A framework of leading change in universities in Vietnam

• Main Author: Nguyen, Thuy Thi Thanh
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Universities and colleges > Vietnam; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/313
• Institution: De La Salle University

Vietnams renovation policy provides the context in which institutions of higher education have considered a change in their culture, curriculum, training programs, management and composition in recent years. Increasingly, the response of universities to the need for these changes is to bring about a comprehensive transformation in the universities. This study explored major changes in six Vietnamese universities known as comprehensive transformation. The purpose of the study was to identify the components of the leading change strategies that allowed six public universities to transform their institutions using the qualitative multi-case study design as the methodology for this research. This study involved 20 participants who led, facilitated and implemented the change process. Data collection was obtained through interviews and documents. The study found that a highly integrated leading change process led to successful transformation in Vietnamese higher education institutions. The studys findings in five stages were identified as the components of the leading change: the reasons for change, the current situation of the university, leadership for change, the institutional autonomy, vision for change, strategic plan for change, communication, involving people, staff development, financial management, international cooperation, and institutionalization. The findings were compared and contrasted to Kotters (1996) eight stages of leading change and Hurds (2007) model of leading transformational change in institutions of higher education. A new model for leading change in institutions of higher education in Vietnam was created from the findings. This model may prove useful as a basis for further research on comprehensive change in higher education institutions and as a guide for those actually engaged in leading the change process in schools and school systems.