Abstract
Shared Leadership has been adopted as good practice in the knowledge economy. However, there are paradoxical demands in a competitive market for tertiary education informed by neo-liberal ideology questioning the altruistic motive. This paper provides evidence to support the premise that Shared Leadership could be a key future-proofing strategy requiring an institutional framework and conducive environment for self-leadership to emerge. The initiative based on Shared Leadership adopted by an Academic Pathways Program is at a formative stage. Several initiatives such as ‘rotation of higher duties’, advisory committees, working groups, campus forums, and staff-online feedback have been implemented to generate wider development opportunities for staff. The practice of Shared Leadership is broadly recognised as good practice. However, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives from the employees’ point of view. Amongst the different actions undertaken within Shared Leadership practice, this position paper focused on the eligibility lists for the ‘rotation of higher duties.’ This position paper explores the current climate of the initiative through informal discussions with academics, management and senior leadership. The paper acknowledges the importance of understanding the applicability of Shared Leadership in the tertiary institutes rather than focusing merely on the normative description. Therefore, this position paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of the implementation of Shared Leadership, specifically as ‘higher duties on rotation basis’. The paper analyses data collected through informal discussions with the APP staff members and uses relevant secondary sources to support the analysis.
Presenters
Mona ShresthaLearning and Teaching Coordinator, Social Science and Psychology, Academic Pathways Program, Western Sydney University, The College, New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Educational Organization and Leadership
KEYWORDS
Shared Leadership, Future-Proofing, Higher Duties
