Leadership and Management Styles in Higher Education: Navigating the Everyday Realities of Change

In today's ever-evolving global landscape, the higher education sector has undergone unprecedented transformations. This dynamic necessitates universities to not only enhance cost efficiency but also to innovate in programme delivery. Today’s leaders in higher education must be capable of managing change. This study focuses on how effective leaders are at managing change in higher education and, by association, what leadership styles they use. It also examines staff perceptions of how well their leaders manage change and which styles of leadership they think are most effective. This study will be an exploratory sequential design. The research problem will first be explored using qualitative methods because the sample is understudied. Qualitative findings will then be used to validate the questions in the quantitative survey instrument. This paper will highlight the methodology used and the ethical considerations of this study.