ABSTRACT
This Introduction present an overview of key concept discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. Educational leadership in the academy is conceptualized by Blaschke, Frost, and Hattke as consisting of 'conflictory institutional' ways of supporting organizations encompassing elements of leadership, governance, and management. These scholars describe ways in which university leadership is shifting from engaging relational and, consequently, more collegial governance patterns to more neo-liberal, business-like ways of management in complementary micro patterns. Unfortunately, micro patterns of leadership practice do not feature in research on educational leadership in higher education (HE). In fact, Blaschke et al argue that 'there is little explanation of how universities perform their everyday practices of LGM on the micro-level of actions, let alone face organizational change'. The practices presented here promote equity and access to benefit systemically underserved and, as a result, underperforming students through change in a variety of culturally and linguistically diverse tertiary settings in the US, New Zealand, and Australia.
