The Laissez-Faire Leadership Style in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

Given the growing interest in laissez-faire leadership in higher education since 2014, this study was conducted to review scholarly publications on laissez-faire leadership in educational research, drawing on a database of 69 studies published between 2014 and 2024. Descriptive methods, including the volume of publication, journal and geographic distribution, types of studies, authorship trends, citation impact, research methods, and identified outcomes associated with laissez-faire leadership, were utilized to identify the main characteristics of the literature. The review revealed that the majority of published research consists of empirical studies, with a notable increase in qualitative approaches in recent years. Key findings highlighted significant relationships between laissez-faire leadership and various outcomes, such as academic performance, faculty satisfaction, innovation, and institutional effectiveness. Additionally, the review underscores the importance of contextual factors, including institutional culture and regional differences, in shaping the effectiveness of laissez-faire leadership. Recommendations were provided to increase the quality and depth of research on laissez-faire leadership in higher education, particularly in addressing gaps in cross-cultural and longitudinal studies.