Leadership trends in institutions of Higher Education: A bibliometric review

• Wendolin Suárez-Amaya https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3825-5781
• Francisco Ganga-Contreras https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9325-6459
• Nancy Alarcón-Henríquez https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3025-0257
• Juan Abello-Romero https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3064-3456

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v30i2.41908

Palabras clave: University governance, higher education institutions, scientific production, educational management, educational research

Resumen

This Investigation aims to analyze scientific production and thematic trends in the field of leadership in institutions of higher education. This is a documentary type review which seeks to shows how a bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science database is conducted. Information processing was carried out using the Biblioshiny and VOSviewer tools. The criterias for the searches and analysis were: The evolution in publications by areas of knowledge, countries, affiliations, authors and their collaborations, relevant journals and articles, as well as topics, with emphasis on the areas of education and management. The results suggest a considerable increase, 120% between 2017 and 2018, with an impact on related areas such as psychology and sustainability. Production is concentrated in the United States and England, however, when it comes to authors, attention needs to be paid to groups from the United Kingdom, China and Norway. In terms of themes, competencies, soft skills and well-being stand out. It is concluded that scientific production on leadership in higher education is expanding, which represents a research niche with development possibilities, whose interests in recent times have leaned towards practices necessary to guarantee success when exercising leadership.

Citas

Aftab, J., Abid, N., Sarwar, H., & Veneziani, M. (2022). Environmental ethics, green innovation, and sustainable performance: Exploring the role of environmental leadership and environmental strategy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 378, 134639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134639

Akanji, B., Mordi, C., Ituma, A., Adisa, T. A., & Ajonbadi, H. (2020). The influence of organisational culture on leadership style in higher education institutions. Personnel Review, 49(3), 709-732. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-08-2018-0280

Alamir, I., Ayoubi, R. M., Massoud, H., & Al Hallak, L. (2019). Transformational leadership, organizational justice and organizational outcomes: A study from the higher education sector in Syria. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 40(7), 749-763. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2019-0033

Al-Husseini, S., El Beltagi, I., & Moizert, J. (2021). Transformational leadership and innovation: the mediating role of knowledge sharing amongst higher education faculty. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 24(5), 670-693. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2019.1588381

Allan, E. J., Gordon, S. P., & Iverson, S. V. (2006). Re/thinking practices of power: The discursive framing of leadership in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Review of Higher Education, 30(1), 41-68. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2006.0045

Al-Mansoori, R. S., & Koc, M. (2019). Transformational leadership, systems, and intrinsic motivation impacts on innovation in Higher Education Institutes: Faculty perspectives in engineering colleges. Sustainability, 11(15), 4072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154072

Almutairy, Y. M. A. (2020). Leadership self-efficacy and organizational commitment of faculty members: Higher Education. Administrative Science, 10(3), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030066

Araya-Pizarro, S., & Verelst, N. (2023). Análisis bibliométrico sobre la calidad de la educación superior en Chile. Educación, 32(62), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.18800/educacion.202301.010

Ardanuy, J. (2012). Breve introducción a la bibliometría. Universitat de Barcelona.

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959-975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Arnold, D., & Sangrà, A. (2018). Dawn or dusk of the 5th age of research in educational technology? A literature review on (e-)leadership for technology-enhanced learning in higher education (2013-2017). International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15, 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0104-3

Ashiq, M., Ur Rehman, S., Ahmad, N., Atoum, I., Aqil, M., & Ahmad, S. (2023). A bibliometric review of leadership literature in library and information science profession, 1959–2022. SAGE Open, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231208767

Aung, P. N., & Hallinger, P. (2023). Research on sustainability leadership in higher education: A scoping review. International Journal of sustainability in Higher Education, 24(3), 517-534. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2021-0367

Balwant, P. T., Birdi, K., Stephan, U., & Topakas, A. (2019). Transformational instructor-leadership and academic performance: a moderated mediation model of student engagement and structural distance. Journal of further and higher education, 43(7), 884-900. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1420149

Banker, D. V. (2023). Status of women leadership in the Indian higher education sector. International Journal of Educational Management, 37(3), 662-680 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-06-2022-0216

Baumber, A., Allen, L., Key, T., Kligyte, G., Melvold, J., & Pratt, S. (2021). Teaching resilience: Enabling factors for effective responses to covid-19. Students Success, 12(3), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.1773

Bebbington, W. (2021). Leadership strategies for a higher education sector in flux. Studies in Higher Education, 46(1), 158-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1859686

Bracho-Fuenmayor, P. L. (2023). Habilidades de liderazgo en tiempos de cambio: Una mirada en las universidades del Zulia-Venezuela. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (Ve), XXIX(3), 517-530. https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v29i3.40736

Callon, M., Courtial, J. P., & Laville, F. (1991). Co-word analysis as a tool for describing the network of interactions between basic and technological research: The case of polymer chemistry. Scientometrics, 22, 155-205. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02019280

Chisholm-Burns, M. A., Brandon, H. H., & Spivey, C. A. (2021). Leadership lessons from administrators, faculty, and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 13(10), 1306-1311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2021.07.001

Chitpin, S., & Karoui, O. (2022). Educational decision-making during COVID-19 in Ontario: Lessons for Higher Education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 3(2), 122-142. https://dx.doi.org/10.52547/johepal.3.2.122

Cornelius-Bell, A., & Bell, P. A. (2020). Partnership as student power: Democracy and Governance in a Neoliberal University. Radical Teacher, 118, 21-30. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2020.738

Crawford, M. (2023). “Being” a Head of Department in an English University. Educational Review, 75(6), 1168-1180. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2000368

Dumulescu, D., & Mutiu, A. (2021). Academic Leadership in the Time of COVID-19—Experiences and Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 648344. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648344

Du Plessis, M., Jansen, C. D., Simons, A., Frantz, J., Roman, N., & Andipatin, M. (2022). South African Higher Education Institutions at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic: Sense-Making and lessons learnt. Frontiers in Education, 6, 740016. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.740016

Erkutlu, H., & Chafra, J. (2020). Leader’s integrity and interpersonal deviance: The mediating role of moral efficacy and the moderating role of moral identity. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 15(3), 611-627. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-07-2018-0406

Ganga-Contreras, F., Suarez-Amaya, W., Alarcón-Henríquez, N., Viancos-González, P., Henríquez-Fuentes, F., & Abello-Romero, J. (2024). Scientific production of the relationship between leadership, higher education and digital transformation: A bibliometric analysis. Interciencia, 49(1), 8-18. https://www.interciencia.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/01_7087_A_Suarez_v49n1_11.pdf

Grajfoner, D., Rojon, C., & Eshraghian, F. (2022). Academic leaders: In-role perceptions and developmental approaches. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221095957

Hickson, G. B., Pichert, J. W., Webb, L. E., & Gabbe, S. G. (2007). A complementary approach to promoting professionalism: identifying, measuring, and addressing unprofessional behaviors. Academic Medicine, 82(11), 1040-1048. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31815761ee

Jameson, J., Rumyantseva, N., Cai, M., Markowski, M., Essex, R., & McNay, I. (2022). A systematic review and framework for digital leadership research maturity in higher education. Computer and Education Open, 3, 100115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100115

Jiang, Z., Zhao, X., Wang, Z., & Herbert, K. (2024). Safety leadership: A bibliometric literature review and future research directions. Journal of Business Research, 172, 114437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114437

Kasalak, G., Guneri, B., Ehtiyar, V. R., Apaidin C., & Turker, G. Ö. (2022). The relation between leadership styles in higher education institutions and academic staff’s job satisfaction: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psycology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038824

Kinnunen, P., Ripatti-Torniainen, L., Mickwitz, Á., & Haarala-Muhonen, A. (2024). Bringing clarity to the leadership of teaching and learning in higher education: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 16(1), 265-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-06-2022-0200

Klempin, S., & Mechur, M. (2018). Leadership for transformative change: Lessons from technology-mediated reform in broad-access colleges. The Journal of Higher Education, 89(1), 81-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2017.1341754

Klofsten, M., Fayolle, A., Guerrero, M., Mian, S., Urbano, D., & Wright, M. (2019). The entrepreneurial university as driver for economic growth and social change - Key strategic challenges. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 141, 149-158 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.12.004

Kucharska, W., & Rebelo, T. (2022). Knowledge sharing and knowledge hiding in light of the mistakes acceptance component of learning culture-knowledge culture and human capital implications. The Learning Organization, 29(6), 649-669 https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-03-2022-0032

Lamm, K. W., Sapp, L. R., Randall, N. L., & Lamm, A. J. (2021). Leadership development programming in higher education: An exploration of perceptions of transformational leadership across gender and role types. Tertiary Education and Management, 27, 297-312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-021-09076-2

López-Domínguez, M., Enache, M., Sallan, J. M., & Simo, P. (2013). Transformational leadership as an antecedent of change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Joumal of Business Research, 66(10), 2147-2152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.02.041

Machado, C., Saraiva, M. T., Dos Santos, I. R., & Palmisano, A. (2016). As leis da bibliometria em diferentes bases de dados científicos. Revista de Ciências da Administração, 18(44), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8077.2016v18n44p111

Maddock, L. C. (2023). Academic middle leaders, middle leading and middle leadership of university learning and teaching: A systematic review of the higher education literature. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 45(4), 357-392. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2022.2160888

Mahabubul, G. (2022). The relationship between figureheads and managerial leaders in the Private University Sector: A decentralised, competency-based leadership model for sustainable Higher Education. Sustainability, 14(19), 12279. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912279

Maheshwari, G. (2021). A review of literature on women's leadership in higher education in developed countries and in Vietnam: Barriers and enablers. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(5), 1067-1086. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211021418

Maheshwari, G., Nayak, R., & Ngyyen, T. (2021). Review of research for two decades for women leadership in higher education around the world and in Vietnam: a comparative analysis. Gender in Management, 36(5), 640-658 https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-04-2020-0137

Matos, F. F., Contreras, F., & Olaya, J. C. (2023). Introducción a la bibliometría práctica. Asociación de bibliotecólogos del Perú.

McNamara, A. (2021). Crisis management in Higher Education in the time of Covid 19: The case of actor training. Education Sciences, 11(3), 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030132

Meza-Mejía, M. D. C., Villarreal-García, M. A., & Ortega-Barba, C. F. (2023). Women and leadership in Higher Education: A systematic review. Social Sciences, 12(10), 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12100555

Mittal, A., Mantri, A., Tandon, U., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2022). A unified perspective on the adoption of online teaching in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information Discovery and Delivery, 50(2), 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/IDD-09-2020-0114

Muchabaiwa, W., & Gondo, R. (2022). Covid-19 and the virtual classroom conundrum in Zimbabwean universities. Journal of Education, (86), 107-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i86a06

Najam, U., & Mustamil, N. (2020). Servant leadership: A bibliometric review. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 9(3), 138-155. https://doi.org/10.33844/IJOL.2020.60501

Ndlovu, W., Ngirande, H., Setati, S. T., & Zhuwao, S. (2018). Transformational leadership and employee organisational commitment in a rural-based higher education institution in South Africa. SA Journal of Human Resources Management, 16, 984. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v16i0.984

Ntim, C. G., Soobaroyen, T., & Broad, M. J. (2017). Governance structures, voluntary disclosures and public accountability: The case of UK higher education institutions. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 30(1), 65-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-10-2014-1842

Pando, T. T., Cangalaya-Sevillano, L. M., Herrera, Z. E., & Cabrejos, R. E. (2022). Liderazgo y empoderamiento en las mujeres empresarias en el Perú. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (Ve), XXVIII(E-5), 234-245 https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v28i.38159

Pedraja-Rejas, L., Rodríguez-Ponce, E., & Muñoz-Fritis, C. (2021). Liderazgo transformacional y cultura innovativa: Efectos en la calidad institucional. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 26(96), 1004-1018. https://doi.org/10.52080/rvgluz.26.96.2

Pekkolaa E., Siekkinenb, T., Kujalaa, E.-N., Kanniainena J.-P., & Laihonen, H. (2021). An assessment of COVID-19’s impact on Finnish University Leadership. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 19(4), 510-516. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2021.1906773

Popkova, E. G., & Sergi, B. S. (2023). Strategic academic leadership and high-tech economic growth. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1108527. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1108527

Roy, S., & Brown, S. (2022). Higher Education in India in the time of pandemic, sans a learning management system. AERA Open, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211069527

Salazar, C. M., Muñoz-Jara, Y. A., & Caviedes, D. A. (2023). Competencias directivas en una zona central de Chile. Journal of the Academy, (6), 48-65. https://doi.org/10.47058/joa6.4

Sánchez-Carrillo, J. C., Cadarso, M. A., & Tobarra, M. A. (2021). Embracing higher education leadership in sustainability: A systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 298, 126675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126675

Sedereviciute-Paciauskiene, Ž., Valantinaite, I., & Kliukas, R. (2021). Communion, Care and Leadership in Computer-Mediated Learning during the Early Stage of COVID-19. Sustainability, 13(8), 4234. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084234

Shoaib, M., Nawal, A., Korsakiene, R., Zámeˇcník, R., Rehman, A. U., & Giedré A. (2022). Performance of Academic Staff during COVID-19 pandemic-induced work transformations: An IPO Model for stress management. Economies, 10(2), 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10020051

Smith, N., & Fredricks-Lowman, I. (2020). Conflict in the workplace: A 10-year review of toxic leadership in higher education. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 23(5), 538-551. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2019.1591512

Suárez, Y., & Pérez-Anaya, O. (2018). La evaluación de la actividad científica: Indicadores bibliométricos. En J. Avila (Coord.), Cienciometría y bibliometría. El estudio de la producción científica. Métodos, enfoques y aplicaciones en el estudio de las Ciencias Sociales (pp. 95-118). Ediciones Corporación Universitaria Reformada.

Udin, U., Handayani S., Yuniawan, A., & Rahardja E. (2019). Leadership styles and communication skills at Indonesian Higher Education: Patterns, influences, and applications for organization. Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, 10(1), 111-131. https://doi.org/10.15388/omee.2019.10.00006.

Urbizagástegui, R. (1999). La ley de Lotka y la literatura de bibliometría. Investigación Bibliotecológica: Archivonomía, Bibliotecología e Información, 13(27), 125-141. https://doi.org/10.22201/iibi.0187358xp.1999.27.3913

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2018). VOSviewer Manual version 1.6.10. CWTS Meaningful Metrics. Universitie Leiden.

Van Hemmen, S., Álvarez, C., Peris-Ortiz, M., & Urbano, D. (2015). Leadership styles and innovative entrepreneurship: An international study. Cybernetics and Systems, 46(3-4), 271-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/01969722.2015.1012896

Virgili-Lillo, M. A., Cedeño, S. J., & Escalona, L. N. (2023). Rector universitario del siglo XXI: primeros insumos para un perfil transformador en Latinoamérica. Journal of the Academy, (8), 71-93. https://doi.org/10.47058/joa8.5

Vlachopoulos, D. (2021). Organizational change management in Higher Education through the lens of executive coaches. Education Sciences, 11(6), 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060269

Vuori, J. (2019). Distributed leadership in the construction of a new higher education campus and community. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(2), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217725322

Wan, C. D., Sirat, M., & Razak, D. A. (2020). Academic governance and leadership in Malaysa: Examining the national higher education strategic iniciatives. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 9(2), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.14425/jice.2020.9.2.0913

Waring, M. (2017). Management and leadership in UK universities: Exploring the possibilities of change. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 39(5), 540-558. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2017.1354754

Watermeyer, R., Shankar, K., Crick, T., Knight, C., McGaughey, F., Hardman, J., Suri, V. R., Chung, R., & Phelan, D. (2021). ‘Pandemia’: A reckoning of UK universities’ corporate response to COVID-19 and its academic fallout. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 42(5-6), 651-666. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2021.1937058

Wu, T.-C., Chen, C.-H., & Li, C.-C. (2008). A correlation among safety leadership, safety climate and safety performance. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 21(3), 307-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlp.2007.11.001

Yeboah, R. (2022). COVID-19 and tertiary students’ knowledge, usage and challenges of using online learning platforms. Cogent Education, 9(1), 2135257. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2135257