University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders

The research offers valuable insights into the importance of transparency in building trust, accountability, and a positive reputation for universities in Ukraine. The relevance of this topic is underscored by the growing global emphasis on the need for higher education institutions to communicate t...

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Main Authors: Nadiia Artyukhova, Olena Churikanova, Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academic Research and Publishing UG (AR&P) 2024-10-01
Series:Business Ethics and Leadership
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Online Access:https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_2.pdf
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author Nadiia Artyukhova
Olena Churikanova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
author_facet Nadiia Artyukhova
Olena Churikanova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
author_sort Nadiia Artyukhova
collection DOAJ
description The research offers valuable insights into the importance of transparency in building trust, accountability, and a positive reputation for universities in Ukraine. The relevance of this topic is underscored by the growing global emphasis on the need for higher education institutions to communicate transparently with external audiences, including prospective students, parents, funding agencies, and the general public. Transparency in financial operations, governance, and academic offerings has become crucial for universities to attract talented individuals, secure financial support, and develop lasting partnerships. The study's methodology – the K-means clustering technique ‒ effectively assesses university transparency. It clusters institutions based on shared transparency characteristics, allowing for the identification of distinct patterns and the classification of Ukrainian universities into specific groups. This approach provided a comprehensive understanding of universities' performance in external communication. The Elbow Method was employed to establish the ideal number of clusters, dividing universities into four main clusters, each demonstrating varying degrees of transparency. The findings revealed that universities across different clusters exhibited unique transparency profiles. While some universities performed exceptionally well across multiple transparency criteria, others showed significant shortcomings, particularly in budget reporting and staff transparency. The results indicated that some universities emerged as transparency leaders, serving as models for others, while those in lower-performing clusters require targeted improvements in their communication strategies. The study highlights the practical impact of transparency on university governance and engagement with stakeholders. Universities that prioritize transparency build trust with external audiences and strengthen internal decision-making processes. The clustering method provided essential insights into which institutions lead in transparency and where improvements are necessary, reinforcing that transparency is key to ensuring competitiveness within the higher education landscape. This research broadens the understanding of transparency in higher education, offering practical recommendations for universities seeking to enhance their external communication practices. The study underscores the importance of aligning these efforts with international transparency standards to ensure long-term success and maintain credibility in the increasingly competitive global academic environment.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
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spelling doaj-art-c5ae2d8fefaf4e589a9e3459d76f6a902025-01-15T12:27:33ZengAcademic Research and Publishing UG (AR&P)Business Ethics and Leadership2520-67612520-63112024-10-0184163610.61093/bel.8(4).16-36.2024University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External StakeholdersNadiia Artyukhova0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2408-5737Olena Churikanova1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5703-2271Kseniia Bliumska-Danko2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0200-2280Ph.D., Research Institute of Trade and Sustainable Business, University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia Research Department, Sumy State University, Ukraine Dr., Prof., TUBAF Digital, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, GermanyPh.D., Researcher, Networks, Innovation, Territories and Globalisation Laboratory, Université Paris-Saclay, FranceThe research offers valuable insights into the importance of transparency in building trust, accountability, and a positive reputation for universities in Ukraine. The relevance of this topic is underscored by the growing global emphasis on the need for higher education institutions to communicate transparently with external audiences, including prospective students, parents, funding agencies, and the general public. Transparency in financial operations, governance, and academic offerings has become crucial for universities to attract talented individuals, secure financial support, and develop lasting partnerships. The study's methodology – the K-means clustering technique ‒ effectively assesses university transparency. It clusters institutions based on shared transparency characteristics, allowing for the identification of distinct patterns and the classification of Ukrainian universities into specific groups. This approach provided a comprehensive understanding of universities' performance in external communication. The Elbow Method was employed to establish the ideal number of clusters, dividing universities into four main clusters, each demonstrating varying degrees of transparency. The findings revealed that universities across different clusters exhibited unique transparency profiles. While some universities performed exceptionally well across multiple transparency criteria, others showed significant shortcomings, particularly in budget reporting and staff transparency. The results indicated that some universities emerged as transparency leaders, serving as models for others, while those in lower-performing clusters require targeted improvements in their communication strategies. The study highlights the practical impact of transparency on university governance and engagement with stakeholders. Universities that prioritize transparency build trust with external audiences and strengthen internal decision-making processes. The clustering method provided essential insights into which institutions lead in transparency and where improvements are necessary, reinforcing that transparency is key to ensuring competitiveness within the higher education landscape. This research broadens the understanding of transparency in higher education, offering practical recommendations for universities seeking to enhance their external communication practices. The study underscores the importance of aligning these efforts with international transparency standards to ensure long-term success and maintain credibility in the increasingly competitive global academic environment.https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_2.pdfaccountability in universitiesexternal stakeholder communicationfinancial transparencyhigher education governanceinstitutional transparency analysisk-means clusteringuniversity transparency
spellingShingle Nadiia Artyukhova
Olena Churikanova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
Business Ethics and Leadership
accountability in universities
external stakeholder communication
financial transparency
higher education governance
institutional transparency analysis
k-means clustering
university transparency
title University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
title_full University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
title_fullStr University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
title_full_unstemmed University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
title_short University Leadership: Transparency in Communication with External Stakeholders
title_sort university leadership transparency in communication with external stakeholders
topic accountability in universities
external stakeholder communication
financial transparency
higher education governance
institutional transparency analysis
k-means clustering
university transparency
url https://armgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/BEL_4_2024_2.pdf
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