HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR: ASSESSING LEADERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

This study investigates the interrelationship among leadership practices, governance structures, and institutional effectiveness within higher education institutions. Anchored in contemporary theories of educational leadership and organizational governance, the research examines how varying leadership styles shape governance processes and influence institutional performance outcomes. Employing a mixed-methods design that combines quantitative survey analysis with qualitative interviews, the paper assesses the influence of transformational, distributed, and participatory leadership approaches on strategic planning, accountability systems, and decision-making effectiveness.The findings reveal that collaborative, vision-driven leadership significantly strengthens governance transparency, stakeholder engagement, and institutional coordination. Governance frameworks characterized by shared authority, clearly defined regulatory procedures, and ethical oversight were found to arbitrate the association between leadership practices and institutional outcomes. Institutions demonstrating alignment between leadership strategy and governance structures reported improved academic quality, enhanced research productivity, higher student retention rates, and greater organizational adaptability.Based on these findings, the study advances an integrated Leadership–Governance–Effectiveness (LGE) Model, positioning leadership as the strategic driver, governance as the structural enabler, and institutional effectiveness as the measurable outcome of coordinated institutional action. The research contributes to the field of educational management by offering a comprehensive framework for strengthening institutional quality, sustainability, accountability, and competitive resilience in increasingly complex higher education environments.