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Research Question (RQ): To what extent are leaders engaged in the deployment of the leadership principles in Slovenian higher education and what are the possibilities to implement the EFQM business excellence model in the entire Slovenian higher education sector? Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the leaders' engagement in different leadership actions in Slovenian higher education, to examine the implementation of the EFQM model of excellence in Slovenian higher education and indicate possible directions for improvement. Method: This paper has a theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part includes analysis and critical assessment of the concept of quality management and leadership. The empirical part is based on qualitative research. For data acquisition, we used the online interview and the online survey questionnaire. The survey was conducted with the leaders working in the Slovenian public and private spheres of higher education organisations. Results: The findings of this paper reveal that that Slovenian higher education sector is not aware of the benefits that the EFQM business excellence model can bring. As such, several obstacles can be outlined regarding the successful implementation of the EFQM model. Organization: The results of the research provide useful information for the leaders of higher education organizations about what they should pay attention to when transiting from existing quality systems to the EFQM model of excellence. Society: The research presents awareness and changes, which are, according to the opinion leaders of Slovenian higher education, necessary for the implementation of changes in the leadership in Sloveni an higher education and, consequently, for the implementation of the EFQM model of excellence in the entire Slovenian higher education sphere. This could contribute to the overall increase in awareness and the quality of the entire Slovenian higher education system. Originality: In an original and comprehensive way, the research presents and explains higher education leadership and explains quality, excellence and reputation of Slovenian higher education, and also complements the previous findings in this area. Limitations/Future Research: The research is limited to the current state of knowledge of leadership in Slovenian higher education and represents personal opinions and in-depth insights of participants in the research. The research represents a good starting point for further research, for example, the exploration of the opinions of external stakeholders (e.g. students) |
