Three Functions Of Leadership In Higher Education

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Functions of Leadership in Higher Education Identifying an exact, universal definition of leadership is a conundrum plaguing researchers in higher education. The definitions are as vast as administrative responsibilities. Bolman and Gallos (2008) attempt to defined leadership as, “Leading is a social process that involves relationships of influence, learning, and exchange” (p. 10). While the responsibilities of postsecondary administrators are too infinite to list, the following will describe three functions of academic leaders, organizational frames to help motivate team members, and provide examples of how one postsecondary administrator addresses each of the three functions of leadership.
Three Functions of Academic Leadership College administrators serves many functions, which include budgeting, obtaining financial support from constituents, overseeing enrollment processes, and overseeing human resource issues just to name a few. How each administrator views their role and manages their duties can direct the success or failure of their appointment. To limit the scope of the discussion, what follows is a description of three functions of academic leadership including leadership of human resources, leadership of fiscal resources, and
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Bolman and Deal (2008) label the political frame as the jungle because this frame is based on a political infrastructure that thrives on competition, has a deeply entrenched hierarchy system, and members fight for power within the system (Echito, 2014). While the political model implements a monarchial style of authority, hierarchy, and power, which may seem effective from a design standpoint, this model can prove problematic as productivity and morale decline as faculty and midlevel administrators vie for power. Another weakness of the political frame is that those with the most perceived power, which rarely includes the lower-level employees, govern it leading to declining faculty morale (Echito,

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