Mapping Leadership in Higher Education: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews

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dc.contributorSchool of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia
dc.contributorSchool of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia
dc.contributor.authorXiaoran Xu
dc.contributor.authorLei Mee Thien
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-25T00:42:24Z
dc.date.available2025-09-25T00:42:24Z
dc.descriptionThis umbrella review critically synthesises 19 systematic reviews on leadership in higher education, addressing thematic evolution, geographical representation, methodological rigour, and future research directions. A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and Education Source (via EBSCOhost). Data extraction followed a structured template, with thematic synthesis integrating inductive and deductive coding. The results show that publication volume increased notably after 2018, indicating growing interest in evidence synthesis. However, thematic and methodological fragmentation persists. Women’s leadership, digital/e-leadership, and academic/organisational leadership dominate, while crisis leadership and identity-based leadership remain marginal. The geographical distribution is skewed toward Global North contexts. Methodological inconsistencies, including uneven use of frameworks and quality appraisal, compromise comparability and rigour. Findings call for context-sensitive, inclusive leadership frameworks tailored to diverse cultural and institutional contexts. Higher education institutions should invest in leadership development programs that integrate inclusivity, digital competence, and ethical governance. This review provides a novel consolidation of systematic reviews on higher education leadership, highlighting conceptual, methodological, and regional gaps, and presents a roadmap for responsive and inclusive leadership scholarship and practice.
dc.identifier.urihttps://opendata.usm.my/handle/123456789/74731
dc.language.isoen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjecthigher education leadership
dc.subjecteducational leadership
dc.subjectsystematic review
dc.subjectumbrella review
dc.titleMapping Leadership in Higher Education: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews
dc.typeDataset
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