Students' involvement in administrative decision-making : implications for leadership development : a case study of the University of education, Winneba, Ghana

Abstract

Leadership has been identified as one of the key factors that determine the atmosphere that exists in most organizations. Among the core functions universities are tasked to perform is the training of the people who eventually but not exclusively become leaders, administrators and managers of most organizations all over the world.

The purpose of this study was to examine how the concept of student leadership is being used as a model for training and developing leadership skills and abilities in the Ghanaian context, using the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, as a study setting.

As an autonomous and multi-faceted institution with varied interests and stakeholders, decision-making and implementation at the University of Education, Winneba, requires a participative approach where student leaders, who, being the mouth-piece of the general student body are given the opportunity to make inputs into administrative decisions that affect their lives on campus. Various interpretations were given to justify the application of democratic principles in leadership. This includes the fact that leadership has taken a paradigm shift from the influence of an individual to a shared responsibility devoid of intimidation and acrimony.

A qualitative approach was used in the study. Interviews and observation were the main tools used in data collection. In addition, relevant documents were analyzed. In all, ten respondents comprising seven student leaders, two faculty and administrative members and a past student leader were used. To maintain a balance of approaches, various methods were used in data collection. The data collected was analyzed using an inductive approach to determine how leadership theories are applied in practice.

The findings show that the application of democratic principles in tight bureaucracies is relative since power cannot be effectively shared among university administrators and student leaders. The existence of a bureaucracy in itself is a check on how stakeholders exercise their discretion. However, the existence of a stable academic atmosphere suggests that student leaders are well represented in all decision-making levels of the University of Education, Winneba.

It has also been established that on-the-job training is an effective means of developing commitment and capacity for leadership. Similarly, past student leaders seem to be exhibiting good leadership and management abilities, a situation that can partly be attributed to their experiences as student leaders. It is therefore recommended that the University of Education, Winneba, should promote leadership development not only using the student leadership concept but also as an academic discipline in a bid to empower the youth of the country in general.

Additionally, interest in women leadership should be given special attention to encourage women participation in decision-making at all levels in the Ghanaian society.