Leadership Practices of Department Heads: Implications for Leadership Development at Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the managerial leadership practices of academic
department chairs and their implications for leadership development at Haramaya
University. A sequential explanatory mixed research design was used to conduct the study.
The researchers sampled 73 teachers from seven departments using proportional stratified
random sampling based on the number of teachers, experiences and field of studies. The
Leadership Behavior Dimension Questionnaire (LBDQ) was employed to assess staff
perceptions of the managerial leadership behaviors of department heads. Interviews were
also conducted with selected department heads, associate deans and deans. The quantitative
data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data were
analyzed through thematic analysis. The study revealed that most department staff and heads
were lecturers with fewer years of experience. In addition, the department heads slanted
towards being managerial-task-oriented than leadership-people-oriented. The major
challenges inhibiting the head of departments’ performance were role ambiguities,
unnecessary interference of the deans, managing conflicts and tensions among the staff within
and between the departments, and difficulty forming cohesive faculty members. Thus, given
their focus on managerialism, complex challenges, and the absence of organized leadership
development schemes, the mission accomplishment of the department heads would be
worrisome. Therefore, it is recommendable that the department heads’ routine tasks be
supported with formal and informal learning (leadership development) on managerial
leadership models, which greatly enhance organizational performance in higher education
institutions.