Abstract:

Innovation in higher education is increasingly understood as a cultural phenomenon rather than purely a technical one. While universities have traditionally emphasized technological infrastructures as drivers of change, recent research highlights the importance of institutional culture in shaping sustainable educational innovation. This study examines how leadership practices contribute to the development of innovation cultures in higher education institutions. Innovation culture is conceptualized as a set of shared values, norms, and practices that support experimentation, collaboration, and continuous professional learning. Such cultures enable academic staff to engage in pedagogical innovation and reflect critically on institutional routines. A qualitative multiple case study design was employed during the 2023–2024 academic year, focusing on three European participating institutions (including one Romanian institution) selected based on documented evidence of sustained innovation initiatives (e.g., teaching development programs and strategic innovation policies). The study involved 18 participants: 6 senior leaders recruited from each of the three participating institutions (rectors, vice-rectors, or deans). Data collection combined semi-structured interviews, two focus groups (one in each of two institutions), and document analysis (strategic plans, internal reports, and policy documents). The semi-structured interviews (45–60 minutes) followed a common protocol addressing leadership practices, support mechanisms for innovation, and perceived barriers. Interviews were conducted online, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with iterative coding to identify patterns related to leadership, trust, and institutional alignment. Findings indicate that trust-based leadership relationships create conditions that encourage experimentation without fear of negative evaluation. For example, participants described internal grant schemes and informal peer-sharing practices as enabling safe spaces for testing new teaching approaches. Recognition of pedagogical innovation, both formally (through evaluation criteria) and informally (through collegial acknowledgment), was associated with sustained engagement in innovation activities. Alignment between institutional strategies and everyday teaching practices also emerged as a critical factor. The findings suggest that innovation cultures may be strengthened by leadership practices that emphasize trust, recognition, distributed experimentation, and strategic coherence within the institutional contexts examined. Developing such cultures requires consistent institutional support and the integration of innovation into governance and professional development structures.

Keywords:

Educational leadership, innovation culture, higher education governance, organizational learning, pedagogical change.