GENDER, COMMUNICATION STYLE AND ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP: EXAMINING MANAGERIAL PATTERNS IN OPEN HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE

Abstract

Leadership effectiveness in open and distance higher education institutions, which often have complex technology-embedded governance structures, depends heavily on the communication patterns of their academic managers across diverse administrative and academic networks. The intersection of academic leadership, gender, and communication style is a critical area of investigation, particularly within open and distance learning institutions. This study investigates the gender based differentials in communication styles of academic managers in Open Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan. 224 academic managers (Heads of Departments, Program Coordinators, and Courses Coordinators) from 1 Public sector and 2 private sector universities were selected through Multi-Stage Cluster Random Sampling. This study is based on Situational Leadership Theory, and the Communication Styles Inventory for Academic Managers (CSIAM) was used after piloting and validation to collect data. Semi-structured interviews of academic managers confirm that communication styles directly inform leadership practices and managerial strategies. Findings revealed that the differences in communication styles of male and female managers were not statistically significant in both directive and collaborative clusters. Both female and male academic managers showed hybrid communication patterns in open and distance higher education institutions in Pakistan, suggesting that governance structures and organisational roles are more powerful antecedents of communication styles as compared to the gender identity of academic managers. This study recommended further exploration of the intersection of communication styles, quality assurance and enhancement, and organisational culture in the field of higher education management.