The Relationship Between Leadership, Knowledge Management, Innovation And Organisational Performance In Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

The relationship between leadership, knowledge management, innovation and organisational performance in higher education institutions was reviewed with the help of 25 papers selected from Google Scholar. The advantages of good and effective leadership in managing knowledge, leading to innovation, and enhancing organisational performance are well-known. In the case of HEIs, this is facilitated by the faculties of the university, who are intellectually well-equipped for it. The first question, what type of leadership, was answered by most seven papers in different ways. Although the exact style identified in these papers differed, the broad concurrence was for transformational leadership style. Knowledge management involves knowledge creation, acquisition, collation and sharing. Innovation will happen only when these processes occur well. Having a leadership that encourages effective knowledge management for innovation will help the HEI enhance its performance and gain a competitive advantage. Some papers had the limitations of low sample size and lack of clarity in describing sampling procedures. Both these limitations affect their validity and generalisability. Out of 25 papers, 20 were authored and from Islamic countries. Although the existence of papers from other countries was indicated by cross-references in these papers, there is a need for more research on this topic from other countries.