Management and leadership: Views from rectors, vice-rectors and academic staff in Vietnamese higher education institutions

Through decades, there have many debates about styles, behaviours and traits of management and leadership in an organization. There is also a continuing argument about the different between leadership and management. However, it is agreed that leader and manager play very important roles in the success of any organization.

Higher Education context is rather complicated and differs from other contexts by its academia culture and academic freedom. As the result, the academic leader as well as manager needs specific capacities. Vietnamese Higher Education system has been experienced many transformations in recent years and one of the emergent reforms is the refusing of autonomy to institutions. A cultural change is required in the way a Higher Education institution is managed. Recently, Higher Education Reform Agenda also commit to made significant change in managing the system.  Rectors, Vice-Rectors and Academic staff are the key factors in this process and they need to be prepared well for accountability. Discussions on this paper base on the surveys in Vietnam with 240 Academic staff from six universities and colleges in the North, the Middle and the South; and 200 Rectors and Vice-Rectors of Higher Education sector in Vietnam. The surveys explore how Rectors and Vice-Rectors and academic staff value leadership and management in Higher Education institutions.

Keywords: Higher education, academic staff, management, leadership, academic leader, academic manager, reform, Vietnam.