Browsing by Author "Nishan, Fathmath"

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    Challenges of women leaders in higher education institutions in the Republic of Maldives
    (2018-06) Waheeda, Aishath; Nishan, Fathmath
    The underrepresentation of women in senior administrative positions in higher education institutions is found in many research studies across the world. Similarly, in the Maldives, the higher education sector is gender imbalanced with more males in higher positions than females. This study explored the challenges faced by women leaders in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Maldives. The instrument used in this mixed methods research was a survey questionnaire of three sections, followed by interviews. Section One comprised of items for demographic information of the participants. Section Two comprised of 13 items on a five-point Likert scale of which item four required participants to denote whether being a woman in HEIs was challenging. Section Three of the survey questionnaire comprised an open-ended question which required participants to list their challenges in HEIs. The questionnaire was administered to randomly selected women leaders (N=12), from five HEIs in the Maldives. The data from item four of section two of the survey questionnaire were analysed for frequencies and percentages, while the data from the open-ended question in from section three of the survey questionnaire and the interviews were analysed thematically. The challenges experienced by women leaders in HEIs in the Maldives were found to be the heavy workload, lack of career development opportunities, voice not being heard, and lack of support. To empower women in HEIs in the Maldives, it is recommended for employers to offer flexible work schedules, focus on productivity, offer diverse professional development and training opportunities, provide mentorship and support networks, tackle persistent sex-discrimination, and strengthen pay equity.
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    Perception gap : academic leadership styles in Maldivian higher education institutes
    (Asia Pacific Academy of Science, 2024-01-03) Waheeda, Aishath; Nishan, Fathmath
    Leadership stems from recognition and acceptance, surpassing the mere reliance on their title. Research indicates varying perceptions of relationship values between leaders and followers. A leader’s crucial awareness of these differences prevents harm to the institution through disagreements that expose poor style and self-knowledge. This study examines the perception difference of deans’ leadership styles in Maldives higher education institutes using self-rating and their lecturers’ perceptions using followers rating. In this study, a sequential explanatory mixed-method design was used. The first phase collected data via surveys from deans and lecturers (N= 190) from nine different HEI, with SPSS used for analysis. The second phase included qualitative interviews with deans and lecturers (N= 21), which were evaluated using template analysis. The independent sample t-test was used to assess the difference in averages between two independent groups, leaders and lecturers. According to the data, there was a slight statistically significant difference between deans’ self-assessments of their own current leadership styles and lecturers’ ratings of their leaders’ existing leadership styles. On the other side, it was discovered that both leaders and lecturers like the same leadership approaches. The findings of this research study suggest institutes to focus on developing academic deans’ leadership styles based on followers’ perception. Leadership measurement should consider both leaders’ and subordinates’ perceptions to avoid flawed conclusions. Also, this study calls for academic deans to reflect on their leadership, acknowledge limitations, and engage in developmental activities for growth.