College of Education and Behavioral Studies

Department Of EDPM

“Assignment
On
“Research Topic Selection and Statement of Problem”

Daher Mohamed (GSR/9233/2016)

July, 2024

Assignment I
1
 Refining Topic Selection Process

1. Topic Selection
The Topic selected is
“The Determining Factors for Leadership Effectiveness in Ethiopian Public
Higher Education Institutions”: A Case Study of Jigjiga University.

2. Steps Followed
There are six general aspects considered in refining this research topic. These
include the
1. General Idea
2. Narrowing the Topic
3. Specifying of the narrow Idea
4. Specifying Geographic area
5. Focused topic (Who, When, what, Where, and Why)
6. Analyze Keywords

3. Description of The Steps

Step 1 General Idea: General ideas usually express the main point or main idea
of a piece of writing. This broad idea is the concept of a general thought or
suggestion that is often creative or imaginative. In the context of this research, it is
an idea that can refer to a new hypothesis, a research question, or a potential
solution to a problem.
“The selection of the broad topic is “leadership in Higher Education”

Step 2 Narrowing the Topic: To narrow the topic, it has been used to optimize
the content, track and measure the results to keep learning and improving. The
topic were narrowed as
“Determinant factors of leadership effectiveness in higher education”

Step 3 Specifying the Narrow Idea: The purpose of specifying this idea is to
turn it into a practical plan or concept and eliminate some of the uncertainty
related to that and make into a more practical plan or concept. This has been done
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as:
“The Determinant Factors for Leadership Effectiveness in Public Higher
Education”.

Step 4: Specifying the geographic Area: Geographic location refers to the

physical place a statistical unit is located and for which statistics are collected and
disseminated. The geographic focus delimits the spatial extent of the plan. The
research approach is the decision about how to divide research efforts in the
geographic area. This research has been analyzed the geographic area of Jigjiga
University

“The Determining Factors for Leadership Effectiveness in the Case of

Jigjiga University

Step 5 Focused Topic: Focusing a research topic is that you can demonstrate a
good understanding of it for enough and important details, within the size limits of
the project required to produce. This has been done as:
“The Determining Factors for Leadership Effectiveness in Ethiopian Public
Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Jigjiga University

Step 6 Analyze the Key words: Keywords, also commonly called search terms,
are the words that you enter into the database search boxes. They represent the
main concepts of the research topic and are the words used in everyday life to
describe the topic. Without the right keywords, the research topic may have
difficulty finding the articles need. This is based on the search volume,
competition, and relevance. Thus, the main Keywords in this research topic has
been refined to as “The Determinant factors, Leadership Effectiveness,
Public Higher education (Jigjiga University)

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 STEPS

“Leadership in Higher Education”

1

“Determinant factors of leadership effectiveness

2 in higher education”

““The Determinant Factors for Leadership

3 Effectiveness in Public Higher Education

4 The Determining Factors for Leadership

Effectiveness in the Case of Jigjiga University

The Determining Factors for Leadership

5
Effectiveness in Ethiopian Public Higher
Education Institutions: A Case Study of Jigjiga
University

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 Part II. Assignment
Statement of the Problem

A statement of the problem is used in research work as a claim that outlines the
problem addressed by a study. The main objective of a statement of the problem is
to covert the generalised issues into a specific problem so that it can be resolved
more objectively in research. In this research Topic, it has been focused:
o Understand the Problem: Begin by thoroughly understanding the problem
intend to address.
o Define the Problem Clearly
o Provide Context
o Identify the Root Cause
o Be Specific and state the reason to be in this research (why targeted
solution).

Statement Problem
In Ethiopia, the rise of Higher education institutions has drastically changed in the
last years. However, until the down fall of the military regime (1991), Durei AD &
Beshir ES (2016), Mesfin Molla, (2017), Seyoum, (2014), Yizengaw, (2004), and
seminar papers Amare (2014), Policy Brief and also including the last symposium of
leadership development April 19-21/2017, has done showed poor effective leadership
in Ethiopian Public Higher Institutions and lacked visionary leadership determinant for
many years.

The issue of effective leadership and its application in the public service
organizations of Ethiopia was investigated by Duressa and Tesfaye (2014) in their

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research of leadership effectiveness in public organizations in focus of reform issue of
Ethiopia and indicated that the performance of public service organizations was not
found to the level expected by the government and the customers due to inadequacy
of effective leadership. A research paper of Beshir, and Durie (2016) about leadership
effectiveness in IPA in Ethiopia has also revealed that effectiveness of leadership is
not as indicated in the determining factor of bringing strategic skill. This indicated
low effectiveness of leadership. Mesfin Molla (2017) about perceived leadership
effectiveness in TVET indicated that effective leadership in education is a serious
problem in Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular. The seminar papers on
leadership capacity building Amare (2014) Policy Brief and also the last symposium
of leadership development April 19-21/2017, has showed poor effective leadership in
Ethiopian Public Higher Institutions and lacked visionary leadership for many years.
Also Tariku, Tolosa and Haile, 2020 identifies as low average (Tariku et al. 2020).

Ministry of Education of Ethiopia was designed and implemented Education and

Training Policy (TGE, 1994). It is believed that one of the main problems in achieving
HEI goals and satisfying the need of the society in a developing country is the
capacity and effectiveness of leadership. In addition to this, the public organizations
strategy and reform of Ethiopia revealed that to implement a high level of
decentralization strategies has required effective leadership. But challenges that are
prevalent in terms of its effectiveness have been exacerbated in many HEI (Mesfin,
2017).

Yizengaw (2003) in his research on challenges of EHEI on his part pointed out that,
although encouraging and significant reforms have taken place in public higher
education institutions, the weak consensus building efforts and participation of
stakeholder’s leadership effectiveness are few of the challenges to the change
process. Layla Omer also pointed that leadership effectiveness was found at very
minimal level (Layla, 2020).

In 2010, Ethiopia reforms initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education (MoE) have
placed leaders of educational institutions at all levels in a highly visible leadership
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role. But in the report of ME given to leadership effectiveness at institutional level is
still remain weak (MoE, 2010). Also, in the World Bank sector study report (2003), the
Ethiopian higher education leadership skills are more challenging and shorter coming
in effectiveness and needs to strengthen leadership and change management
capacities through leadership mentoring program. In the context of literature review,
effective leadership is problematic in any sector of HEI and a number of reviews have
been presented in the HE literature; Davies, Hides, & Casey, (2001), Desta (2004),
Kerr and Jermier`s (1978) and MOCB reform (2007) to synthesis the study.

In the policy context, the Ethiopian Higher education proclamation Act of 2003
indicated that the major framework and implementation policy of public higher
education institutions goals and satisfying the needs of the society is the capacity
and effectiveness of leadership (FDRE, 2002). The Capacity Building strategy of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia designed that the growth, development and
transformation of the higher education is based on effective leader (FDRE, 2002).

The above studies and reviews conducted on leadership indicated that there was no
previous study about the determining factors of leadership effectiveness in Ethiopian
Public Higher Education Institutions. So that, this study will differ from the above
studies in two ways; focusing determinant factors of leadership effectiveness and
leadership effectiveness challenges in higher education. Therefore, above studies
proved that still the gap exists and needs to address so that the researcher will focus
the determinant factors of leadership effectiveness in public higher education
institutions of Ethiopia to contribute some solutions to solve the challenge in the area
of leadership.

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 Assignment III
Write the Following Questions
a. The purpose of the study

The purpose of the study is to examine the determinant factors of leadership

effectiveness of Ethiopian Public Higher Education Institutions, the case of Jigjiga
University

b. Research Questions

In this study the following research questions will be designed

(i) What are the determinant factors of academic leaders to associate
leadership effectiveness in Jigjiga University?
(ii) What is the challenge factors affecting academic leaders to sustain
leadership effectiveness in Jigjiga University?
(iii) What are the mechanisms to tackle challenges of leadership
effectiveness for recommending in Jigjiga University?

c. Significance Of The Study

The findings of the study will have both theoretical and practical implications for the

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future of university education in the country. Theoretically, the findings will
contribute to the advancement of knowledge about the leadership effectiveness in
higher public institutions of Ethiopia by addressing the challenges associated with
effective leader to achieve goals. The study will have practical significance because
the findings may lead to identifying the strengths and constraints of implementing
process. This will benefit the Ministry of Higher Education (MHE) in the formulation of
future university education policies aimed at enhancing effective leaders. It will also
have significance to Ethiopian public universities policies and vision strategies of
becoming quality and academic excellence through effective leader. Lastly, it may
help as aspiring board for other researchers who want to conduct further research
around the topic

d. Delimitation Of The Study

Delimitations encompass the elements outside of the boundaries and depend on

researcher decision. Therefore, this study is delimited to concept and geographical
scope. Regarding the concepts, it is delimited to only leadership effectiveness as
result of the vast broad of leadership word and the different scopes and meaning
that cannot be covered all areas of leadership and factors affecting leadership
effectiveness.