An academic leadership model for transformation towards learning organisations in higher education

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: The pressures and demands for change and transformation are not bounded by nationalborders or geography and the complex challenges facing higher education call for adiversity of viewpoints and approaches. Institutional leadership must adjust to realize thefull potential of institutions. Leaders will have to look beyond their own self - interest andmeet the emotional needs of followers and find a radically new understanding of what itis to be effective.The study indicates that higher education institutions must have the will and the ability toadjust and respond to rapid change. It will be the responsibility of the leader(s) to definereality, to have an understanding of the past, the present and the future. Leading requiresa refocusing of the mind, that includes fundamental beliefs, knows what it aspires to andwhere it is going to.Organisations have become so complicated that conditions must be created that areflexible enough that they can create a value system and learning culture that will inspireemployees to participate enthusiastically, and at the same time enable and empowerfollowers and individual leaders. However, before leaders can lead others, they must learnto lead themselves. Leaders have to understand that self - leadership is the power thatdrives new boundaryless organizations.Such strategies help to create organisational culture where people value strong leadershipand strive to create it. For higher education institutions to be able to survive the nextmillennium, they will have to strive for empowering their workforce and becominglearning organisations. Employees must experience the aliveness of a learningorganisation, of something that has to do with the whole(Senge, 1990:339;371).The format of the study is that of a literature review of the leadership, transformation andlearning organisations disciplines for the purpose to identify patterns and regularities toprovide a systematic representation to be able to create a model. The model for academic leadership to accommodate change and transformation providesthe institutional culture for leadership development and becoming learning organisations.The model gives a (w)holistic viewpoint on how leadership development in institutionscan create the space to become, not only, learning organisations, but boundarylessorganisations as well.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University