ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN THE LEADERSHIP SYSTEM OF THE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

In the conditions of the formation of a knowledge society, the role of universities is significantly increasing, and therefore setting goals for achieving leadership is a mandatory requirement for modern universities. Strengthening universities is an extremely complex and multilevel task, which includes a whole range of issues of internal organizational culture formation. The purpose of the article is to study the essence and role of organizational culture in achieving leadership positions of universities. The importance of organizational culture lies in the fact that it becomes an environment for the formation of key competitive advantages at both the micro- and macro-economic levels. The missions and work of universities in Europe and other countries are based on a number of fundamental values. The main principle is considered to be all support for the institutional autonomy of universities, as this protects university values. Protection of academic freedom is considered as the most important basis for meaningful academic research and education. The important principles of university activity should be: fostering a culture of openness, tolerance and dialogue, supporting diversity among students and employees, integrating refugees into their communities and, in general, forming a model of a healthy democratic community. Ensuring the autonomy of the university is an important prerequisite for the formation of a real academic environment in it. The leadership of universities is based on the synergistic interaction of all its employees, and first of all - researchers-teachers, their ability to create conditions for scientific, social, technological and institutional qualitative changes. The task of achieving leadership positions at any level (region, country) begins with the formation of certain abilities and skills, generation of collective enthusiasm, expansion of the knowledge capital of the institution/organization. Organizational culture includes the personal qualities of employees, the nature of relationships in the team, and the style of management of the organization. The most important feature of organizational culture in modern conditions is the creation of an atmosphere of creativity, constant learning, inadmissibility of academic dishonesty and plagiarism. The very creation of such an environment, which is constantly developing and learning, is considered in the practice of modern business to be a key factor in ensuring the competitiveness of any organization, and even more so of a modern university. The logical chain of achieving leadership – from the leadership of employees and teams within the organization – to leadership in the chosen scientific direction, types and forms of educational and innovative activity, and further to – increasing the competitiveness of the university, increases the institution's chances for leadership in the external environment. Achieving leadership by the university is realized through a system of social and emotional motivations of employees, supporting their desire for leadership and recognition; it is aimed at satisfying the needs for self-actualization, social recognition, social status, communication, and security. There is no doubt that the achievement of university leadership is the result of the action of a whole set of factors – from the adoption of a general development strategy, leadership style to the individual efforts of individual scientists and teachers, as well as their synergistic interaction. Achieving certain leadership positions by the university is always the result of purposeful actions of a strong team. One of the key factors in achieving leadership is the presence of such an organizational culture of the university, which creates an appropriate atmosphere in the team, allows everyone to feel like a member of a large team, trust the decisions of the management and not get involved in unconstructive criticism. It is very important that academic integrity, the inadmissibility of plagiarism become an integral feature of the organizational culture of any university, and creativity, respect, inclusion, and continuous development are the dominant features.