article · International Journal of Educational Management
This study investigates how leaders in public universities in Uganda perceive and enact socially responsible leadership to meet stakeholder expectations. Based on semi-structured interviews with 22 university leaders, thematic analysis identified four primary themes. The findings indicate that while university leaders express a willingness to act in line with social norms, they do not fully practice four key dimensions: moral excellence in character, stakeholder collaboration, personal abilities, and moral direction. Furthermore, participants highlighted uncertainty regarding how to effectively begin contributing to broader societal improvement. This empirical inquiry examines socially responsible leadership behaviours specifically within the context of higher education institutions in developing nations.
Higher education institutions play a vital role in societal development, yet their leadership may struggle to translate ethical intent into practice. Understanding these gaps helps public universities design better institutional governance, align leadership practices with stakeholder expectations, and identify ways to support community needs in developing nations.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway or commercialisation opportunity, focusing instead on exploratory qualitative research into higher education governance practices.
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Purpose The purpose of the study is to determine the degree to which Uganda’s public universities feel obligated to adopt socially responsible leadership practices and, in turn, live up to the expectations of their stakeholders. A crucial component of higher education institutions is socially responsible leadership in universities. Design/methodology/approach A total of 22 leaders of Uganda’s public universities participated in semi-structured interviews that the researchers conducted. Four main themes emerged from thematic analysis of the gathered data. Findings The researchers discover that although the leaders are willing to act appropriately in accordance with social norms, they do not fully exercise the four dimensions (moral excellence in character, stakeholder collaboration, personal abilities and moral direction). The respondents also went on to explain that they were unsure about how to start helping their societies function better as a whole. Originality/value As far as the researchers are aware, this is the first study to look empirically into socially responsible leadership practices in a university setting (public universities in this case), especially in developing and Orient countries.
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DOI: 10.1108/ijem-02-2024-0067
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