Research On Organisational Leadership In Public Universities

Organisational leadership which is a kind of comprehensive influence,is very important for university development.This research aimed at analysing the issue of organisational leadership within the University of Maroua(Cameroon)and Zhejiang Normal University(China),so as to identify some best practices which can help to improve and strengthen the institutional leadership in Cameroonian public universities,currently facing many challenges.This research includes seven chapters:The first chapter,which is the introduction,includes the background of the higher education system in Cameroon and China,the statement of the problem and research questions,the purpose of the research and its significance.The second chapter deals with the review of the literature.It reviews the core concepts of the study and discusses its theoretical foundations.The literature review thus focuses on some organisational and decision-making models and on the conceptual framework of this research,namely the concept of ‘academic culture' and the theory of ‘shared governance'.The third chapter presents the research mind map and research methodology.This section introduces the research mind map and contents,the philosophical foundation of the study,namely the constructivism,as well as the qualitative research design with the use of open-ended interviews and documents analysis.The fourth chapter sought to examine the structure of leadership in the University of Maroua(hereafter UMa)and Zhejiang Normal University(hereafter ZJNU).The findings revealed that in both universities,there are several attempts aiming at creating a democratic governance system through the participation and the mobilisation of the entire university community in the university functioning.However,the structure of leadership within these two universities are very different due to the significant difference of their organisational environments.The leadership system at UMa is characterised by centralisation,and appointment of various officials by the State government,as well as the participation of government's representatives in the board of directors,intensifying this centralisation of powers.As for ZJNU,it applies a system of president responsibility under the leadership of the Party Committee.The Party Committee is the core of the leadership of the University.The president is the legal representative of the University,and under the leadership of the University Party Committee,he is fully responsible for teaching,scientific research and administrative management.The fifth chapter discusses the power organisation challenges and prospective solutions.It was found that the main challenges faced by UMa include,the lack of enough funding,clear planning,the culture of bureaucracy,the lack of managerial training for the leaders,the lack of qualification among the administrative staff,and some issues related to the socio-cultural environment.As for ZJNU,it faces more challenges in relation to the culture of bureaucracy,the intensive change of the university policies,the lack of communication and information sharing among the university stakeholders.The leaders and faculty members interviewed for this research suggested some prospective solutions such as the improvement of the working environment for UMa,the improvement of organisational abilities in terms of structure and function,as well as more involvement of faculty members into the university governance.The sixth chapter discusses the influence of organisational leadership on the institutional performance of UMa and ZJNU.The study showed the important role of the university leaders and the leadership system on universities outcomes and performance,amidst other factors being involved in the results of the institution.The analysis of quality assurance mechanisms and the impact of the leadership system on the achievement of the mission of the university in ZJNU exhibited some best practices which Cameroonian public universities can learn from,to improve and strengthen their institutional leadership system that is facing many challenges related to the fulfilment of organisational goals.The seventh chapter presents the summary of the findings,and proposes some strategies for improvement.By comparing the organisational leadership of UMa and ZJNU,this study could help to improve the organisational leadership structure of Cameroonian Public University,especially the quality of university management.Among the recommendations,the researcher stressed the necessity of reforming the organisational leadership system of Cameroonian public universities.A reform which involves a redefinition of the concepts,structure,system,culture and many other aspects of the university organisation,so as to solve the fundamental problems.