Succession planning in higher education: A systematic literature review (2012–2022)

Kazi Enamul Hoque ,Chunli Zheng

doi:10.18282/hrms3391

Home - HRMS - Volume 6 - Issue 4

Submit to HRMS

Journal Browser

Volume | Year

Issue

• Current lssue

View All

News and Announcements

Feb 3, 2026

Journal Support Policy Statement: APC Support Policy for 2026 Submissions
Jun 4, 2025

Human Resources Management and Services accepted for inclusion in Scopus

View All

Succession planning in higher education: A systematic literature review (2012–2022)

Kazi Enamul Hoque

Chunli Zheng

Human Resources Management and Services 2024, 6(4), 3391; https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms3391

Submitted：26 Aug 2024

Accepted：30 Oct 2024

Published：07 Nov 2024

Download PDF(791.22KB)

XML

Abstract

This research investigates the dynamic landscape of succession planning (SP) strategies in higher education, with a focus on synthesizing existing literature to guide improvements in presidential succession practices. The intense global competition in higher education has led to imbalances in the quantity and composition of potential successors, hindering institutions' rapid advancement and affecting their competitiveness on the global stage. The study addresses critical challenges such as attracting, retaining, and nurturing successors in key positions beyond material incentives. Employing a literature analysis methodology, the research comprehensively examines the existing body of literature related to succession planning, offering recommendations to promote stability in leadership, foster continuous talent development, and mitigate talent crises. The study evaluates the current state of succession planning in higher education, identifying issues and their root causes. It provides a summary and analysis of ongoing research efforts related to successor quality, team formation, and cultivation models. Despite advancements through national talent cultivation policies, persistent challenges like talent scarcity, the absence of gender-inclusive succession plans, a lack of originality, and inconsistent staff flow hinder progress. The research attributes these challenges to traditional personnel systems and university administrators. Proactive measures are proposed, including creating awareness of succession planning, advocating for personnel mechanism reform, establishing a comprehensive training system, and developing a scientifically-grounded succession plan. Though the study aims to contribute to leadership development and address pressing issues faced by higher education institutions, with only a limited number utilizing mixed techniques, it restricted the comprehensive inclusion of social context knowledge and evidence regarding the motivations, beliefs, and experiences of individuals in this investigation.

Keywords

References

Abalkhail, J. M. (2017). Women and leadership: Challenges and opportunities in Saudi higher education. Career Development International, 22(2), 165–183. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-03-2016-0029

Afiouni, F., & M. Karam, C. (2014). Structure, agency, and notions of career success. Career Development International, 19(5), 548–571. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-01-2013-0007

Alghofaily, L. (2019). Women leadership in higher education in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social Sciences, 8(2), 14–32. https://doi.org/10.20472/ss2019.8.2.002

Alqahtani, T. (2020). The Status of Women in Leadership. Archives of Business Research, 8(3), 294–299. https://doi.org/10.14738/abr.83.8004

Alsubaie, A., & Jones, K. (2017). An overview of the current state of women’s leadership in higher education in Saudi Arabia and a proposal for future research directions. Administrative Sciences, 7(4), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci7040036

Areed, S., Salloum, S. A., & Shaalan, K. (2020). The role of knowledge management processes for enhancing and supporting innovative organizations: A systematic review. In: Al-Emran, M., Shaalan, K., & Hassanien, A.E. (editors). Recent Advances in Intelligent Systems and Smart Applications. Springer. pp. 143–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47411-9_8

Bano, Y., Omar, S. S., & Ismail, F. (2022). Succession planning best practices for large and small organizations. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 13(2), 11. https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss-2022-0013

Berns, K. V. D., & Klarner, P. (2017). A review of the CEO succession literature and a future research program. Academy of Management Perspectives, 31(2), 83–108. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2015.0183

Caldwell, J. E. (2007). Clickers in the large classroom: current research and best-practice tips. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.06-12-0205

Chapman, D. M. (2017). Succession Planning in the Religious Non-Profit Sector: Understanding Associate Pastors’ Experiences of Serving as Internal Interims [PhD thesis]. The University of Texas at Tyler

Chia, C. K., Ghavifekr, S., & Razak, A. Z. A. (2021). Succession planning practices and challenges in Malaysia’s public universities: A systematic review. International Online Journal of Educational Leadership, 5(1), 44–60.

Collings, D. G. (2014). The contribution of talent management to organization success. In: Kraiger, K., Passmore, J., dos Santos., N.R., & Malvezzi, S. (editors). The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Training, Development, and Performance Improvement. John Wiley & Sons. 247–260. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118736982.ch14

Davies, B., & Davies, B. J. (2010). Talent management in academies. International Journal of Educational Management, 24(5), 418–426. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513541011055983

Dozier, D. M., Grunig, L. A., & Grunig, J. E. (2013). Manager’s Guide to Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203811818

Ebbers, L., Conover, K. S., & Samuels, A. (2010). Leading from the middle: Preparing leaders for new roles. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2010(149), 59–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.396

Eddy, P. L., & Garza Mitchell, R. L. (2017). Preparing community college leaders to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 2, 127–145. https://doi.org/10.28945/3884

Farah, B., Elias, R., De Clercy, C., & Rowe, G. (2020). Leadership succession in different types of organizations: What business and political successions may learn from each other. The Leadership Quarterly, 31(1), 101289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.03.004

Ghazali, M. T., Abdul Rahman, S. A., & Ghani, M. A. (2021). A review on competency-based succession planning at higher education institution in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(9), 1634–1651. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i9/11120

Gillard, J., & Okonjo-Iweala, N. (2021). Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons. The MIT Press.

Griffith, M. B. (2012). Effective succession planning in nursing: a review of the literature. Journal of Nursing Management, 20(7), 900–911. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01418.x

Grigoli, F., Koczan, Z., & Topalova, P. (2018). A cohort-based analysis of labor force participation for advanced economies. IMF Working Papers, 18(120), 1. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484355251.001

Guise, J. (2016). Barriers. In: Succession Planning in Canadian Academic Libraries. Elsevier. pp. 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100146-2.00006-1

Hillman, J. R., & Baydoun, E. (2019). Quality Assurance and Relevance in academia: A review. In: Badran, A., Baydoun, E., & Hillman, J.R. (editors). Major Challenges Facing Higher Education in the Arab World: Quality Assurance and Relevance. Springer. pp. 13–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03774-1_2

Hodges, J. (2017). Cracking the walls of leadership: Women in Saudi Arabia. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 32(1), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/gm-11-2015-0106

Johnson, R. D., Pepper, D., Adkins, J., & Emejom, A. A. (2018). Succession planning for large and small organizations: A practical review of professional business corporations. In: Gordon, P., Overbey, J. (editors). Succession Planning. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72532-1_3

Keerio, N., Ahmad, A. R., & Abbas, Z. (2022). Integrated model of organisational culture and succession planning in the context of higher education institutions: A brief review. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 42(2), 281. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijsom.2022.123352

Keller, J. (2018). Succession planning management. In: Gordon, P., Overbey, J. (editors). Succession Planning. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72532-1_4

Keohane, N. O. (2020). Women, power & leadership. Daedalus, 149(1), 236–250. https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_01785

Kezar, A. (2017). Leadership in higher education, concepts and theories. In: Shin, J., Teixeira, P. (editors). Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions. Springer. pp. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9553-1_537-1

Klein, M. F., & Salk, R. J. (2013). Presidential succession planning. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 20(3), 335–345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051813483836

Larcker, D. F., & Tayan, B. (2016). CEO Succession planning. In: Leblanc, R. (editor). The Handbook of Board Governance: A Comprehensive Guide for Public, Private and Not ‐ for ‐ Profit Board Members. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 141–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119245445.ch7

Lin, M. (2019). Educational thoughts of western radical feminism. Cross-Cultural Communication, 15(3), 21–25.

Longman, K. (2018). Perspectives on women’s higher education leadership from around the world. Administrative Sciences, 8(3), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030035

Luzebetak, A. K. (2010). Community College Succession Planning: Preparing the Next Generation of Women for Leadership Roles [PhD thesis]. National-Louis University.

Mohnot, H. (2017). The impact of some demographic variables on academic leadership preparedness in Indian higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2017.1349891

Murray, R., & Mifsud, D. (editors). (2019). The Positioning and Making of Female Professors: Pushing Career Advancement Open. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26187-0

Obianuju, A. A., Ibrahim, U. A., & Zubairu, U. M. (2021). Succession planning as a critical management imperative: A systematic review. Modern Management Review, 26(4), 69–92. https://doi.org/10.7862/rz.2021.mmr.26

Odim, V. I., Orishede, F., & Clinton, N. E. (2017). The effect of de-cruitment on organizational succession planning: A review of extant literature. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(1), 1–20.

Phillips, L. K. (2019). Succession planning in nursing academia: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 16(1), 20190070. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2019-0070

Policastro, C. (2015). Feminist theory. In: Jennings W., Higgins G., Maldonado-Molina M., & Khey D. (editors). The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment. Wiley. pp. 632–636. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118519639.wbecpx082

Previous
article in this issue

Next
article in this issue