Reframing leadership in the Algerian Universities to participate more effectively in the Economic Development

Abstract

The focus of this study is the four frames of leadership by Bolman and Deal (1991). According to them effective leaders should approach organizational issues from four perspectives called “frames”. They classify these frames into four categories: structural frame, human resource frame, political frame, and symbolic frame. Bolman and Deal (1991) argued that leader’s effectiveness is higher if they can utilize and access all the four frames. Also, if they can realize which frame is better used depending on people involved, and different situations. Under the IMRaD1 methodology and using Leadership Orientations Survey Instrument by Bolman and Deal, this study aimed to understand and analyze the leadership orientations of the leaders and managers of the Algerian universities. Based on Bolman and Deal (1991) reframing theory the research questions were: Which and how many frames of Bolman and Deal’s do the leaders and managers from Algerian higher education institutions report as the most dominant frames (self-rating and others rating), and are those leadership orientations correlated to their effectiveness as leaders and managers (self-rating and others rating). The results show the domination of the structural frame, also shows a combination of use between the structural and human resource frame for Algerian higher education managers that have access to more than one frame. This result confirms preceding finding by Bolman and Deal (1991), who stated that “most educators rely primarily on the human resource or structural frames”.