The role of university leadership in organizational change

Abstract

There is a strong relationship between the role of university leaders and the introduction of change in universities. University leaders are seen as agents of change in the institutions they lead and can be both tools and barriers for change. Change is a normal phenomenon, and managing it includes adapting to change, controlling change and making change. The ever changing environment of the recent decades have tested and continue to test the managing abilities of university leaders, both in the higher education system of Republic of Moldova and in other countries as well. The goal of this research is to argue the active role of the university leaders in change management at the university level, and to highlight the role of leadership skills on optimizing the process of organizational change. The research methods used is this study were bibliographic overview in the field, analysis and observation. The study also reflects some conclusions made in the Project funded by the European Union Erasmus +: "Capacity Building in Higher Education" (MHELM). The main conclusion of the paper is that university leaders have the mission to adapt to the new conditions created by the changes in the higher education system. Only by adapting to change universities can ensure excellence. In order to improve the overall activities within universities, leaders must encourage their employees to accept and embrace change. Implementing change is vital and necessary for the improvement of quality within universities and it is the responsibility of university leaders to train and motivate employees to accept change. JEL: M150, M540.