Part of the "Leadership" Research, Innovation and Enterprise Exchange powered by PechaKucha Thu 25 Apr, 2013 University of Salford http://uosleadershipexchange.eventbrite.co.uk http://www.youtube.com/user/RIEUSalford http://www.pechakucha.org/channels/powered-by-pechakucha

1. Dr Maria E Burke
Salford Business School
University of Salford
United Kingdom
2013
LEADERSHIP STORIES IN
URBAN AND EDGY ORGANIZATIONS

2. INTRODUCTION
• The aim of this Pecha Kucha is to present an overview of research which explored new forms of leadership in
higher education institutions. This will be achieved by discussions around the following sections:
• Context Changes in Global Higher Education Sector
• Background The idea and the consequent projects
• Definitions Definitions of Urban and Edgy
• Funding Getting sponsorship £££
• Research Methods Selecting the Universities
• Data Collection Entering the VC offices
• Findings Three Themes
• Implications
• Conclusions
• The Way Forward

3. 1. CONTEXT:
CHANGES IN GLOBAL HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR
Many changes are taking place which impact on Higher Education:
• Legal framework
• International changes
• Demographic Changes
• Cultural Changes
• From Public sector to Private sector

4. 2. BACKGROUND
THE IDEA AND THE CONSEQUENT PROJECTS
• Organizations have an identity, a set of characteristics that defines them and communicates to
others what they are about – a corporate identity
• Aim of corporate identity is to establish a favourable reputation with its stakeholders, and to
gain competitive advantage
• Corporate identity tends to be about internal factors – yet it is is also external factors that
contribute to an organization’s identity such as govt policy, industry standards,
• Yet…

5. 2. BACKGROUND
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT IS UNCERTAIN AND
CHANGING……

6. 2. BACKGROUND
INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING…..

7. 2. BACKGROUND - IDENTITY ISSUES……

8. 3. DEFINITIONS: URBAN AND EDGY?

9. 3. DEFINITIONS: URBAN AND EDGY?

10. 3. DEFINITIONS: URBAN AND EDGY?

11. 3. DEFINITIONS: URBAN AND EDGY
• Urban and Edgy
• Urban – on the periphery, part of something larger, inner city, metropolitan, city
• Edgy – On the edge, Cutting Edge,
• Messy, diverse, not trying to unify culture, difficult to categorize
• Organizations that do not “fit” or map onto established organizations patterns

12. 4. FUNDING: GETTING SPONSORSHIP £££
• This was, and still is a journey of adventure
• First, an idea, then a small pilot
• Second, a paper, published
• Third, a first attempt at funding
• Fourth, a second attempt at funding – and SUCCESS - £££
• A lesson – never give up or give in, just persevere……...

13. 5. RESEARCH METHODS
SELECTING THE UNIVERSITIES!

14. 5. RESEARCH METHODS SELECTING THE UNIVERSITIES!
• Choose from variety of listing
• UK has several groups such as the Russell Group of Universities
• Yet used own intuition
• Discussed
• Identified how many and who to target (10 Universities and Senior Staff)

15. 6. DATA COLLECTION: ENTERING THE VICE CHANCELLOR OFFICES.
• Interviews with Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors
• Leadership Styles– Positive, Alarming, Optimistic, Pessimistic ,Confident, Attitude
• Reactions to the phrase ” Urban and Edgy”

16. 7.FINDINGS: THREE THEMES
• Three themes
• Turbulence In Higher Education
• Persistence/ Absence/Future
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Current leadership/ Style /Context setting/structure/direction
• Characterization of institutions
• New ways of identifying organizations

17. 8. IMPLICATIONS
• Recognition of change
• How does the label of urban and edgy help?
• New models for leadership using social media
• Implications for leadership training

18. 9. CONCLUSIONS
• More Collaboration, Less Competitiveness
• Need for a common set of International Leadership Standards
• Research Completed at local level, at national level

19. 9. CONCLUSIONS
• Next – Planning the International Research Phase!

20. 10. THE WAY FORWARD….
Thank to my sponsors,
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education,
Thanks for the invitation to speak
But most of all Thanks to YOU for attending and listening!