Higher education institution leadership competency model development using the KSA approach
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Aug 30, 2025
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Abstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need competent leaders to survive and thrive in today’s challenging educational environment. In order to achieve this, HEIs have to develop leadership competency models that are aligned with their needs and context. A leadership competency model is essential in understanding how to develop Higher Education Institution leaders. This study proposes a list of HEIs leadership competencies and a HEI leadership competency model based on knowledge-skills-attitudes (KSA) approach. The proposed model can be used as a foundational framework that can be adapted and customized by HEIs to develop their own unique models
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How to Cite
Andika, A. (2025). Higher education institution leadership competency model development using the KSA approach. Enrichment : Journal of Management, 15(3), 273-382. https://doi.org/10.35335/enrichment.v15i3.2318
References
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Cong, L. C., Thu, D. A., & Thao, V. T. (2021). The competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector: the role of leadership competencies. Journal of Economics and Development, 23(3), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.1108/JED-06-2020-0080
Crosthwaite, C., & Erwee, R. (2015). Managerial Leadership Competencies of Heads of Department in Higher Education Institutions in Kerala, India. SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004, 10–14. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2554024
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Dilshan, B. A. T., & Asanka, P. P. G. D. (2025). Enhancing Resume Analysis: Leveraging Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning for Automated Resume Screening Using KSA Parameters. 2025 5th International Conference on Advanced Research in Computing (ICARC), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICARC64760.2025.10963312
Ehrenstorfer, B., Sterrer, S., Preymann, S., Aichinger, R., & Gaisch, M. (2015). Multi-Tasking Talents? Roles and Competencies of Middle-Level Manager-Academics at Two Austrian Higher Education Institutions. In R. M. O. Pritchard, M. Klumpp, & U. Teichler (Eds.), Diversity and Excellence in Higher Education: Can the Challenges be Reconciled? (pp. 175–200). SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-172-4_10
Flanigan, R. L., Stewardson, G., Dew, J., Fleig-Palmer, M. M., & Reeve, E. (2013). Effects of leadership on financial performance at the local level of an industrial distributor. Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, 29(4). https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/jtmae/article/id/14148/download/pdf/
Freeman, S. J., & Kochan, F. K. (2013). University Presidents’ Perspectives of the Knowledge and Competencies Needed in 21st Century Higher Education Leadership. Journal of Educational Leadership in Action, 1(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.62608/2164-1102.1089
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Laghari, M. A., Hussain, S., & Khowaja, N. (2024). Katz Theory Implicating Head Teachers Managerial Skills. International Research Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(1), 241–257.
Lee, S. H., & Phan, P. (2000). Competencies of directors in global firms: Requirements for recruitment and evaluation. Corporate Governance, 8(3), 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8683.00199
McBride, K. (2010). Leadership in higher education: Handling faculty resistance to technology through strategic planning. Academic Leadership, 8(4), 41. https://doi.org/10.58809/jmkd5552
McCarthy, P. X., & Wienk, M. (2019). Advancing Australia’s knowledge economy: Who are the top PhD employers? [University of Melbourne]. https://amsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/advancing_australias_knowledge_economy.pdf
Miloloža, I. (2018). Impact of Leadership Style to Financial Performance of Enterprises. Business Systems Research, 9(1), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.2478/bsrj-2018-0008
Mingzhu, X. (2023). Work Attitude, Innovation Ability and Innovation Performance of Employees in Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises. International Journal of Business Marketing and Management, 8(3), 2456–4559. https://www.ijbmm.com/paper/May2023/8340436454.pdf
Noor, K. B. M., & Dola, K. (2009). Job Competencies for Malaysian Managers in Higher Education Institution. Asian Journal of Management and Humanity Sciences, 4(4), 226–240.
Pham, T. Van, Nghiem, T. T., My, L., Nguyen, T., & Mai, T. X. (2019). Exploring Key Competencies of Mid-Level Academic Managers in Higher Education in Vietnam. Sustainability, 11, 6818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236818
Potgieter, I. L., & Coetzee, M. (2010). Management competencies in higher education: Perceived job importance in relation to level of training required. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v8i1.306
Putka, D. J., Oswald, F. L., Landers, R. N., Beatty, A. S., McCloy, R. A., & Yu, M. C. (2023). Evaluating a Natural Language Processing Approach to Estimating KSA and Interest Job Analysis Ratings. Journal of Business and Psychology, 38(2), 385–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09824-0
Rakotobe-Joel, T., & Sabrin, M. (2010). An Outcome-Based Perspective Of Leadership: Investigating The Direct Effects Of Corporate Leaders On The Firms Financial Outcome. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 8(11), 113–124. https://doi.org/10.19030/jber.v8i11.53
Ruben, B., & Gigliotti, R. (2017). Are higher education institutions and their leadership needs unique? The vertical versus horizontal perspective. Higher Education Review, 49(3), 27–52.
Shukri Bakar, M., & Mahmood, R. (2014). Linking Transformational Leadership and Corporate Entrepreneurship to Performance in the Public Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. Advances in Management & Applied Economics, 4(3), 109–122.
Steele, D. S. (2010, August 14). Managing People is Like Herding Cats – Warren Bennis (1999). Veritas et Lux: Truth and Light for Postmodern Pilgrims. https://davidsteele.blog/2010/08/14/managing-people-is-like-herding-cats-warren-bennis-1999/
Syed Aktharsha, U. (2013). A Theory of Knowledge Management. Journal of Contemporary Research in Management (JCRM), 5(3), 65–82. https://jcrm.psgim.ac.in/index.php/jcrm/article/view/118
Tran, X. (2017). Effects of leadership styles on hotel financial performance. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 23(2), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.23.2.7
University of Bath. (2025). DBA in Higher Education Management. Bath.Ac.Uk. https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/dba-in-higher-education-management/
Venkateswarlu, K., Sivanjaneyulu, P., & Jogarao, A. V. (2013). Potential Communication Skills for Management Students – A Sole Need for Success. Asian Journal of Managerial Science, 2(1), 11–14. https://doi.org/10.51983/ajms-2013.2.1.1117
Bergstrom, E. J. (2012). A Comparison Of The Leadership Competencies Of Leaders In Manufacturing, Hospitals, And Community Banking Industries In The State Of Pennsylvania [Doctoral Dissertation, Pennsylvania State University]. https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/files/final_submissions/7080
Chang, H. C., Wang, C. Y., & Hawamdeh, S. (2019). Emerging trends in data analytics and knowledge management job market: extending KSA framework. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(4), 664–686. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-02-2018-0088
Cong, L. C., Thu, D. A., & Thao, V. T. (2021). The competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector: the role of leadership competencies. Journal of Economics and Development, 23(3), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.1108/JED-06-2020-0080
Crosthwaite, C., & Erwee, R. (2015). Managerial Leadership Competencies of Heads of Department in Higher Education Institutions in Kerala, India. SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004, 10–14. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2554024
Dana, C., Soffe, B., Shipley, J., Licari, F., Larsen, R., Plummer, K., Bybee, S., & Jensen, J. (2021). Why do faculty resist change? MedEdPublish, 10(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2021.000089.1
Dilshan, B. A. T., & Asanka, P. P. G. D. (2025). Enhancing Resume Analysis: Leveraging Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning for Automated Resume Screening Using KSA Parameters. 2025 5th International Conference on Advanced Research in Computing (ICARC), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICARC64760.2025.10963312
Ehrenstorfer, B., Sterrer, S., Preymann, S., Aichinger, R., & Gaisch, M. (2015). Multi-Tasking Talents? Roles and Competencies of Middle-Level Manager-Academics at Two Austrian Higher Education Institutions. In R. M. O. Pritchard, M. Klumpp, & U. Teichler (Eds.), Diversity and Excellence in Higher Education: Can the Challenges be Reconciled? (pp. 175–200). SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-172-4_10
Flanigan, R. L., Stewardson, G., Dew, J., Fleig-Palmer, M. M., & Reeve, E. (2013). Effects of leadership on financial performance at the local level of an industrial distributor. Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, 29(4). https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/jtmae/article/id/14148/download/pdf/
Freeman, S. J., & Kochan, F. K. (2013). University Presidents’ Perspectives of the Knowledge and Competencies Needed in 21st Century Higher Education Leadership. Journal of Educational Leadership in Action, 1(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.62608/2164-1102.1089
Gmelch, W., & Buller, J. (2016). Skill Development for Academic Leaders. The Department Chair, 26, 25–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/dch.30082
Hamzah, R., Ismail, S., & Isa, K. M. (2012). Epistemology of Knowledge for Technical and Engineering Education. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 56, 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.637
Islam, M. A., Ali, A. J., & Wafi, S. M. S. (2010). Resistance to change among first line managers in multinational organizations in Malaysia. International Review of Business Research Papers, 6(4), 232–245.
Jais, I. R. M., Yahaya, N., & Ghani, E. K. (2021). Talent Management in Higher Education Institutions: Developing Leadership Competencies. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 8(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.509.2021.81.8.15
Kane, R. T., & Dahlvig, J. (2022). Traditional Faculty Resistance to Online Higher Education. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 6(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12125
Kuppens, T., Spears, R., Manstead, A. S. R., Spruyt, B., & Easterbrook, M. J. (2018). Educationism and the irony of meritocracy: Negative attitudes of higher educated people towards the less educated. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 429–447. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.11.001
Laghari, M. A., Hussain, S., & Khowaja, N. (2024). Katz Theory Implicating Head Teachers Managerial Skills. International Research Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(1), 241–257.
Lee, S. H., & Phan, P. (2000). Competencies of directors in global firms: Requirements for recruitment and evaluation. Corporate Governance, 8(3), 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8683.00199
McBride, K. (2010). Leadership in higher education: Handling faculty resistance to technology through strategic planning. Academic Leadership, 8(4), 41. https://doi.org/10.58809/jmkd5552
McCarthy, P. X., & Wienk, M. (2019). Advancing Australia’s knowledge economy: Who are the top PhD employers? [University of Melbourne]. https://amsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/advancing_australias_knowledge_economy.pdf
Miloloža, I. (2018). Impact of Leadership Style to Financial Performance of Enterprises. Business Systems Research, 9(1), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.2478/bsrj-2018-0008
Mingzhu, X. (2023). Work Attitude, Innovation Ability and Innovation Performance of Employees in Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises. International Journal of Business Marketing and Management, 8(3), 2456–4559. https://www.ijbmm.com/paper/May2023/8340436454.pdf
Noor, K. B. M., & Dola, K. (2009). Job Competencies for Malaysian Managers in Higher Education Institution. Asian Journal of Management and Humanity Sciences, 4(4), 226–240.
Pham, T. Van, Nghiem, T. T., My, L., Nguyen, T., & Mai, T. X. (2019). Exploring Key Competencies of Mid-Level Academic Managers in Higher Education in Vietnam. Sustainability, 11, 6818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236818
Potgieter, I. L., & Coetzee, M. (2010). Management competencies in higher education: Perceived job importance in relation to level of training required. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v8i1.306
Putka, D. J., Oswald, F. L., Landers, R. N., Beatty, A. S., McCloy, R. A., & Yu, M. C. (2023). Evaluating a Natural Language Processing Approach to Estimating KSA and Interest Job Analysis Ratings. Journal of Business and Psychology, 38(2), 385–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09824-0
Rakotobe-Joel, T., & Sabrin, M. (2010). An Outcome-Based Perspective Of Leadership: Investigating The Direct Effects Of Corporate Leaders On The Firms Financial Outcome. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 8(11), 113–124. https://doi.org/10.19030/jber.v8i11.53
Ruben, B., & Gigliotti, R. (2017). Are higher education institutions and their leadership needs unique? The vertical versus horizontal perspective. Higher Education Review, 49(3), 27–52.
Shukri Bakar, M., & Mahmood, R. (2014). Linking Transformational Leadership and Corporate Entrepreneurship to Performance in the Public Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. Advances in Management & Applied Economics, 4(3), 109–122.
Steele, D. S. (2010, August 14). Managing People is Like Herding Cats – Warren Bennis (1999). Veritas et Lux: Truth and Light for Postmodern Pilgrims. https://davidsteele.blog/2010/08/14/managing-people-is-like-herding-cats-warren-bennis-1999/
Syed Aktharsha, U. (2013). A Theory of Knowledge Management. Journal of Contemporary Research in Management (JCRM), 5(3), 65–82. https://jcrm.psgim.ac.in/index.php/jcrm/article/view/118
Tran, X. (2017). Effects of leadership styles on hotel financial performance. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 23(2), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.23.2.7
University of Bath. (2025). DBA in Higher Education Management. Bath.Ac.Uk. https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/dba-in-higher-education-management/
Venkateswarlu, K., Sivanjaneyulu, P., & Jogarao, A. V. (2013). Potential Communication Skills for Management Students – A Sole Need for Success. Asian Journal of Managerial Science, 2(1), 11–14. https://doi.org/10.51983/ajms-2013.2.1.1117