Summary, General Outcomes, Implications and Future Directions

This book has analysed theoretical and applied knowledge of University organisational leadership as an open sub-system within a relatively open system of each university as an organisation; and it has subsequently focused on addressing three gaps and limitations in knowledge, through a qualitatively oriented research study. The research has entailed exploring (a) approaches to university organisational leadership (b) approaches to the development of university organisational leadership and (c) challenges facing university organisational leadership in the context of Europe. These areas of focus were formed into research questions, which were used in a semi-structured interview schedule to collect information from 97 university and university-related organisational practitioners who work within the influences of university leadership. The practitioners interviewed came from four European countries and included both academics and non-academics in universities, as well as administrative staff from government agencies and private organisations with responsibilities for universities. Also in the interview pool were external members of university boards and university leadership and management consultants.