Examining the Leadership Role of the Dean of Business in Ontario Colleges:Using Narrative Inquiry to Reflect Leadership Identity Journeys of Selected Deans in this Role

My research study leadership journeys of selected incumbents in the role of dean of business in the Ontario College System. Using the methodology of narrative inquiry, I wanted to understand how their journeys led them to the role of dean, how they experienced the role, their perceptions of their own leader self-identity, how they approached their learning and growth while in the role, and to what extent they engaged in reflective practice. Participants engaged in two interview sessions with me, responding through dialogue to a guiding set of interview questions. A significant feature of the experience of business deans is that many of them had well-established career roles in business settings and joined the Ontario College System mid-career, most often directly assuming the role of dean. One of the contributions that I am seeking to make through my work is to integrate the stories of their personal career journeys with their leadership identity development and to understand how the Leadership Capability Framework for the Ontario College System captures or misses the requirements for the role of dean of business. Several common themes emerged: (a) they found the program development aspects of their role challenging as they tried to learn the college context that seemed at times esoteric, (b) they perceived their roles and contributions as impactful on their own institutions, (c) they expressed interest in career advancement roles in system but were unsuccessful in securing them, (d) the Leadership Capability Framework was viewed as describing generic not contextual leadership requirements, and (e) their reflective practice was very informal. These findings present implications for the Ontario College System as it seeks to attract, retain, and develop leaders in this role, and for the leadership learning that is required to support leadership development and growth.Ed.D