Supererogatory Leadership Practices of Academic Deans in Bicol Region

Abstract

Academic deanship, through the practice of leadership supererogation, is also a heroic act. To substantiate that claim, this study utilized phenomenological inquiry on the supererogatory leadership practices of 19 academic deans in the six provinces of Bicol Region. Interviews with academic deans having at least two years’ experience as such were conducted from December 2024 to January 2025. Results of the inquiry showed that supererogatory leadership practices of academic deans can be classified as organizational, epistemic, and ethical practices characterized by, among others, extra effort, sacrifices, free services, and “pagmakulog” (empathy; deep concern for others). Their reasons can also be categorized as organizational, epistemic, and ethical, ranging from personal level to community level. The enablers to practice can be listed down as organizational, financial and material, personal, epistemic, and external enablers; whereas, the barriers can be regarded as organizational, financial and material, personal, epistemic, and external barriers. The means to addressing barriers can be organized as adversity management, resilience, reflective compassion, psychological counter strategy, and external motivation. The positive consequences in practicing supererogatory leadership can be grouped as institutional, social, personal/professional, and civic consequences. The negative consequences in practicing supererogatory leadership can be clustered as work-related, financial, epistemic, ethical, personal, psychological, and physical consequences. From these results, a supererogatory leadership style framework was drawn consisting of four major parts: a. practices b. reasons, c. enablers and barriers (with means to address them), and d. consequences. Wider scope, leaders in other agencies as participants, and other research methods are recommended.