Highly Cited Leaders and the Performance of Research Universities

46 Pages Posted: 16 Apr 2009

See all articles by Amanda H. Goodall

Amanda H. Goodall

IZA Institute for the Study of Labor

Date Written: April 15, 2009

Abstract

There is a large literature on the productivity of universities. Little is known, however, about how different types of leader affect a university’s later performance. To address this, I blend quantitative and qualitative evidence. By constructing a new longitudinal dataset, I find that on average the research quality of a university improves some years after it appoints a president (vice chancellor) who is an accomplished scholar. To try to explain why scholar-leaders might improve the research performance of their institutions, I draw from interview data with twenty-six heads in universities in the United States and United Kingdom. The findings have policy implications for governments, universities, and a range of research and knowledge-intensive organizations.

Keywords: Research performance, expert knowledge, leadership, universities, innovation

JEL Classification: J24, M51

Suggested Citation

Goodall, Amanda H., Highly Cited Leaders and the Performance of Research Universities (April 15, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1383076 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1383076

Amanda H. Goodall (Contact Author)

IZA Institute for the Study of Labor ( email )

Schaumburg-Lippe-Str. 5-9
Bonn, 53113
Germany

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