Exploring the Interplay of Leadership and Organizational Changes in Education: A Recent Systematic Review
Keywords:
leadership; organizational changes; education; management; education leadership; PRISMA; systematic reviewAbstract
This paper explored the interplay of leadership and organizational changes in education. This study has examined dynamic interaction of leadership and organizational changes in educational context. This paper provides a recent overview. The number of studies analyzed in the present study via preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) approach is 204 papers between 2023-2025 through Scopus and WoS database. The systematic review was accomplished after the peer review process of the data that were collected and reviewed. The results of the present study are likely to underline the important aspects of leadership as a catalyst of organizational changes. This review also enlightens the systemic factors contribute to readiness of change and the influence of stakeholder’s engagement to change initiatives success. The total number of findings data is (n=22), with review indicating some key themes such as leadership functions as well as organizational changes. The results are categorized into three themes that include i) role of leadership style in organizational changes, ii) systemic dynamics that lead to change preparedness, as well as iii) influence of stakeholder engagement on change success. Overall, findings conclude that leadership is the primary driver of successful organizational change. Cultural, contextual, leadership role, resource allocation and disciplinary contexts are factors contribute to readiness for change. Effective stakeholder engagement, role communication transparency, institutional support and resource allocation influencing the success of change.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.1.32
References
Adewale, A. S., & Ghavifekr, S. (2025). Challenges of leading change in higher education institutions: Evidence from Nigeria. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432251334704
Albrecht, S. L., Connaughton, S., Foster, K., Furlong, S., & Yeow, C. J. L. (2020). Change engagement, change resources, and change demands: A model for positive employee orientations to organizational change. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 531944. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.531944
Austin, A. E., Singer, S. R., Grimm, A., Baker, V. L., & Shanks, L. B. (2025). Organization change networks (OCNs): An emerging framework for understanding their development and functioning. Innovations in Higher Education, 50(3), 715–741. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09750-4
Bilbokait?, R., et al. (2024). Global competences for principals: Enabling change for sustainable education. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 26(2), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2024-0020
Borgos, J., Schueller, J., Lane, J. E., Kinser, K., & Zipf, S. T. (2023). The intersection of internationalization efforts and diversity, equity, and inclusion: The case of US-based international branch campuses. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 18(4), 430–440. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000519
Cortellazzo, L., Bruni, E., & Zampieri, R. (2019). The role of leadership in a digitalized world: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1938. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01938
Crable, E. L., et al. (2024). Utility of the leadership and organizational change for implementation-systems level (LOCI-SL) strategy for a statewide substance use treatment implementation effort. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209433
Davis, S. C., Kellam, N., Sanders, J., & Svihla, V. (2025). Integrating theories of intersectional power, learning, and change to explore faculty experiences on equity-centered change projects. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 18(S1), S678. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000601
El-Hage, U., & Sidani, D. (2023). An exploration of the role of transformational leadership in times of institutionalization of change. Tuning Journal for Higher Education, 11(1), 175–195. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe.2130
Eustachio, J. H. P. P., Leal Filho, W., Salvia, A. L., Guimaraes, Y. M., Brandli, L. L., Trevisan, L. V., ... & Caldana, A. C. F. (2024). Implementing sustainability in teaching: The role of sustainability leadership and transformational leadership in the context of higher education institutions. Sustainable Development, 32(5), 5331-5347. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2980
Eustachio, J. H. P. P., Leal Filho, W., Salvia, A. L., Lourenção, M., Guimarães, Y. M., Trevisan, L. V., ... & Caldana, A. C. F. (2024). Responsible management education: The leadership role of PRME business schools. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100920
Felix, E. R., Galan, C. A., & Perez, E. J. (2025). Carrying the weight of campus change: The role of student equity leaders in community college. The Journal of Higher Education, 96(3), 383–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2024.2330334
Forsyth, B. R., Gilson, T., & Etscheidt, S. (2024). Reflections on a Restructuring Initiative: Conceptualization, Implementation, and Reflection on an “Episode in Contradictions”. Journal of Academic Ethics, 22(4), 599-619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-024-09516-9
Gentsoudi, V. (2024). The nexus between transformational leadership and Greece’s public sector performance: Educational leadership extension. Business Ethics and Leadership, 8(1), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.61093/bel.8(1).107-115.2024
Guyottot, O., & Thelisson, A. S. (2024). Coping with paradoxical demands: The dual position of deans in French business schools. Studies in Higher Education, 49(8), 1360–1380. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2265405
Iglesias Vidal, E., Landi, L., Jornet, A., Damiani, P., & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2025). School leadership dimensions that foster the development of learning ecosystems: The cases of the “Scuola Diffusa” (Reggio Emilia, Italy) and “Interseccions” (Catalonia, Spain). Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 10(2), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-05-2024-0066
Isik, O. (2021). Analysis of leadership styles in institutions in the context of Bolman and Deal’s four framework: A comparative research on the banking sector. Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 14, 355–377. http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/JASSS.49357
Joo, B. K., Yoon, S. K., & Galbraith, D. (2023). The effects of organizational trust and empowering leadership on group conflict: psychological safety as a mediator. Organization Management Journal, 20(1), 4-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-07-2021-1308
Kang, I., & Headley, A. M. (2025). Valence for representation-enhancing organizational change: A driver of active representation beyond bureaucrat-client social identity match. American Review of Public Administration, 55(3), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740251332945
Kimble, C. R. (2025). On being and becoming a psychoanalyst director. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 45(2), 188–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2025.2463833
Koliopoulos, A., Triantari, S., Stavropoulou, E., Spinthiropoulos, K., & Alexandros, G. (2021). The role of leadership negotiation power and the management of communication policies. International Journal of Economics & Business Administration, 9(4), 77–97. https://doi.org/10.35808/ijeba/735
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & Nehme, Z. (2025). Leading change: Practical and contextual approaches. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-12-2024-5059
Kwok, P.-L.-Y., & Wang, W.-W.-L. (2023). Entrepreneurial leadership of academic managers in cram schools under double reduction policy in China: Conceptualizing competencies and resilience. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 46(4), 809–843. https://doi.org/10.1080/02103702.2023.2234247
Lancet, S., McKittrick, L., & Morando Rhim, L. (2023). Leadership as an implementation driver: Identifying best practices to support organizational change. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 34(2), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/10442073211066793
Maak, T., Pless, N. M., & Wohlgezogen, F. (2021). The fault lines of leadership: Lessons from the global COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Change Management, 21(1), 66–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1861724
Martorell, J. R., Tirado, F., Blasco, J. L., & Gálvez, A. (2025). How does artificial intelligence work in organisations? Algorithmic management, talent and dividuation processes. AI & Society, 40(3), 1905-1915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-024-01970-8
McGinity, R., Heffernan, A., & Courtney, S. J. (2022). Mapping trends in educational-leadership research: A longitudinal examination of knowledge production, approaches and locations. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(2), 217-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211030758
Miharja, R., & Hayati, N. (2021). The importance of visionary leadership and talent management to improve employee performance. Holistica – Journal of Business and Public Administration, 12(2), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.2478/hjbpa-2021-0016
Mingyu, C., Aziz, N. A. A., & Hassan, A. (2024). Work efficiency as a mediator in the relationship between transformational leadership and career achievement of lecturers in universities in Henan, China. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8), 2757–2770. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.4921
Muirhead, L., Harris, B. G., Kimble, L. P., Giordano, N. A., & McCauley, L. A. (2025). Using an organizational framework to drive change in nursing education: An action plan for nurse leaders. Nursing Outlook, 73(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102313
Nedzinskaite-Maciuniene, R., Cesnaviciene, J., Buksnyte-Marmiene, L., & Stasiunaitiene, E. (2023). The relationship between principals’ perception of their leadership style and positive attitudes towards change in the light of COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 12(2), 564–577. https://doi.org/10.13187/ejced.2023.2.564
Okereka, O. P., & Okolie, U. C. (2024). Change leadership and employee attitudes towards planned organizational change in Delta State Ministry of Education, Asaba, Nigeria. Public Administration Issues, 5, 130–145. https://doi.org/10.17323/1999-5431-2024-0-5-130-145
Olson, T. H., Breen, S. M., Gonzales, L. D., & Griffin, K. A. (2025). A multi-organizational network’s evolving efforts to diversify the STEM professoriate. Innovative Higher Education, 50(2), 611-640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09744-2
Paul, J., & Criado, A. R. (2020). The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know? International Business Review, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101717
Ren, S., Cooke, F. L., Stahl, G. K., Fan, D., & Timming, A. R. (2023). Advancing the sustainability agenda through strategic human resource management: Insights and suggestions for future research. Human Resource Management, 62(3), 251–265. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22169
Sarpong, J., & Adelekan, T. (2024). Globalisation and education equity: The impact of neoliberalism on universities’ mission. Policy Futures in Education, 22(6), 1114–1129. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103231184657
Schell, W. J. (2019). Leadership and change management. In Traffic safety culture: Defining, foundations, and applications (pp. 191–218). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315591766-8
Smith, W. M., Funk, R., Quaisley, K., & McMillon, E. (2025). Building a culture that empowers and motivates mathematics teacher leaders as change agents. School Science and Mathematics, 125(5), 506-518. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.18329
Som, R., & Chan, R. (2024). Examining employee buy-in for organizational change: A structural equation model. Studies in Business and Economics, 19(2), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.2478/sbe-2024-0036
Supriharyanti, E., Sukoco, B. M., Ubaidi, A., Susanto, E., Widianto, S., Nasution, R. A., ... & Wu, W. Y. (2024). Empowering leadership and team change capability: The mediating effect of team PsyCap. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 45(6), 1083–1101. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-07-2022-0331
Thondhlana, G., & Nkosi, B. S. (2024). Campus sustainability at Rhodes University, South Africa: Perceptions, awareness level, and potential interventions. Frontiers in Sustainability, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1390061
Torres, L. L. (2022). School organizational culture and leadership: Theoretical trends and new analytical proposals. Education Sciences, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12040254
Umar, S. B., Ahmad, J., Bukhori, M. A. B., Ali, K. A. M., & Hussain, W. (2025). Transforming higher-education institutes: Impact of change management on sustainable performance through transformational leadership and knowledge management. Sustainability, 17(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062445
van den Hende, F., Riezebos, J., & Coelen, R. (2024). Deployment of academic staff and disciplinary contexts in strategies for curriculum internationalization: a dynamic resource-based view of organizational change. Studies in Higher Education, 49(11), 2116-2132. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2291516
van Riel, A., & Snyder, H. (2024). Enhancing the impact of literature reviews: Guidelines for making meaningful contributions. Spanish Journal of Marketing, 28(3), 250–265. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-05-2024-0125
Vandelannote, I., Aksnes, D. W., & Huisman, J. (2025). Mergers in Norwegian higher education: is there an effect on publication performance?. Higher Education, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01409-z
Vasel, H. (2025). Factors shaping the implementation of educational organizational change: An analysis of Lewin’s model in the context of teaching innovations. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101599
Veseli, A., Hasanaj, P., & Bajraktari, A. (2025). Perceptions of organizational change readiness for sustainable digital transformation: Insights from learning management system projects in higher education institutions. Sustainability, 17(2), 619. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020619
Vîlcica, E. R., Mohler, M. E., Brey, J., & Ward, J. T. (2025). Organizational culture and context in progressive prosecutorial reform: Lessons from Philadelphia. Journal of Criminal Justice, 97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2025.102374
Wan Muda, W. H. N., Halim, F. A., Sern, L. C., Isa, K. B., Saleem, A., & Othman, N. B. (2024). The relationship between distributive leadership and organizational change management strategies. Journal of Technical Education and Training, 16(2), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.30880/JTET.2024.16.02.019
Wang, T., Olivier, D. F., & Chen, P. (2023). Creating individual and organizational readiness for change: Conceptualization of system readiness for change in school education. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(6), 1037–1061. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1818131
Youngblood, R. J., Franzen, R. M., & Priest, K. L. (2025). Leadership learning and development at work: Team meeting observation as a work-based intervention. The Learning Organization, 32(4), 660–671. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-01-2024-0032
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohamad Taufiq Jamal, Aida Hanim A. Hamid, Azlin Norhaini Mansor

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).