higher Education (MEB HE) to improve standards and enhance competiveness in the wake of the pressures of global competition by 2025. Moreover, while middle leadership has received considerable attention in Western countries, it has \nbeen less well researched in the Far East, including Malaysia. \nThe research is qualitative Malaysian university case study, drawing on the perceptions of ten heads of departments across a wide range of academic \ndisciplines, regarding: (a) the impact of changes to their leadership role on their professional working lives; and (b) their experiences of leadership learning, both formal and informal, through the change process. Their lived experiences were captured through in-depth interviews and their descriptions \nof critical incidents (professional turning points) in their career trajectories. Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) provided a framework for understanding the change process through working with significant others, including superiors, subordinates and peers. \nKey findings indicate evidence of positive experiences characterised by ingenuity and resilience in the way the heads of departments adapted to their new roles. They also reveal evidence of difficulty and frustration arising from a need for more systematic recruitment strategies, better support mechanisms and preparedness of staff in taking on new middle management responsibilities. While the findings from a single study cannot be generalised in a conventional sense, they have the potential to resonate with readers working in similar contexts through naturalistic generalisation. They also \nprovide fresh insights into an understanding leadership role change and leadership learning in a non-Western higher education context.
Author: Uma Malar M Maniam
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2969915588