Public and private providers of education and training are facing a shift to a more demand-driven market and expectations of greater accessibility, flexibility, quality, relevance and efficiency. Education and training are also being transformed by new information and communications technologies and becoming more global, competitive and commercialized. Such a destabilized and uncharted environment calls for transformational leadership, both at the organizational and the operational level, to energize and empower others to share the vision of what can be accomplished, to change work cultures and to create systems that are responsive andsustainable. In this thought-provoking and ground-breaking book, Colin Latchem and Donald Hanna critically examine: * global developments and trends in education and training* the changes, challenges and choices confronting educators and trainers* the development of an entrepreneurial culture* the processes of organizational change* leadership in traditional and open & flexible learningThe book also features interviews with eighteen distinguished educational leaders and innovators from across the globe.
Industry Reviews
"The editors' interviews with global leaders, combined with their scholarly approach to leadership and change, culminate in a wealth of information, experience, and practical strategies for all practitioners and leaders. Corporate training managers and government administrators who are leading open and flexible learning initiatives would also benefit immensely from this book. Latchem and Hanna have written and edited a "leadership handbook" for open and flexible learning professionals at all levels. On a rating scale of 1 to 10, Latchem and Hanna deserve a 12!" -- International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning Pre-publication commendations/reviews: "Leadership is at once the highest of the arts and most perilous: the highest because it is so creative in its outcomes, the most perilous because it is achieved through people. Nowhere is it more difficult than when disturbing the established order of things. A book like this, founded on experience, makes the journey of leadership in educational innovation less hazardous and the more certain of success." -- Lord Ron Dearing, Former Chancellor of Nottingham University, UK, past chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for England."One of the most significant developments of the latter part of the 20th century was the changed relationship between higher education and society. Education is now a major public policy concern. For individuals, the need is for access to quality education, for life. The implications are global. Traditional colleges and universities are changing. New learning providers are emerging. New approaches, applying new technologies, are reaching new learners. Each day learning systems become morediverse, open, and accessible. I am especially pleased that Colin Latchem, Don Hanna and their colleagues have chosen to focus on the issue of leadership... the authors offer new perspectives and fresh thinking and a sense of excitement in the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead." -- Dr. Stanley O. Ikenberry, President of the American Council on Education, and formerly President of the University of Illinois, USA"Make no mistake, higher education worldwide is undergoing a fundamental realignment which is being driven, in large measure, by new forms of educational communications and technology. The authors and contributors explore key concepts of leadership, the changing nature of opportunities and challenges for institutions, and the personal dynamics, qualities, and characteristics they have found important in their own leadership experiences. They reflect very personally on the risks and rewards of leadership for change. All educators, governmental leaders, and policy-makers who are concerned about the future should read this book." -- Dr. James C. Votruba, President of Northern Kentucky University, USA
