Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to analyze how appointed leaders in Norwegian higher education perceive their role and influence, and their discretion as academic leaders
Design/methodology/approach
The article applies strategic, cultural and political perspectives on leadership to investigate the understanding and perceptions held by academic leaders regarding their own work. The study applied a qualitative strategy based on a cross-sectional design. The findings are based on semi-structured interviews with eighteen purposefully selected academic leaders.
Findings
The findings reveal that appointed academic leaders are struggling with traditions and cultures and current governing structures and funding mechanisms on the other. The article argues that this dilemma limits the potential for academic leaders to instigate change and that leadership perhaps has been overemphasized as a factor driving transformation of higher education
Originality/value
The article suggests the heated debates in Norway about whether academic leaders should be elected or appointed has limited relevance for understanding how academic leadership is performed in the actual daily work of leaders. The article suggest that the current interest in selection of leaders perhaps should be downplayed in favour of a perspective focusing on the cultural factors framing current leadership practices.