Search Results

This final working paper from the ‘Effective leader-led relations’ project summarises the key findings and recommendations from the research. In particular, it outlines: a brief overview of five central research findings: the vital importance of leadership, high staff motivation, leadership challenges, multiple community engagements and blended leadership; 10 recommendations that are informed by these research findings (this research project was specifically designed to feed ideas back into the post-16 sector about how to enhance leadership processes); and an additional case study on blended leadership. A primary focus of our research is its examination of staff’s perceptions of what constitutes effective leadership in the post-16 sector. This in turn reveals employees’ preference for (what we term) ‘blended leadership’. This theme is elaborated in the appendix of this paper, where we present a further case of blended leadership in action within the [further education] FE sector.

Published executive summary. Show less

This research project explores ‘leader-led relations’ in the post-16 education sector. It is informed by, and seeks to contribute to, recent developments in leadership studies. In particular, it goes beyond the narrow ‘leader-centric’ approach of traditional mainstream studies to draw on more critical perspectives that directly examine the complex dynamics between leaders and led within their specific conditions and consequences. The [first] working paper emphasised the importance of context for understanding leader-led relations in the UK post-16 education sector. It also outlined some initial findings about the widely perceived significance of leadership in the sector and the broadly preferred leadership style based on consultation. One of the most enlightening findings of our research to date is the extent of staff morale, commitment, dedication and professionalism. Yet, despite these positive findings, we have also discovered a number of key, frequently interwoven ‘leadership challenges’ for the post-16 sector. These relate to the issues of power, distance and inequality discussed earlier and are now elaborated below. This second working paper seeks to highlight some of the issues that impact negatively on leadership within the sector generally and on staff, students and institutions more specifically. First, it explores the impact of intensified monitoring and auditing on post-16 leadership and leader-led relations. Second, it examines several issues related to inequality (for both students and [further education] FE colleges) that constitute significant ‘leadership challenges’ and barriers to effective leader-led relations. Third, this paper offers specific recommendations that we are beginning to feedback into the sector based on the foregoing preliminary empirical analysis.

Excerpt from published introduction. Show less

This research project explores ‘leader-led relations’ in the post-16 education sector. It is informed by, and seeks to contribute to, recent developments in leadership studies. In particular, it goes beyond the narrow ‘leader-centric’ approach of traditional mainstream studies to draw on more critical perspectives that directly examine the complex dynamics between leaders and led within their specific conditions and consequences. This first working paper outlines the context for our empirical analysis of leader-led relations. It briefly explains the theoretical assumptions that underpin the research project, highlighting in particular the key issues of power, distance and inequality. It then considers our research methods and highlights some of the primarily positive findings that we have so far uncovered in the sector. The second working paper [indexed at TD/TNC 94.383] then outlines some of the recurrent post-16 ‘leadership challenges’, in relation to power, distance and inequality, that have emerged in the research to date.

Excerpt from published introduction. Show less

This article explores employee perspectives on effective leadership in UK further education (FE). Studies on leadership effectiveness typically seek either to specify the individual qualities of ‘heroic’ leaders or, increasingly, to highlight the collective nature of ‘post-heroic’ leadership. While these discourses are frequently seen as dichotomous and competing, [the authors’] research found that FE employees often value practices that combine elements of both. They tended to prefer subtle and versatile practices that [the authors] term ‘blended leadership’; an approach that values, for example, both delegation and direction, both proximity and distance and both internal and external engagement. Drawing on other studies which indicate that paradoxical blends of apparently irreconcilable opposites might form the basis for effective leader ship, the article considers the implications of this analysis for the study of higher education (HE). It concludes by highlighting the potential value of more dialectical approaches to the theory and practice of leadership.

Published abstract. Show less

This working paper highlights the significance of multiple communities as crucial conditions, processes and consequences of [further education] FE leadership. Our research suggests that in (almost) all their activities FE colleges engage communities. They make important, but frequently under-estimated contributions to the local community and economy. This is the case within colleges (e.g. students and employees), between colleges and their multiple-partners (e.g. in the local community and economy) and between different colleges (e.g. professional networks and associations between principals). The paper argues that in the FE sector communities and leadership are inextricably linked, sometimes in mutually reinforcing, but also in potentially contradictory ways. These communities are not only both internal and external to colleges themselves, they are also multiple and diverse, frequently shifting, interacting and impacting in complex, simultaneous ways. Our working paper: (1) outlines (some of) the multiple communities served by FE colleges. In particular, we explore the FE college as: a learning community, a socially inclusive community, an inclusive learning community and a provider of adult and community learning; (2) examines some of the important challenges for those occupying FE leadership positions in seeking to engage with these multiple communities. Our research findings suggest that on-going attempts to engage diverse communities constitute a crucial challenge for effective FE leadership; (3) suggests a different way of understanding the nature of FE leadership. This indicates that a ‘blended leadership’ (Collinson and Collinson 2005c) approach may be particularly effective in engaging multiple, shifting communities in sustainable ways; and (4) suggests that the community contribution of FE colleges is frequently neglected and/or under-estimated. Many of the staff we have interviewed argue that important aspects of colleges’ community engagements remain invisible or undervalued, particularly by those who evaluate performance and make funding decisions. In particular, the current sector-wide cuts in the funding of adult and community learning are likely to have a detrimental impact on FE colleges’ traditional community role.

Published executive summary. Show less

This book addresses the key leadership concepts and change strategies that face contemporary educators and trainers. Globally, education is changing in response to a more demand-driven market and increasing expectations of greater accessibility, flexibility, quality, relevance and efficiency. In addition, new information and communications technologies are transforming the delivery and content of education and training. This environment requires transformational leadership, both at the organisational and the operational level, to change work cultures and to create systems that are responsive and sustainable. The contributions in this book bring together the experience of 18 educational leaders and innovators from around the world. The following issues are critically examined: global developments and trends in open and flexible education and training; the changes, challenges and choices confronting all educators and trainers; the development of an entrepreneurial culture; and the processes of organisational change and of successful leadership. The chapters are: Open and flexible learning: an environmental scan / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 1-14); Changes, challenges and choices / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 15-26); Developing an entrepreneurial culture / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 27-40); Processes of organizational change / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 41-52); Leadership in open and flexible learning / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 53-62); The University of South Australia: providing leadership in flexible learning / Denise Bradley (p. 63-71); The University of the South Pacific: leading change in a multinational, multimodal university / Rajesh Chandra (p. 73-81); Alverno College: transforming the institution to an ability-based curriculum and flexible learning / Joel Read (p. 83-91); Leading and managing innovation in UK university contexts / Roger Lewis (p. 93-100); The University of Twente: leading and managing change via a Web-based course-management system / Betty Collis (p. 101-109); Washington State University: a US rural land-grant university responds to its changing environment / Muriel Oaks (p. 111-119); Western Governors University: a competency-based virtual university / Robert C. Albrecht (p. 121-129); The American Distance Education Consortium: from rural provision to virtual organization / Janet Poley (p. 131-138); The UK Open University: managing success and leading change in a mega-university / John Daniel (p. 139-146); Indira Gandhi National Open University and the Distance Education Council: institution and system building in India / Abdul Khan (p. 147-156); Athabasca University: change management in a non-traditional university setting / Dominique Abrioux (p. 157-165); University of Wisconsin-Extension: exercising leadership in complex organizations / Donald E. Hanna (p. 167-175); Partnerships for change / Dato' Gajaraj Dhanarajan (p. 177-185); Leading change in the expanded K-12 classroom / Brian Talbott (p. 187-195); Leadership in institution building: the National Open School of India / Marmar Mukhopadhyay (p. 197-205); Treading a fine line: consultancy in open and distance learning / Bernadette Robinson (p. 207-215); The International Extension College: leadership beyond the mainstream / Barbara Spronk (p. 217-224); Jones International University: converging marketplace entrepreneurship and education / Glenn R. Jones (p. 225-233); Lessons for the future / Colin Latchem and Donald E. Hanna (p. 235-240). Show less

This paper draws on research into what constitutes 'effective leadership' from the perspective of [further education] FE employees. It highlights FE staff's preference for what [the authors] term 'blended leadership', an approach that combines specific elements of both traditional hierarchical leadership with more contemporary aspects of distributed leadership. FE staff prefer leadership practices that provide structure, clarity and organisation as well as team-working, communication and a shared sense of mission, responsibility and accomplishment.

Within the literature on both education and on leadership, distributed and hierarchical models are typically seen as opposing polarities. Frequently, distributed leadership is highly valued whilst traditional approaches are criticised as outmoded. By contrast, this working paper suggests that FE employees continue to value important elements of a directive leadership approach combined and integrated with aspects of a distributed style. [The authors'] research finds that in the FE sector, such 'blended leadership' practices are routinely accomplished in the context of multiple, conflicting, shifting and contradictory demands on FE colleges.

Published abstract. Show less