Mid-Level Leadership as a Lever for Human Flourishing in a Canadian Educational Institution
College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University
How they used Delve
A Doctor of Social Sciences candidate at Royal Roads University used Delve for an inductive analysis of dialogue groups, interviews, observations and reflections from an action-research project with eight mid-level leaders in a Canadian educational institution, generating over 300 initial codes before organising them into themes.
“Once all four cycles were complete, I conducted a detailed inductive analysis using Delve software. I began with semantic coding, identifying explicit meanings, which generated over 300 initial [codes]”
- Field
- educational leadership; human flourishing
- Data
- Recordings and transcripts of dialogue groups, individual interviews, observations and reflections with eight mid-level leaders
- Approach
- Action research across four cycles; Braun & Clarke-style inductive semantic then latent coding in Delve, 300+ initial codes
- Data types
- Focus groups, Interviews, Observation
Abstract
Despite decades of leadership evolution, problems related to human flourishing have not been adequately addressed by traditional approaches. Neoliberal and hierarchical frameworks have led to policies and practices that substantially transformed organizations, while at the same time limiting efforts to respond to such challenges. Mid-level leaders remain underexamined in leadership research, leaving a gap for understanding their influence on these complex challenges. The purpose of this study was to collaborate with a team of mid-level leaders in a Canadian post-secondary institution to explore their influence on critical issues related to human flourishing. Through critical action research grounded in social constructionism, participants explored dominant systems, values, and practices, utilizing reflection, dialogue, and shared meaning-making processes. Core participants included mid-level leaders (directors, managers, coordinator, supervisor), each of whom was fully engaged in the four cycles of the action research process. Data collection included dialogue sessions, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journals. Five supplemental division members also participated in one semi-structured interview. Key findings are organized around five interwoven themes: (a) achieving human flourishing through disruption of dominant, historical leadership norms, values and practices; (b) relational leadership as a transformative practice; (c) navigating power and agency in mid-level leadership; (d) reflexivity and the emotional weight of leadership, and (e) critique to construction: reimagining leadership. These findings affirm all five core tenets of critical leadership theory and extend them in important ways. Findings operationalize critical leadership praxis in mid-level leadership contexts and expand concepts of leadership to include embodied and emotional labour. The study positions human flourishing as a legitimate and necessary leadership goal, advances critical leadership studies from critique toward praxis, and highlights mid-level leaders as critical agents of change for human flourishing. Keywords: critical leadership, human flourishing, mid-level leaders, relational leadership, embodied reflexivity and emotional labour, disruption for transformative change
Citation
Georganne Oldham (2025). Mid-Level Leadership as a Lever for Human Flourishing in a Canadian Educational Institution. VIURRSpace (Royal Roads University). https://doi.org/10.25316/ir-20513