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leadership, according to Middlehurst (1993), could be achieved in research, teaching and
scholarship. In addition academic leadership would involve influencing the direction of
academic activities and areas of study, while managerial leadership would involve
planning and budgeting; organising and staffing, controlling and problem-solving (
Middlehurst 1993).
A few definitions of leadership in the academic context might be helpful at this juncture.
According to Bryman (1992), cited in Middlehurst (1993:68), leadership “is a process of
social influence whereby a leader steers members of a group towards a goal”. It is also
“the ability to convince and persuade others to act on the basis
of greater knowledge or
competence, reasoned argument and fairness” (p75). Leadership “consists of establishing
vision and direction, building commitment through communication and negotiation about
collective goals and change” (p83). The leadership task in an academic context includes
“challenging existing practices, modes of thought or academic areas that no longer fit the
direction proposed” (p84). Leadership involves translating and interpreting the ‘dual’
language currently in use in the changing academic environment, namely, that of
“cost-
efficiency,
value-for-money, audit, competition and performance indicators” as well as
“intellectual development, value-for-life, professionalism, collaboration and reputation
among peers”. Leadership will “also involve taking hard decisions about those values and
practices which should be retained and those which will need adaptation”(Middlehurst
1993:84). Leadership is necessary for guiding and developing disciplinary and teaching
objectives as well as being relevant for the development and implementation
of research
programmes. Leadership is involved in the interpretation of values as well as the
representation of collective purposes and interests. As much as in other organisations it is
also required to facilitate, stimulate and focus individual and group
effort in universities
(Middlehurst 1993:86)
.
2.4.1.1 Leadership types – transformational and transactional leadership
Transformational and transactional leadership types have been selected in this section so
as to highlight their application in a changing academic climate, as well as their
appropriateness in the current state of university transformation. Some writers have noted
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the distinction drawn by James McGregor Burns between transactional and
transformational leadership and leaders and his coining of the terms “transformational
and transactional” (Bass1981; Middlehurst 1993; Cronin 1993). What follows is a
political definition of the two terms. The academic connotation will be discussed later. In
Burns’
distinction, transactional political leaders are those who:
approach followers with an eye to exchanging one thing for another; jobs for votes or
subsidies for campaign contributions. Such transactions comprise the bulk of the
relationships among leaders and followers, especially in groups, legislatures and
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