Focusing the kaleidoscope

Exploring distributed leadership in an English university

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4098129
AutoresAlan Floyd (0000-0002-2008-7831, Institute of Education, University of Reading, London Road Campus, 4 Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX, UK, autor de correspondencia), Dilly Fung (0000-0002-5087-4043, Centre for Advancing Learning and Teaching, University College London, London, UK)
Año2017
Volumen42
Número8
Páginas1488-1503
Fecha de publicación2017-08-03
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2015.1110692
OpenAlexW2207797246
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas17

In the UK and elsewhere, the idea of ‘distributing leadership’ in universities is becoming more popular. Yet, there is surprisingly little research on this topic. This paper reports on a funded study which explored how one institution had implemented a newly conceived ‘distributed’ leadership model, specifically to investigate the impact of the model on the academics who had taken on the new leadership positions within the university. The study adopted an exploratory, sequential mixed methods design with in-depth interviews (n = 30) being undertaken first, followed by an online survey (n = 177). The findings suggest that the challenge of ‘distributed leadership’ in universities is complex on a number of levels: the plurality of the institutional mission; the diversity of possible leadership/management roles; the challenge of effective communication; and the effects of traditional academic values and identities, which may support but may also be antithetical to the strategic direction of the institution

Distributed leadership · Educational leadership · Exploratory research · Higher education · Institution · Kaleidoscope · Leadership studies · Leadership style · Neuroleadership · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Shared leadership · Social science · Sociology · Strategic leadership · Computer Science · Higher Education and Employability · Higher Education Governance and Development · Management and Organizational Studies