EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 1
Student ID: 10742993
Leadership in Mount Holyoke College
Introduction
Leadership has historically been referred to as having the impression of white
masculinity (Sinclair, 2007). However, with the gradual awakening of female
consciousness in the twenty-first century, femininity's role in leadership has been drawn
out into the limelight. This article takes Mount Holyoke College as a case to study the
advantages and disadvantages of leadership in college management. Mount Holyoke
College is one of the Seven Sisters (Colleges) of America that primarily offers private
liberate arts for women. In the college industry, in the face of fierce competition, college
leaders should be adept at riding the wind in good times and breaking through obstacles
in adversity. Especially in the context of rapid technological development, the
traditional college industry is facing tremendous challenges in the attraction of talented
leaders of colleges (Fuller & Harford, 2015). In actual practice, the leadership of the
college, especially the leadership ability of directors, is one of the key factors for the
success of college transformation (Offermann et al., 2020). Exploring the leadership in
Mount Holyoke has several significances, including historical significance. First, as one
of the Seven Sisters Colleges, Mount Holyoke has a historical legacy as a pioneering
institution for women's higher education. Studying its leadership provides insights into
how it has navigated and sustained this legacy. Secondly, Mount Holyoke has a long-
standing commitment to women's empowerment. Its leaders' decisions and strategies
can provide valuable lessons for other institutions seeking to foster gender equality and
empowerment. Therefore, the essay conducts research on the leadership of college
directors of Mount Holyoke College to understand the current situation and
shortcomings of college management leadership and analyse the leadership capabilities
based on the current situation and shortcomings, ultimately providing leadership
suggestions to meet the actual needs of the Mount Holyoke College.
Historical development of Mount Holyoke College
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 2
Student ID: 10742993
Mount Holyoke College is one of the seven traditional elite liberal arts colleges called
Seven Sisters Colleges in the north-eastern United States. Two of its members (Radcliffe
College and Vassar College) have offered mixed undergraduate courses now. In contrast,
the other five members (Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College,
Smith College and Wellesley College) still only enrol female leaders of colleges (Perkins,
1997). The origin of this alliance can be traced back to a conference held in 1915 at Vasa
College on how to raise funds (Offermann et al., 2020). Later, the conference made the
name "Seven sisters" closely linked with this group. Their joint efforts have not only
raised funds but also included enrolment requirements, academic standards and
common goals. The primary goal was to provide the best higher education for American
women.
As one of the earliest members of the Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke College, founded
by Mary Lyon in 1837 as Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, was a pioneering institution
for women's higher education (Meeropol, 2014). Committed to offering women a
rigorous academic curriculum, it initially combined academic study with physical
education and domestic work. In 1888, it transitioned from a seminary to a full-fledged
college, providing an education equivalent to male colleges (Meeropol, 2014). It
became a member of the Five College Consortium in 1968, broadening academic
opportunities for its students. Today, Mount Holyoke is a worldwide leader in women's
education, mainly recognized for its commitment to academic excellence and inclusivity.
Literature Review of Leadership
Transformational leadership and empowerment in leadership are two of the most
relevant theories to Mount Holyoke College. Transformational leadership has been a
focal point in leadership literature due to its profound impact on followers and
organizations. Burns (1978) initially distinguished transformational leaders as those
who stimulate and inspire followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes while
developing their own leadership capacity. Bass (1985) later expanded this concept,
defining four dimensions: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 3
Student ID: 10742993
stimulation, and individualized consideration. Numerous empirical studies have
confirmed the positive effects of transformational leadership. For example, in their
meta-analysis, Kasie (2012) found transformational leadership to be strongly correlated
with follower satisfaction, motivation, and performance. Similarly, Hills (2013)
demonstrated a positive relationship between transformational leadership and leader
effectiveness. However, some researchers have also pointed out potential downsides.
For example, transformational leadership can lead to blind followership and create an
environment conducive to unethical behaviours (Lai et al., 2020; Simsek, 2012).
Moreover, the universality of transformational leadership has been questioned, with
cultural variations affecting its effectiveness (Hoch et al., 2016).
Empowerment in leadership is a topic that is vast and diverse, covering aspects from
psychological empowerment to its impact on organizational performance. In the work
of (Schermuly et al., 2022), psychological empowerment was conceptualized as an
intrinsic task motivation reflecting a sense of self-control in relation to one's work and
an active engagement with one's work role. They identified four dimensions of
empowerment: impact, competence, meaning, and self-determination, which have
been frequently used in subsequent research. The positive effects of leadership
empowerment have been confirmed by several studies. For instance, Kasie (2012)
found that empowered leadership significantly enhances sales performance and job
satisfaction. García-Sierra et al. (2022) have also demonstrated that empowerment
leadership has a positive effect on both individual and team performance. However, the
literature also points to the need for a balanced approach. Too much empowerment
may lead to ambiguity and confusion (Schermuly et al., 2022), while too little may
hamper innovation and initiative (Khan et al., 2021).
Leadership Analysis of Mount Holyoke College
The leadership of Mount Holyoke is organized around a President, the chief executive
officer of the college. The President is appointed by and reports to the Board of Trustees,
a group of individuals responsible for the institution's strategic direction, financial
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 4
Student ID: 10742993
stability, as well as compliance with its mission (Meeropol, 2014). The Board includes
faculty, alumni, and others dedicated to the welfare of the whole college.
The current President of Mount Holyoke College is Sonya Stephens, who assumed Office
in 2018 (Mtholyoke, 2023). President Stephens has led initiatives to enhance academic
excellence, diversity, and inclusivity at Mount Holyoke. In addition to the President, the
college's leadership structure also includes Provosts and several Deans overseeing
various administrative and academic affairs. The Provost, often the chief academic
officer, collaborates with department chairs and faculty committees in order to develop
and implement academic programs, manage faculty appointments, as well as promote
research activities (Meeropol, 2014).
The leadership at Mount Holyoke operates within a shared governance model and
covers many aspects of transformational leadership. This model involves collaboration
among faculty, staff, administrators, and sometimes students in decision-making
processes. Faculty committees play a vital role in shaping academic policies, curriculum
development, and other perspectives of the college's educational programs (Qing et al.,
2019). The college also has administrative leaders to manage essential areas such as
human resources, student affairs, finance, diversity and inclusion, and advancement.
The collaborative work of these leaders ensures the smooth operation of the college
and the fulfilment of its mission.
Leaders in Mount Holyoke College are committed to empowering teachers as well as
learners of the college. The democratic atmosphere in college autonomous
organizations is conducive to promoting the development of leaders of colleges
communication abilities, thereby improving female leadership capabilities in Mount
Holyoke (Maki, 2015). According to empowerment in leadership theory, in the process
of implementing leadership behaviour, external environment, personal motivation, and
values will have an impact on the actual behaviour of their leaders (Shamir et al., 2018).
For example, the Office of Leaders of Mount Holyoke allows leaders of colleges to
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 5
Student ID: 10742993
participate in campus affairs management, learn self-analysis and self-discovery, and
grow in a complex and ever-changing global environment. Its core values can be
summarized as community, conscious learning, social justice, and health. Guided by its
core values, the members of the leaders Mount Holyoke are able to learn from each
other's strengths, forgive, treat and respect others, learn to collaborate and
communicate with others, and provide campus counselling and services to the vast
leaders of colleges community (Shamir et al., 2018). Famous management master
Drucker argues that leadership is an art about being a person. He holds that leadership
is inspiring others through communication and other means rather than institutional
constraints (Oc et al., 2023)
Strengths or positive impacts of the leadership of Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College, with its long-standing commitment to women's education and
empowerment, exhibits leadership qualities that closely align with transformational
and empowerment leadership theories. These leadership styles have not only shaped
the college's historical legacy but have also profoundly influenced its contemporary
relevance and impact.
Transformational leadership, characterized by inspirational motivation, individualized
consideration, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence, is evident in Mount
Holyoke's leadership. Firstly, the college's leaders have consistently inspired their
community with a shared vision of academic excellence, diversity, and inclusivity. This
commitment echoes the transformational leadership ideal of guiding followers towards
a common goal that transcends individual interests (Hoch et al., 2016). For example,
under President Sonya Stephens' leadership, Mount Holyoke has made significant
strides in enhancing its academic offerings, fostering a diverse and inclusive community,
and reinforcing its commitment to women's education. This strategic vision not only
inspires the college community but also positions Mount Holyoke as a pioneering
institution in the broader landscape of higher education. Mount Holyoke has rules
conducive to promoting the development of female leadership, as women learn
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 6
Student ID: 10742993
leadership skills through role shaping, higher value expectations, and opportunities for
extensive leadership practice. (Shamir et al., 2018).
Individualized consideration, another key aspect of transformational leadership, is
integral to Mount Holyoke's approach to education. The college's commitment to
personalized mentorship, small class sizes, and a supportive environment caters to
individual student needs and aspirations. The focus on the individual extends beyond
academics to student life, with robust support systems and resources in place to ensure
the holistic development of students (Hills, 2013). Moreover, Mount Holyoke's leaders
demonstrate idealized influence, serving as role models for the community. They
embody the college's values of academic excellence, women's empowerment, and
inclusivity, inspiring students to strive for these ideals in their own lives. Mount Holyoke
advocates for academic excellence. Mount Holyoke has set the goal of establishing a
high-quality women's college since its inception and firmly holds that as long as women
are given the same educational opportunities as men, they can achieve the same
academic achievements (Shamir et al., 2018). Although Mount Holyoke imitated male
universities at the initial stage of their establishment, they did not copy them
completely. In addition, Mount Holyoke attaches particular importance to the excellent
cultivation of outstanding female researchers. In the introduction of the concept and
mission on the official website of the school, successful female researchers are always
taken as typical cases (Campbell, 2011). These successful women and female mentors
set important academic examples. In the process of research, Mount Holyoke gives
women more attention, higher academic expectations and value expectations,
enhancing women's enthusiasm and self-confidence for research, thus contributing to
women's academic success (Bush, 2023).
In addition to transformational leadership, Mount Holyoke's leaders also exemplify
empowerment leadership. Empowerment leadership is about fostering a sense of
autonomy, competence, and influence among followers, which aligns with Mount
Holyoke's mission of women's empowerment (Qing et al., 2019). The college's
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 7
Student ID: 10742993
leadership has always encouraged student participation in decision-making processes,
fostering a sense of agency and ownership. Whether through student representation
on committees or the encouragement of student-led initiatives, Mount Holyoke's
leaders actively cultivate an environment in which teachers and students feel
empowered to shape their educational experience and contribute to the broader
college community. Moreover, its leaders are also committed to creating an
environment which fosters self-efficacy and confidence and offers chances for students
to develop leadership skills, whether in the classroom, on athletic teams, or through
other extracurricular activities (Khan et al., 2021).
Weaknesses or negative impacts of the leadership of Mount Holyoke College
While Mount Holyoke College has a laudable record of transformative and empowering
leadership, it's crucial to examine potential weaknesses and challenges associated with
these leadership styles, as no single style is without its potential downsides.
Transformational leadership at Mount Holyoke, as in any institution, is not without its
potential pitfalls. While the college's leaders inspire a shared vision of academic
excellence, diversity, and inclusivity, the success of this vision can heavily depend on the
charisma and influence of the leader. This dependency can lead to an over-reliance on
a single figure, which can create risks for succession planning and organizational stability.
Some leaders occupy multiple positions and must not only accept the overall goals and
requirements of superiors but also complete the target allocation and management
work of subordinate leaders of colleges (Walumbwa et al., 2008). Therefore, some
management tasks are quite complex. Leaders of Mount Holyoke are sometimes
dealing with various complex tasks and solving various problems every day without
enough time to think and develop work plans and arrangements (Gregory, 1996).
Without proper control over leaders of colleges and their daily work completion, some
leaders of colleges are prone to negative attitudes towards their work and may even be
unable to complete their work tasks, resulting in the overall team's work progress falling
behind.
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 8
Student ID: 10742993
Furthermore, while individualized consideration is an essential aspect of
transformational leadership and a strong feature of Mount Holyoke's approach, it can
also lead to unrealistic expectations and overextension of resources (Puspasari et al.,
2022). As the college strives to cater to individual student needs, it might stretch its
resources thin and create challenges in maintaining a balanced, sustainable approach
to education. As a result, Mount Holyoke College may have the problem of incomplete
analysis and decision-making in leadership. Crisis management ability can judge the
analytical and decision-making ability of a school director, and the analytical and
decision-making ability of a director cannot be separated from accumulated experience
and summary in the working (Fuller & Harford, 2015). When encountering unexpected
events in daily work, leaders should first calmly think about the current situation,
identify the problem, and then use the existing resources to come up with solutions.
And then, leaders should summarize and reflect on the results and continuously
improve their analytical and decision-making abilities (Fuller & Harford, 2015). In crisis
management, analysis and decision-making need to be completed in a short period of
time, and correct decisions need to be made; otherwise, it will have an impact on the
reputation or future development of the school. When faced with unexpected events
in the workplace, leaders of colleges are unable to fully consider all factors to solve the
problems.
In terms of empowerment leadership, while fostering a sense of autonomy and
influence among students is beneficial, it might also lead to challenges. For instance, an
overemphasis on student autonomy might inadvertently diminish the role of faculty
guidance and structure in the educational process (Qing et al., 2019). Furthermore, the
encouragement of student participation in decision-making processes may sometimes
result in inefficiencies or conflicts, as not all students would agree on all issues, and
balancing various viewpoints would be a complicated and time-consuming process
(Khan et al., 2021). As a result, one negative impact is the incomplete performance
appraisal in collecting and making decisions. Performance evaluation is an effective
means of evaluating leaders of colleges' work achievements. Effective performance
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 9
Student ID: 10742993
evaluation can help the college evaluate leaders of colleges' work abilities and
achievements and serve as a basis for talent selection (Gregory, 1996).
Conclusions and recommendation
In conclusion, Mount Holyoke College has some priorities in leadership management.
Mount Holyoke College, with its long-standing commitment to women's education and
empowerment, exhibits leadership qualities that closely align with transformational
and empowerment leadership theories. Transformational leadership, characterized by
inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and
idealized influence, is evident in Mount Holyoke's leadership. Empowerment leadership
is about fostering a sense of autonomy, competence, and influence among followers,
which aligns with Mount Holyoke's mission of women's empowerment. However,
transformational leadership at Mount Holyoke, as in any institution, is not without its
potential pitfalls. While the college's leaders inspire a shared vision of academic
excellence, diversity, and inclusivity, the success of this vision can heavily depend on the
charisma and influence of the leader. In terms of empowerment leadership, while
fostering a sense of autonomy and influence among students is beneficial, it might also
lead to challenges.
Thus, it is recommended that Mount Holyoke could firstly leverage the power of
transformational leadership necessitates the institutionalization of the college's vision
and values, ensuring they are not solely dependent on the charisma of individual
leaders. This point is supported by Lai et al. (2020) explanation of transformational
leadership, which emphasizes the role of leaders in inspiring followers to exceed their
own self-interests for the good of the organization. However, this charisma-based
influence can be volatile if not properly anchored in the organizational culture. To
mitigate this risk, the college should implement initiatives such as mentorship programs
and leadership workshops. As suggested by Puspasari et al. (2022) seminal work on
mentorship, these programs can facilitate the transmission of organizational values and
norms, strengthening the institutional fabric. Leadership workshops, drawing from the
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 10
Student ID: 10742993
experiential learning theory proposed by Kasie (2012), can help develop leadership skills
across the community, promoting a shared understanding of the college's vision and
ethos. Moreover, the practice of institutionalizing behaviours that represent the
college's values can create a resilient culture, as Amet and Kurnia (2023) have
highlighted in their work on organizational culture.
Secondly, while Mount Holyoke's empowerment leadership fosters autonomy, it is
crucial to ensure the availability of robust support structures. Research indicates that
autonomy, without the requisite support, can lead to stress and burnout (Qing et al.,
2019). Therefore, in line with empowerment theories (Khan et al., 2021), while the
college encourages students to take the initiative and be self-directed, it must also offer
sufficient guidance. This balance could be gained via a robust academic advising system,
which García-Sierra et al. (2022) have identified as crucial for student retention and
success. Thus, these steps are not only beneficial but also vital for the well-being and
success of the students and the institution as a whole.
(Word count: 2979 words)
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 11
Student ID: 10742993
References
Amet, A. and Kurnia, D. (2023) ‘Transformational leadership in increasing the quality
of educational human resources’, EDUTEC : Journal of Education And Technology,
6(3), pp. 45–56. doi:10.29062/edu.v6i3.520.
Bush, T. (2023) ‘Leadership practices and WHY THEY MATTER: Evolving leadership
models’, International Encyclopedia of Education(Fourth Edition), pp. 44–52.
doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818630-5.05020-x.
Campbell, H. (2011) The leadership identity development of college administrators
who attended women’s colleges., Repository Home. Available at:
https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/handle/1840.16/6996 (Accessed: 15 May 2023).
Fuller, K. and Harford, J. (2015) in Gender and leadership in education women
achieving against the odds. Oxford: Peter Lang, pp. 92–120.
García-Sierra, R., Martínez-Zaragoza, F. and Fernández-Castro, J. (2022) ‘Leadership
to improve nurse engagement and empowerment: Evidences to improve the training of
nurses’, BMJ Leader, 6, pp. 67–78. doi:10.1136/leader-2021-000537.
Gregory, M. (1996) ‘Developing effective college leadership for the management of
educational change’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(4), pp. 46–
51. doi:10.1108/01437739610120592.
Hills, L. (2013) in Lasting female educational leadership: Leadership legacies of
women leaders. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 201–213.
Hoch, J.E. et al. (2016) ‘Do ethical, authentic, and servant leadership explain variance
above and beyond transformational leadership? A meta-analysis’, Journal of
Management, 44(2), pp. 501–529. doi:10.1177/0149206316665461.
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 12
Student ID: 10742993
Khan, M.M. et al. (2021) ‘How servant leadership triggers innovative work behavior:
Exploring the sequential mediating role of psychological empowerment and job
crafting’, European Journal of Innovation Management, 25(4), pp. 1037–1055.
doi:10.1108/ejim-09-2020-0367.
Lai, F.-Y. et al. (2020) ‘Transformational leadership and job performance: The
mediating role of work engagement’, SAGE Open, 10(1).
doi:10.1177/2158244019899085.
Laura, M.A. (2015) A Grounded Theory of Women’s Leadership Experiences in Higher
Education: Navigating from the Director Level. Available at:
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1396&context=etds
(Accessed: 15 May 2023).
Meeropol, A.K. (2014) in A male president for Mount Holyoke College: The failed fight
to maintain female leadership, 1934-1937. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.,
Publishers, pp. 111–122.
Mtholyoke (2023) Introduction and college information, Mount Holyoke College.
Available at: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/student-handbook/introduction-and-college-
information (Accessed: 17 May 2023).
Oc, B. et al. (2023) ‘The study of followers in leadership research: A systematic and
Critical Review’, The Leadership Quarterly, 34(1), pp. 106–117.
doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101674.
Offermann, L.R. et al. (2020) ‘College women leaders, 1985–2015: Achievement
motivations across generations’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 36(1), pp. 89–117.
doi:10.1108/jmp-03-2019-0140.
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 13
Student ID: 10742993
Perkins, L. (1997) ‘The African American female elite: The early history of African
American women in the Seven sister colleges, 1880–1960’, Harvard Educational
Review, 67(4), pp. 718–757. doi:10.17763/haer.67.4.136788875582630j.
Puspasari, M.D., Fahrudin, A. and Bariyah, N.O. (2022) ‘Prophetic based
transformational leadership in educational institutions’, Technium Social Sciences
Journal, 27, pp. 48–59. doi:10.47577/tssj.v27i1.5379.
Qing, M. et al. (2019) ‘Exploring the impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction
and organizational commitment in public sector organizations: The mediating role of
psychological empowerment’, Review of Managerial Science, 14(6), pp. 1405–1432.
doi:10.1007/s11846-019-00340-9.
Schermuly, C.C. et al. (2022) ‘Leadership styles and psychological empowerment: A
meta-analysis’, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 29(1), pp. 73–95.
doi:10.1177/15480518211067751.
Shamir, B., House, R.J. and Arthur, M.B. (2018) ‘Chapter 1 the motivational effects of
charismatic leadership: A self-concept based theory’, Leadership Now: Reflections on
the Legacy of Boas Shamir, pp. 9–29. doi:10.1108/s1479-357120180000009009.
Simsek, H. (2012) Transformational leadership in educational context: A fantasy of
education scholars. editor’s choice: Selected keynote speech., Eurasian Journal of
Educational Research. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1059936 (Accessed: 16
May 2023).
Sinclair, A. (2008) Leadership for the disillusioned: Moving beyond myths and heroes
to leading that liberates. St Leonards NSW: Allen & Unwin.
EDUC34752 Educational Organisation Case study 14
Student ID: 10742993
WALUMBWA, F.O., AVOLIO, B.J. and ZHU, W. (2008) ‘How transformational
leadership weaves its influence on individual job performance: The role of
identification and efficacy beliefs’, Personnel Psychology, 61(4), pp. 793–825.
doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2008.00131.x.
Weina, K. (2012) Campus environment influence on women’s leadership development
at Small Private Institutions, Handle Proxy. Available at:
http://hdl.handle.net/10484/8138 (Accessed: 15 May 2023).
