Directive leadership and management in the middle-high level of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico: A view from the students

Abstract

Management leadership has become both a competence and a strategy emanating from the educational policies demanded by international organizations in which the director is considered the main agent to achieve them. This research aims to identify the skills and characteristics necessary to exercise directive leadership and management in the high middle level of the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, derived from the perception of the students and the 2014 movement that resulted in a change of managers at the request of the student community. The methods used are both quantitative and qualitative, with an exploratory and descriptive approach. For this, a theoretical analysis was carried out, as well as empirical research and interviews with experts about how directive leadership influences the development of management of the educational organization. The instruments used were an in-depth interview and an opinion poll; two of each were performed, the first one to identify the director’s performance, and the second one to identify the competences and characteristics that students consider necessary for the director to exercise their leadership for an effective management in the upper middle level of the Institute. The sample was non-probabilistic with voluntary subjects; the first survey was answered by 104 students of the upper middle level, and the second by 110 students, for a total of 224 students. In the results of the first survey it was found that 49% of the students reported partially approving the performance of the director. In the second survey, it was found that 60% of the students consider that the leadership of their director is adequate. As for the leadership competences for effective management, 71% of students consider the following most important: teamwork, communication, leadership, interpersonal relationships, decision making and conflict management. In second place (29%) came negotiation, delegation, strategic management and self-knowledge. It is concluded that it is necessary to develop research to define a profile and a training model for the directors of the upper middle level of the National Polytechnic Institute that allow them to adequately deal with situations that arise in an increasingly complex and competitive society.