The Impact of Agility in Management in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study in Dubai

Abstract

Agility in organisational management is increasingly recognised as an essential factor for the success of educational institutions, particularly in the context of rapid changes in educational demands, such as the UAE's dynamic higher educational landscape. Several existing research studies have highlighted the gap and lack of studies that address the impact of the adoption of agility in management on UAE educational institutions. The main aim of this study is to explore the impact of adopting agility in organisational management within four higher educational institutions in Dubai, UAE. The following theories are adopted to serve as the theoretical framework for the study to facilitate coherence and a comprehensive understanding of the impact of adopting agility in organisational management within four higher educational institutions in Dubai: Resilience Theory in Education, Organisational Behaviour Theory, and Disaster Management Theory. The methodology for the study is based on a qualitative approach; this allowed for a better and more in-depth understanding of participants' experiences and views regarding adopting agility practices in management at their workplace. The data were obtained from three data collection methods: semi-structured interviews, group focus discussions, and document analysis from four Dubai academic institutions which are accredited by the Ministry of Education in the UAE. Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-stage thematic analysis approach is adopted in this research study. The findings show that the impact of adopting agility in organisational management within the four higher academic institutions in Dubai is enhancing employees' response to changes, particularly during periods of pandemics or any other external forces, enhancing student services and retention, stimulating an agile mindset for employees to facilitate the transition from traditional management style to an agile one, fostering communication and collaboration among employees, providing flexible academic institutional policies and regulations that can be adjusted according to students’ demands, enhancing the academic institutional competition locally and globally and fostering an inclusive and diverse environment among employees in Dubai educational institutions. This study recommends conducting more studies on the impact of future emerging educational fields, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity (CS) programmes, on responding to students' demands in the dynamic higher educational landscape of Dubai's higher educational institutions. Several stakeholders, locally and globally, in the higher education sector could benefit from this research. University administrators and institutional leaders can adopt agile strategies to enhance their responsiveness to external challenges, such as policy changes, market shifts, and global disruptions. However, the study provides insights into how agile management enhances institutional performance, helping policymakers refine governance models and regulatory frameworks in the Ministry of Education (MoE). Moreover, faculty and educators in higher educational institutions in Dubai could integrate agile teaching methodologies, making learning experiences more flexible and student-centred. This is to improve the overall educational process in higher educational institutions in Dubai and other emirates of the UAE.

Keywords: Agility in Management, Higher Education Institutions, Organizational Agility, Dubai Educational Landscape, Leadership.