JOURNAL CRITIQUE 2
Effective Leadership Journal Critique
Leadership has been researched over time in many different settings and countries. The word
leadership has different definitions, but McCaffery (2019) defines it as “someone who accompanies
people on a journey guiding them to their destination, and, by implication, holds them together as a
group steering them in the right direction” (p.94). However, the definition lacks clarity of a good leader
or what role information culture has in being a leader. Information culture is how information is shared
among everyone. One article looks at this very idea- the relationship between an effective leader and
the information culture within the organization.
Article Summary
“Effective Leadership Behaviors and Information Culture in Higher Education Institution” written
by Sirje Virkus and Anmar Salman summarized the history of researching effective leadership styles and
how information culture plays into an organization’s effectiveness. The authors cite previous research
stating the act of leading is considered a team effort and is not done in isolation. It is about inspiring
others to do what they want to, thereby creating intrinsic motivation among the people within the
organization. Inspiring others requires the sharing of information creating an information culture. Since
information sharing has a positive effect on business performance, does it also affect leadership,
especially those working in higher education?
The study found there wasn’t as big an impact of information sharing on effective leadership as
the authors has expected. Leaders in higher education do have an impact on the success of the
institution and their style of leading can directly impact the amount of success of them and the
institution. The study also concluded effective leadership had an impact on information culture. The
more effective leaders communicated more and shared more information with their workers than the
less effective leaders.
JOURNAL CRITIQUE 3
Analysis of the Authors’ Premise
The authors entered the study with high hopes that information culture directly impacted what
made an effective leader. They reference previous research on leadership and information culture
creating effectiveness within the organization and how it promotes innovation. The authors looked at
the various types of leadership and the effectiveness of each one. The authors also looked at the
different information cultures within businesses and thought if information culture can affect the
outcome of the effectiveness of a business, then it should also affect leadership within higher education
when the institution’s effectiveness is measured in research and prestige in the higher education sector.
When effective leadership and information sharing are researched in isolation from each other, why not
see if one influences the other?
The authors did a great job summarizing several research studies about each topic and noted
there is very little research about one affecting the other. The authors’ conclusion that information
culture does not highly impact the effectiveness of a leader caused them to believe more research is
needed. While there are different types of information culture and each one has a key role in the
effectiveness of the organization, does not mean it directly influences what an effective leader is or
does. The leader creates the information culture and a good leader creates an information culture
promoting shared information among all its members. The authors conclude with the need for more
research since their study proved the opposite of what they expected and there is not enough research
to fully conclude how one affects the other.
Agreement/Disagreement
I agree with the study findings. I believe the author was naïve to believe the opposite and think
information culture influences the effectiveness of a leader. When information is shared among the
people doing the work, it motivates them to do even better and find better answers. It encourages them
JOURNAL CRITIQUE 4
to take risks and try new possibilities. In my experience, the years that I was a better teacher were the
years more information was shared with me than less. The years the information was withheld from me,
were the years I wasn’t as good of a teacher and more anxious all year. The anxiousness then influenced
my decisions and how I handled situations. The information culture of don’t tell, created a lack of
confidence in leadership, while the information culture of sharing all information, create confidence in
my administration to handle all crises as they came. Therefore, the most effective leaders in my eyes
were the ones that shared the information.
I agree with the author’s premise several traits do make a good leader and there are different
styles of information culture. I believe there is a correlation between the two, and as more research is
conducted on the correlation, I truly believe it will state effective leaders are the ones within the
organization doing the information sharing and creating a better information culture.
Conclusion
Effective leadership will continue to be a topic highly researched as more and more people want
to find what exactly makes a good leader. While it was once thought to be a born trait (McCaffery,
2019), research is showing that may not be the case causing the need for more research.
JOURNAL CRITIQUE 5
Resources
McCaffery, P., (2019) The Higher Education Manager’s Handbook: Effective Leadership and Management
in Universities and Colleges
Virkus, S., & Salman, A. (2021). Effective Leadership Behaviors and Information Culture in the Higher
Education Institution. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 70(4), 418-441.
http://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-08-2020-0106
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
