Leadership Behaviours in Higher Education in Syria

The purpose of this research paper is to develop a theoretical framework of leadership behaviours and attributes which could be applied to assess Higher education academic and administrative staff perception and level of endorsement of significant leadership behaviours at Higher Education industry. These behaviours include charismatic, visionary, communicative, team oriented and servant leadership. A theoretical model is established, clarifying the significance of selection of the abovementioned leadership behaviours. Planned Methodology, measurement, empirical testing and application of the theoretical model is investigated. A quantitative approach is employed to design a questionnaire survey to identify the appropriate conceptualisation of integrated leadership attributes and behaviour items. The competitive advantage of the theoretical model is characterised by the combination and integration of various characteristics and attributes of leadership which have some elements of contradiction and consistency. The model argues that in spite of the divergence between different leadership attributes, they transcend organisational boundaries. Cronbach alpha Reliability test shows very strong internal consistency and significance. Higher Education industry is investigated in this research study selecting a convenience sample from Higher Education institutions. Descriptive analysis shows high level of endorsement of perceived leadership dimensions among academic and administrative staff. The correlation analysis also shows strong and positive significance between variables. The research paper emphasizes the significance of leadership dimensions including vision, influence, transformation, charisma and service in higher education industry in Private and Public universities.