An Exploration of Cultural Factors and Their Influence on Saudi Arabian University Deans' Leadership Perceptions and Practices

Autor/inn/en	Alsuood, Yousef Abu; Youde, Andrew
Titel	An Exploration of Cultural Factors and Their Influence on Saudi Arabian University Deans' Leadership Perceptions and Practices
Quelle	In: Education Sciences, 8 (2018), Artikel 57 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2227-7102
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Cultural Influences; Social Influences; Higher Education; Deans; School Culture; Environmental Influences; Values; Leadership Styles; Administrator Attitudes; Barriers; Family Influence; Governance; Saudi Arabia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Sozialer Einfluss; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Dean; Dekan; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Environmental influence; Umwelteinfluss; Wertbegriff; Führungsstil; Education; Educational policy; Financing; Steuerung; Bildung; Erziehung; Bildungspolitik; Finanzierung; Saudi-Arabien
Abstract	This article reports an investigation into societal and organizational cultural influences on academic leadership in Saudi Arabian higher education, a previously underexplored area. In Saudi Arabia, it is currently unclear how university deans are negotiating the balance between organizational cultural values and contemporary influences, and how the values they embrace may influence their leadership practices and effectiveness. The study has been conducted in eight main governmental universities under the Ministry of Education. Qualitative data has been collected, involving interviews with fifteen university deans, with data scrutinized by an interpretive thematic analysis. The deans' responses indicated dissatisfaction with the broad societal culture around them and the negative influence this had on leadership practices. Tensions were apparent between traditional values and change, and the influence of family and tribal backgrounds. Five organizational cultural themes were identified as influences on deans' leadership--a centralized environment, strict regulations, the authority of top management, selection and promotion issues, and reputational factors. The study's outcomes contribute to the understanding of leadership perceptions and practices within a particular cultural context. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01