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Leadership values, trust and negative capability: Managing the uncertainties of future English Higher Education

Leadership values, trust and negative capability: Managing the uncertainties of future English Higher Education

Jameson, Jill ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-8078 (2012) Leadership values, trust and negative capability: Managing the uncertainties of future English Higher Education. Higher Education Quarterly, 66 (4). pp. 391-414. ISSN 0951-5224 (Print), 1468-2273 (Online) (doi:10.1111/j.1468-2273.2012.00533.x)

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Abstract

The complex leadership attribute of ‘negative capability’ in managing uncertainty and engendering trust may be amongst the qualities enabling institutions to cope with multiple recent government policy challenges affecting English higher education, including significant increases in student fees. Research findings are reported on changes in leadership values, trust and organisational cultures in higher education during the current ‘age of austerity’. Data from university experts, managers and academics in semi-structured interviews were informed by questionnaires (n = 16), online surveys (n = 121) and a focus group (n = 6). Findings indicated that values-based leadership characterised by skilful ‘negative capability’ is now needed in English higher education. ‘Negative capability’ is defined as the ability to resist the ‘false necessity’ of deterministic solutions in building staff trust to cope proactively with ambiguity and change. This capability is needed for academic leaders to maintain their role in shaping the enduring purposes of higher education during a recession, both in England and in the wider international environment.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: [1] Article first published online: 20 SEP 2012. [2] Published in print: October 2012. [3] Published as: Higher Education Quarterly, (2012), Vol. 66, (4), pp. 391–414. [4] Higher Education Quarterly is published in association with the Society for Research into Higher Education.
Uncontrolled Keywords: leadership values, trust, capability, management, Higher Education, England
Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Education (EDU)
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Professional Workforce Development
Related URLs:
Last Modified: 17 Jan 2022 16:17
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/9269

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