Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Leadership and Policies

First Advisor

Christina Yao

Abstract

University presidents increasingly operate within complex environments including heightened political polarization, fiscal constraints, expanding federal involvement, and intensified public scrutiny. These conditions have amplified competing stakeholders’ expectations, making the university presidency more challenging. There is limited research examining how university presidents navigate such competing demands. This qualitative study explores how university presidents navigate competing stakeholder expectations. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, I conducted intensive interviews with eight university presidents. Guided by Charmaz’s (2014), the data were analyzed to develop a leadership theory grounded in participants’ experiences.

The analysis resulted in the development of the University Presidency Leadership Theory, with values serving as the core from which all the actions emerge. The framework comprises four interrelated dimensions: (1) environmental scanning, (2) architecting relationships, (3) navigating boundaries, and (4) strategic positioning. The findings suggest that effective university leadership is a dynamic, relational, and interconnected process anchored in leaders’ values and principles, enabling presidents to adapt strategically while maintaining institutional and self-integrity.

This theory makes several theoretical contributions by extending and challenging existing leadership scholarship. It addresses limitations in prior theories. Practically, I offer actionable insights for current and aspiring university presidents in navigating competing stakeholder expectations.

Rights

© 2026, Pighla Arezo Sediqi

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