LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION: BUSINESS-MANAGEMENT VERSUS VISIONARY-SERVANT

Purpose: For much of the 20th century, a neoliberal form of governance that views students as customers has existed in much of higher education. But as the demographics of college students in the United States have changed over time, there has been a growing call for a different type of educational leadership, one that sees all stakeholders – students, families, staff, faculty, etc. – as partners. This study explored and explained undergraduate students’ self-reported preference for either a business-management (BML) or a visionary-servant (VSL) leadership approach at one institution in the southwest United Stated. Research Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted using research on the characteristics of BML and VSL. A survey with 12 answer pairs which pitted the two styles against one another was administered. The instrument was dispensed to undergraduate students (n = 190) at one Hispanic-serving institution. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed, and follow-up interviews (n = 11) were conducted to expound upon the results. Findings: Descriptive statistics show a higher undergraduate student preference for VSL over BML. Additionally, interview data explained this preference as aligning with a “nurturing” ideal thought to be of importance to educational systems. Three themes emerged from this data: transformational vision, service and supportive leadership, and personal/relational skills. Implications: These findings can better inform educational leaders about their leadership practices as it relates to the latest generation of college students, especially those from underrepresented demographics and those who attend minority-serving institutions.