Rural Background and Its Effects on Leadership behaviour in Higher Education

The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of rural background on leadership behaviour in higher education. A qualitative approach was employed, using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The 23 participants were selected based on their experience and knowledge of the topic. The findings showed that respondents held different views regarding the factors affecting leadership behaviour. Respondents largely agreed that tribalism, authoritarianism, and lack in vision for the future directly influence a leader’s behaviour and are regarded as enduring traits of leaders from rural backgrounds. Other factors (short-sightedness, apathy, and introversion) were deemed to be of lesser importance. Additionally, this study highlights ways to refine the leader selection process within higher education. This study contributes to the literature by offering new insights and addressing a gap in evidence concerning the characteristics of leaders from rural backgrounds. The study suggests that future research should examine the influence of genetic and family history factors on leader personality.