Perceptions and pathways to sustainable leadership in higher education institutions: Insights, challenges, and strategic directions

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Abstract

This study investigates the leaders’ essential qualities and perceived effectiveness in promoting sustainability within higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on the Philippine context. HEIs play a crucial role in embedding sustainable values and practices, yet leadership challenges often hinder institutional progress (Filho et al., 2020). The study explores leadership styles, traits, decision-making approaches, and gender perspectives through a survey of 69 Filipino professionals across various academic roles in the National Capital Region. Findings indicate a strong preference for inclusive, visionary, and creative leadership, with widespread support for women in sustainability leadership roles. However, barriers such as limited funding, administrative support, and expertise persist. The study highlights the need for integrating sustainability into curricula, establishing green offices, and enhancing institutional support. While the findings offer valuable insights, they are based on subjective perceptions without empirical validation, limiting causal inference. This research contributes to the discourse on sustainable leadership by identifying key enablers and obstacles within HEIs and encourages future studies to adopt mixed-methods approaches. The paper is relevant to education policymakers, university administrators, and sustainability advocates aiming to strengthen leadership capacity for sustainable transformation.

Keywords: Sustainable Leadership, Sustainability Education, Higher Education Institutions, Management Style, Leadership Style

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — C.P.C.; Methodology — J.L.R.L.; Formal Analysis — C.P.C.; Investigation — J.L.R.L.; Data Curation — J.L.R.L.; Writing — Original Draft — J.L.R.L.; Writing — Review & Editing — C.P.C.; Project Administration — C.P.C.; Supervision — C.P.C.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: I23, M14, Q01

Received: 30.09.2024
Revised: 05.04.2025; 14.06.2025
Accepted: 23.06.2025
Published online: 25.06.2025

How to cite this paper: Cudia, C. P., & Legaspi, J. L. R. (2025). Perceptions and pathways to sustainable leadership in higher education institutions: Insights, challenges, and strategic directions. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 9(3), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv9i3p1