A Case Study of Employee Engagement: Distributed Leadership Constructs within Higher Educatio

Distributed leadership for learning and teaching is an approach in which collaborative working is undertaken between individuals who trust and respect each other's contribution. During the past 10 years, the idea of distributed leadership has emerged through the theory and practice within organizations. The specific problem this study addressed is lack of employee engagement at higher education based institutions. Effective strategies to increase employee engagement within the workplace are needed in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a distributed leadership approach to increase the engagement of employees at private higher education institutions across the country. The theoretical framework was aimed to understand the effectiveness of a distributed leadership approach to increase the engagement of employees. A case study approach was used in this qualitative study to allow for an increased understanding of distributed leadership constructs through the perceptions of academic leaders. The interviews and observations that took place helped identify of each of the participant's style of leadership and perception of distributed leadership. The interviews also further educated the academic leaders how to apply the distributed style of leadership to their daily activities and work. The academic leaders used in this study have provided a narrative that promotes much of what is needed for distributed leadership practice. Results provide a starting point for academic leaders to begin the steps needed to improve effective employee engagement through distributed leadership constructs.