Pedagogical leadership within the framework of human talent management: a comprehensive approach from the perspective of higher education in Ecuador

The higher education system, both nationally and internationally, is facing changes motivated by the complexity and versatility that have accelerated the transformation processes. These are observable in different areas in a global way. Added to this, the diversification of specialized university demand and complemented with technologies, renews and breaks with traditional paradigms, which makes the Higher Education environment a challenging and key institution in the assimilation of these transformations for future professionals who will join the society with the skills developed in their training time [1].

The import of this can be seen in the different global movements of the last two decades to achieve quality, competitiveness, efficiency, productivity, social commitment, progress and innovation in the university education field, one of them being the World Declaration on higher education in the 21st century: Vision and Action, report that exposes: “... At the dawn of the new century, there is an unprecedented demand in higher education, accompanied by a great diversification of it, and a greater awareness of the fundamental importance that this type of education has for sociocultural and economic development and for the construction of the future, for which new generations must be prepared with new skills and new knowledge and ideals (...)ˮ1.

Likewise, in line with the above, there are the reports of the European Higher Education Area, with the Declaration of Bribery2 which set out as main objective the harmonization of the architecture of the European higher education system, its national legibility and international with the professional integration of the graduates3, the Bologna Declaration system4 based on qualification cycles and European cooperation to guarantee the professional quality of masters and doctorates and establishment of a credit system (ECTS), The incorporation of new elements during the Bologna process to respond to the challenges of economic competitiveness, the network of seminar organizations for quality assessment, development of joint titles, use of the credit system, European mobility and lifelong learning5. On the other hand, the Tuning Latin America Project6; that arises from the experience of Europe, with the union of more than 135 European universities for the creation of the European Higher Education Area, mentioned above [2].

In the case of Latin America, it is worth noting the Alfa Tuning project which begins, in its first phase in the 2004–2008 period, with the objective of identifying generic competences for university degrees in Latin America, with their respective specific competences in each area thematic and develop a general diagnosis of Higher Education, among other important activities [3]. Quality education is always on a par with professional skills [4].

All these movements and projects seeking to unify criteria regarding the quality, innovation and participation of the higher education system in society with plans were derived from those mentioned, directed towards the same objective [5].

It has been a challenge for universities to incorporate these standards into their policies, structures and actions, due to the com-

plex nature of their identities, culture and procedures that underpin their raison dʼêtre, even when they are in times of re-evaluations and reforms. The figure of the university teacher plays a fundamental role in these processes of changes. In this dynamic of innovation and improvement towards quality, promoted by these movements and projects worldwide, adjusted to the current times, the teacher as a key factor in Higher Education plays a crucial role, his participation contains the edges of an implicit leadership or tacit in the different areas that make up this system, because the role of the teaching professional is unavoidable in the classroom, research and active participation agreed in social and institutional plans and projects [6].

However, the authors of this research through the years of practice in this profession allude to this thematic field or to the relationship of leadership with teaching that the approach is little used, little credible or little associated, even when the protagonistʼs participation in the processes of higher education cannot be denied [7]. It is spoken with ease of management, direction and even management in teaching, but very rarely the term of leadership is used, as this tends to be attributed to managerial positions, to power, hierarchy and influence, mostly private companies who seek an economic benefit or charismatic people who with their personality run institutions or societies, but very rarely the teacher is placed in his role as leader [8]. It is understood that, for the purposes of this research, the authors assume the concept of leadership expressed by Vargas J. Lideraz-go “is the process aimed at achieving the objectives of the organization through encouragement and assistance to its members. The application of leadership transforms the ideal into realityˮ7. In this particular, university teachers in Ecuador are not in a position to develop adequate leadership to the new times, the higher education system lacks flexible processes, higher education is provided for academic controls on the work of research, teaching and link, which responds to complex management [9].