International Journal of Human Resource

Management and Research (IJHRMR)

ISSN(P): 2249–6874; ISSN(E): 2249–7986
Vol. 11 Issue 1, Jun 2021, 1-12
©TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

MANAGERIAL CAPACITIES AND EXECUTIVE SUCCESSION IN THE LIGHT OF

PAULO FREIRE’S TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS TO
TRANSFORMATIVE MANAGEMENT

ELISA CUDIAMAT CRISTOBAL y EVANGELISTA ELIZARDE

Urdaneta City University, Philippines
ABSTRACT

The dissertation studied the direct relation of transformative education of Paulo Freire to transformative management
in the context of managerial capacities and executive succession of Local Colleges and Universities where
transformation is essentially needed. This paper focused on the implications of transformative education to
transformative management with an end-goal of providing concrete ideal actions for transforming LCUs. To reflect on
the managerial capacities and executive succession of LCUs, the dissertation used hermeneutic phenomenology. The
process of phenomenological method employed in the research started from epoche to horizontalization. The process of
epoche was used to reduce prejudices. The Delphi Method was employed through in-person interviews and focus group
discussions (FGDs) using two different panels of experts for each of the first and second iterations in order to gather

Original Article
opinions, comments on statements, and expressed ideas until the experts achieve a consensus on the issues of the
textural themes. The structural syntheses were employed by fusing the data from the horizontalization process through
the themes of conscientization, radicalization, praxis, problem-posing method and dialogue. The research advocated
transformation in managerial capacities and executive succession to be achieved through continuous innovations of
LCU programs and plans, preserving personal and professional integrity through continuous academic upgrading,
prioritizing excellence and commitment, challenging the culture of political patronage, and emphasizing on local,
national, and international affiliations. The result of the study showed the need to have balance views on LCU
presidents who are either insider or outsider.

KEYWORDS: Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Managerial Capacities, Executive Succession, Transformative Education

& Transformative Management

Received: Jan 10, 2021; Accepted: Jan 30, 2021; Published: Feb 22, 2021; Paper Id.: IJHRMRJUN20211

INTRODUCTION

The country’s educational system has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. Good
policies, standards, and guidelines on education have been enacted through legislations by the local and national
government, altogether to be implemented and complied by all higher educational institutions (Partelow, et al.
2018). Specifically, public tertiary education is mandated by the 1997 Constitution to protect and promote the right
of citizens to quality affordable education (Article XIV, Section 1), but again the protection and promotion of
affordable education have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the
students and parents. The increasing cost of college education brought by the deficient budget resources and the
declining standards in higher education is one of the most controversial issues in education today and for the
coming years (Jones, et al. 2018). The decline or fall in the latest international quality standards of some of our
countries’ major leading universities is one indication (Abel and Deitz, 2019). Nevertheless, the concerted efforts

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
2 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

done were not enough or still have little impact in addressing the continuous needs of local colleges and universities. It is
in this juncture where situational analyses of the phenomena of experiences of LCUs in an academic setting are needed. In
respect to the local mandates of countless efforts for gathering conferences, summits or for implementing policies,
procedures or guidelines in the local colleges and universities especially in “addressing competitiveness and excellence
through accreditations of local colleges and universities” (Walker and Fongwa, 2017).

Managerial capacities had always been the object of legal resorts to resolve some arising conflicts specifically on
resignation by virtue of retirement age with plantilla or accusations on assuming the office of the president illegally
(Wassem, et al. 2019). Freire (1973) explains that critical consciousness is a socio-political educative tool that engages
learners in questioning the nature of their historical and social situation, addressed as “reading the world”. According to
Paulo Freire (2004), transformative education is the elimination of discrimination, exploitation, oppression, and ignorance.

Hence, this study aims to find out the significant relationship of transformative education of Paulo Friere to the
management of LCUs’ capacity and execution of succession which covers the following questions:

 What are the inadequate capacities which the potential successors encounter during the succession?

 What is the significant difference between the strategies that the potential successors individually implement in
their managerial tasks?

 How can open succession impact the managerial succession inside the institutions of LCUs?

Schools represent only one important site where education takes place, where men and women both produce, and
are the products of specific social and pedagogical relations (Redding, et al. 2019). Education, according to Freire (1921),
represents a form of action that emerges a joining of the language of critique and possibility.

Paulo Freire’s Transformative Education

The struggle to liberation from exploitation to liberation is a common consensus not only in an individual level, though, it
must start from an individual’s willingness to change for the better (Friere, 2018). Liberation, meanwhile, happens as a
process historically (Elder, 2019). It requires a posing-question-type-of-education, meaning, it rejects domination and
discrimination (Jansen, 2019). Every person must be allowed to raise issues and concerns about human existence in order
to develop society (Gaol, et al. 2020). The main goal of the dissertation was to reflect on the implications of Freire’s
philosophy of Transformative Education to Transformative Management in the context of Managerial Capacities and
Executive Succession of LCUs.

According to Pandey (2018), the intention of philosophical foundation of any study i.e., the transformative
education of Freire, must be anchored on systemic or consistent popular political, socio-cultural practices in a group of
people.

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession in the Light of Paulo Freire’s 3
Transformative Education: Implications to Transformative Management

Figure 1: Author’s Perspective of Transformative Management Based on Paulo Freire’s Transformative Education

The conceptual framework was based on Paulo Freire’s philosophy of transformative education with five themes
that included praxis, radicalization, problem-posing method, concientization and dialogue. Specifically, transformative
education is applied to almost any structure or system in any society (Melling and Pelkington, 2018). Since social
problems emanate from existing societal practices, transformative education is vital and influential to the development of
major and innovative solutions to problems facing society, individuals, groups, organizations and communities today.
Another concept of Freire is radicalization which the researcher employed to challenge traditional patronage, practices of
cronyism, or maladjustment and mismanagement of certain issues that were deemed necessary to eliminate discrimination
and possible exploitation.

The context of understanding transformative management was focused on the managerial capacities and executive
succession which were described in the political nature of appointment of presidents of Local Colleges and Universities
(LCUs), the political system in the operations and management, the traditional system on political horse-trading and
political patronage such as nepotism and cronyism, and other specific issues and challenges on succession processes and
managerial capacities of top academic executives in the operations and management of local colleges and universities.

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession

Bevilacqua, et al. (2020) elaborated in their study about the perspective of building the managerial capacity in
organization, defined managerial capacity as the “ability to identify problems, develop policies which will lead to solving
these problems, conceive programs for the implementation of the policies, attract and absorb financial, human, material
and informational resources necessary for the programs to function, manage all these resources, guide and coordinate the
activities of the programs and last, but not least, assess and measure the results and the performance of the policies and the
programs implemented in the organization.”Pardy and Andrews (2020) subsequently considered that the presence in public
organizations of a result-oriented management system, which will ensure a high degree of integration for different
managerial systems, represents the fundamental element for the increase of the managerial capacity and the achievement of
the objectives in an efficient and effective manner.

Executive succession is very vital in shaping subsequent organizational action and outcomes (Salmi, 2019).
Within the milieu of LCUs in the Philippines, executive succession is really something that has to be undertaken with
extreme importance because it is by itself that it can be a consequence of organizational performance indicating that the

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
4 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

direction of causality is not clear cut regarding this question. Finally, executive selection/appointment: While the creation
of LCUs in LGUs provides access and equitable distribution of opportunities for Filipinos to acquire higher education and,
since LCUs have to address quality and excellence in higher education (CMO # 32, s. 2006), executive selection and
appointment should be undertaken with utmost precaution. Correspondingly, it is to be made clear that previous and
incumbent college or university presidents are political appointees of local chief executives where LCUs are situated.

METHODOLOGY

The study is qualitative-phenomenological, the inter-subjective investigation on the managerial capacities and executive
succession of LCUs in the Philippines. Specifically, it sought to address the meaning, implication, and significance of the
different conscious experiences, thoughts, and observations on the management of local colleges and universities that
necessitate improvement and enhancement on their system of governance. The researcher conducted in-person interviews
to characterize the discipline on the managerial capacities of top academic executives and the existing selection and
succession execution among LCUs in the Philippines using Paulo Freire’s concepts of transformative education as a tool to
evaluate or assess the operation and management.

The researcher used epoche in the process. Thus, the process of epoche was also employed in the 1st and 2nd
iteration to reduce prejudices based on the in-depth/in-person interviews with LCU presidents. Finally, two (2) separate
groups of panel of experts (one from inside LCUs and the other from outside LCUs) were utilized in each two-round
Delphi Method to further eliminate biases in the results of the study.

Secondly, the researcher also considered the praxis in the context of managerial capacities and executive
succession, e.g., practice of nepotism or cronyism, corruptive practices, and so on. Problem-posing method was used where
the researcher allowed the respondents to provide questions according to their personal experiences that were, of course,
guided by personal prejudice of the researcher which was not blatant. Finally, the researcher employed dialogue in the
sense that the researcher allowed exchange of ideas among respondents from different perspectives of different persons.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Out of the eleven (11) respondents, there were only four (4) who have plantilla positions. Appointments in plantilla
positions have bearing regarding the performance of LCU presidents where such positions in their managerial capacity
leverage their commitment and dedication. The LCU presidents admit that with or without plantilla, their presidency would
still be effective (LCU1, LCU6 and LCU3). Based on the interviews, they acknowledged that those positions which were
not created have slight effect in terms of their performances in the sense that these LCU presidents have the tendency to be
controlled circumstantially by local executives or politicized by manoeuvring or connivance. In terms of functional
background of LCU presidents in relation to their efficiency and effectiveness, the subjects had diverse academic
experiences. LCU1 President was involved with tourism in one of the cities in Metro Manila, which is leverage in the
operation of the LCU. LCU2 President was a former president of a state university and this makes him confident in terms
of his academic functions and managerial operations of the university. There are four (4) former VPAAs among LCU
presidents which included the LCU3, the LCU4, the LCU8 and the LCU5. Their being past VPAAs or executive deans
qualified them in their managerial capacities as presidents.

The functional backgrounds of LCU presidents include administrative functions in governance (LCU6), business
management like entrepreneurship or marketing (LCU7), researches or coordinating on external affairs (LCU10) and

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession in the Light of Paulo Freire’s 5
Transformative Education: Implications to Transformative Management

professional consultancies (LCU11 and LCU7). From among these varieties of expertise, knowledge and skills of LCU
presidents, their common belief in relation to efficiency and effectiveness of their LCU presidency is that there is a direct
relationship of their functional backgrounds with their being top local HEIs’ executives. In terms of the eligibility of LCU
presidents, all of them are professionally fit. As fundamental requirements, three (3) are lawyers (LCU1, LCU2 and
LCU9), one (1) is a medical technologist (LCU5), one (1) is a CPA (LCU11), five (5) with Professional Civil Service
Eligibility and one (1) is engaged in business ventures and considered one of the highly sought consultant of different
multinational corporations in this country.

According to the LCU presidents, their professionalism effectiveness made them resolve legal issues easily and
their academic status made them firm in their decision-making and executive functions. As mandated from the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of CHED Memorandum No. 32, series of 2006, the LCU President shall be
selected and appointed by the Governing Board for a term of four (4) years and shall be eligible for a reappointment for
another term only. This explains why there are LCU presidents who have five (5), seven (7), or even eight (8) years of
incumbency since they were able to prove their competencies and were reappointed for the reason that they have earned or
sustained the trust and confidence of their respective governing authorities. In terms of their number of years as presidents,
the incumbent president of the LCU7 has the longest years of service. According to the LCU7 President, his eight (8) long
years of stay in office (he is already on his third term) is an indication of true service and dedication to serve the
community. He highlighted that it was not very easy, but it is a very self-fulfilling endeavour at the same time. Second
longest years are LCU3 and the LCU8 with seven (7) years of service as presidents of their respective LCUs. Accordingly,
they said that their seven years of incumbency have developed them with a deep sense of confidence and firmness
specifically in terms of their dealings with the day-to-day operations of their respective LCUs. Moreover, they said that
there existed bonding among and between their employees in their respected LCUs and both have built strong networks
and affiliations with other LCU presidents.

Overall, the highest educational attainment, the functional background, eligibility, and years of service have direct
effect in the efficiency and effectiveness of LCU presidency. The direct relationship emanated from the fundamental
requirements of professional capability, technical know-how, skills or expertise of the LCU presidents. LCU presidents are
also aware of the fundamental requirements to give them absolute mandates as LCU presidents.

Table 1: Summary Results of the Focus Group Discussion for the Completion of the Second Iteration
Issues and Concerns Consolidated Answers of Discussants
 LCU presidents must have a friendly relation with the mayors or the
inner circle where names are being mentioned or nominated. It is important to
justify the contenders one by one. Validating what is in the write ups with respect
to their personalities must be congruent. Thus, nominees are obliged to have self-
assessment on stress condition, (e.g., with planted problem) to test the person
nominated then assessed if he or she has managerial capacities (PoE1, PoE2,
PoE6).
Relationship of the
 Kind of relationship that local executives and LCU presidents must
LCU President with
manifest professionalism. Professional relationship should be formal relationship
Incumbent Local
which is highly an ideal relationship. Yet, it is difficult to remove the culture and
Chief Executive
traditional practice. However, working relationships will only be based on formal
relationship and working with the informal differences of personalities of LCU
presidents (PoE3, PoE4, PoE5).
 LCU presidents should be lateral thinker, meaning, they should always
clarify the issue because to me, De Bono does not suggest or recommend any

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
6 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

managerial style. Instead, the LCU presidents must discover themselves what their
strong points are (PoE1).

 Management style must be philosophically an open system; no secrecy

but open to the outside. It should be transparent. This psychological contract is
the attitude of opening it with the public (PoE5).
Management Style
that LCU Presidents  There should be bridging of the gap between what is ideal and what is
must Practice or being put into practice or the emphasis on public service with the public law to
Uphold avoid double standards between the LCU presidents and their constituents (PoE2).

 In terms of management style, the LCU presidents should apply the

system of “walking around” to assess the whole situations before they can make
decisions or try to solve problems (PoE4 and PoE1).

 There should be “flexibility” among the LCU presidents regarding

executions of their duties and responsibilities without sacrificing the quality of
service they execute (PoE3)

 Usual practice of support to constituents must be observed all the time.

The usual alibi of “dagdagan ang funding for conference, Hindi inilaban ng
president kaya walang pondo” should be avoided; In short, circular management
or delegation of responsibility or delegation of work must be applied (PoE6).

 Closed. Insider is good; stringency of insider; in order not to weaken the

organization or the system; but, minimum qualifications are followed (PoE4).

 Open (Outsider): less training; already qualified (PoE1).

 Closed: there are also competent with LCUs, not only in the outside
corporate world (PoE6).

 Open: I believe in open because it should not be limited only from the
inside (PoE3).
Experts’ view on
Insider or Outsider
 Closed (Insider): If insider, the LCU president already knows the system
President:
from the inside; there are also those who are fully equipped. (“hinog na hinog
na!”) (PoE2).

 Closed; ‘psychological contract’ with people is easier that is why closed

or insider presidency with the same principle of knowledge of technical skills,
cultural, and environmental awareness are already present (PoE5).

Note: Majority of the members of the Group voted for closed succession planning.
a) Supposedly open; but, in practice it is closed; information regarding
appointment should be published generally within 15 days.
b) Government should be open because it is the public interest that is at
stake. The presidents of LCUs are not supposed to be beholden
by their mayors. It should not only be in paper but also in practice (PoE6).
Experts’ Suggestions
c) Appointing committee should be evaluated, e.g., composition of the
on Appointment of
Board (“bata” ni or cronies of the congressman) (PoE2).
Candidates on Open-
d) Get nomination from the public which should be disseminated either in
Closed Succession
print (newspaper) or broadcast through radio (PoE4).
Planning:
e) Civil service should be non-political without destroying the public laws
(PoE3).
f) Administrative bodies should be wise, but not necessarily complying
with legalities (PoE5).
g) It is important to follow the CMO which is being done in the present
LCU set-up but avoid the wrongdoing of “palakasan” system (influence-welding)

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession in the Light of Paulo Freire’s 7
Transformative Education: Implications to Transformative Management

(PoE1).
The Mayor is the Chairman of the Board and the LCU president is the Vice Chair,
there can be conflict of interests; thus, the group recommends the following:
a) To avoid being tied up with appointing power, the president shall be
removed from the Governing Board, since the president executes the laws, not
judges the laws. This is to avoid conflict of interest (PoE6);
b) Justification: LCU president should be implementer not judiciary –
separation of power (PoE2);
c) Power of mayor (administrative, finances) should be devolved with the
LCU president since there is too much bureaucracy that can derail administrative
works (PoE5);
d) The President should represent the aspirations of the public (PoE3);
Experts’ Suggestions
e) Give “teeth” to all provisions. Be assertive in the implementations of the
on Appointment of
rules and policies (PoE1);
LCU Presidency:
f) Lobbying for amendments can be a long process; but it is essential to
amend some policies that come from CHED in compliance with the CS (PoE3);
and
g) Some presidents do not know the laws, rules, and regulation, so they
need to study further and upgrade themselves.
Plantilla position is a fixed term, now it is permanent. So, we need to wait for his
retirement or resignation because we need to follow the Civil Service (protected
by CS) (PoE4).
 To be transformative, the implementer should have the political will;
transforming society should be interconnected with management style, consider
Experts’ Views in the academic philosophy, and that theories of LCUs must also be evaluated within
Relation to neo capitalism; does the school espouse neo capitalist?; profit-oriented? (PoE5,
Transformative PoE2, (PoE6).
Education of Freire  In relation to Freire in the context of classroom management, students are
Applied to LCU given priority and analogically, given preference by the insider before the outsider
presidency: LCU presidency; it should not weaken trust, system, and desire to serve
wholeheartedly with wisdom and relevance (PoE1, PoE3, PoE4).
LEGEND: `PoE = Panel of Experts

In recurrence, the Delphi Facilitators’ aim of objectifying inherent biases was supported with the attempts and
efforts of the panel of experts to establish consensus on issues being supplementary analyzed. Moreover, objectifications
were strengthened when the experts’ views were in conformity with the summarized textual meanings along with the
qualitative interpretations or objectifications from the first iteration to the textual meanings of horizontal interviews with
LCU presidents, which were both re-interpreted with same guide questions and validated by them as expert judges for the
second iteration. This was again of great help and has lessened possible indication of ripple effects unnecessary in this
study.

As part of the horizontalization process using the FGD in the second iteration, the succeeding table justified the
relationship, consistency or congruence in the responses based on the horizontal interviews with LCU presidents and the
panel of experts in the first iteration.

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
8 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

Table 2: Justifications through the FGD as Second Iteration on Close-Open Succession Planning vis-à-vis First
Iteration and Horizontal Interviews with LCU Presidents
Qualitative Interpretations or Justifications through the FGD of
Objectification from First Iteration the Second Iteration on Close-Open
Textual Themes to the Succession Planning vis-à-vis First
Horizontal Interviews with LCU Iteration and Horizontal Interviews
Presidents with LCU Presidents
It is expected and understood for the
experts in the first iteration to be more
The insider panels of experts are more
outspoken, frank and honest because
outspoken, frank, and honest with their
they have been victims, sufferers or have
stances on the appointment of LCU
eye-witnessed these various complexities
presidents while responses of LCU
undergoing in LCUs; Implied in LCU
presidents are obviously with biases;
presidency and since they are top
they are very tactful, selective and
executives, they really need to be very
seen with fear in their utterances
tactful and to avoid any untoward
especially on issues of appointments.
consequences.
To the experts, there is an exigent
FGD results show that the participants
need for local chief executives to
admit the importance of LCU presidents
discontinue placing political
to “walk their talk,” and “manage by
appointees within LCUs to avoid
walking around,” and are not to be
abrupt changes in the administrative
completely controlled by the power of
structure because these are seen by
local executives. There should be
them as a heartlessly built-in political
separation of powers. Plantilla positions
system, chaotic, unpredictable, and
are permanent and contenders need to
heartbreaking. They purposefully
wait for incumbents’ resignation or
pronounced that this prerogative
retirement.
should not be an exclusive mandate of
Complex Issues on
local chief executives because this has
LCUs
demoralized and dehumanized
personnel of LCUs, and impacted, and
undermined the efficient and effective
managerial operations.

Both sets of respondents are in

harmony on their disclosure that most
LCU presidents are outsiders who are
designated in a co-terminus status with
their respective mayors; and that only
few insiders are bestowed with
security of tenure due to their plantilla
position.
Both groups are in unison with their
beliefs that harmonious relationship
Relationship between
should be inherent for both the LCU
LCU Presidents with
presidents and the local chief
Incumbent Local
executives for them to be able to work
Chief Executives
together for the achievement and
fulfilment of their initiatives
FGD adhered to the fact that insider
presidents have advantages like knowing
the culture and the system; though an
insider can be seen as politically
manoeuvred, an outsider LCU president
can also bring some changes in the
institution. Outsiders are also
disadvantageous on the aspect of not
being familiar with the culture of the
institution. There are both advantages
and disadvantages. Commonly, majority
of the experts in the group agreed with
closed (insider) presidency.
FGD has integrated discussion in terms
of plantilla position of LCU presidency.
The FGD emphasizes on the importance
of professional and friendly relations
between LCU presidents and local
executives which is highly ideal. Yet, it
is difficult to remove the culture and
traditional practice; however, working
relationships will only be based on
formal relationship whereby LCU
presidents are to be working with high

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession in the Light of Paulo Freire’s 9
Transformative Education: Implications to Transformative Management

value of qualities to overcome political

challenges and struggles.
Both groups have mutual stances on
The group believes that LCU presidents
qualifications of LCU presidents to be
must have the basic academic
academically and competently
On Academic qualifications and competence; they need
equipped. It is absolutely imperative
Qualifications of to upgrade themselves as public servants
for LCU presidents and expert
Current Presidents even in terms of legalities. Appointing
observers that potential contenders and
and the Contenders prospective candidate with qualifications
aspirants should also be fully equipped
and Aspirants to the is needed like PhD, law abiding, and not
and be well prepared to the presidency
LCU Presidency politically motivated with the
when opportunity comes to them.
subjectivity of getting on with the mayor
Thus, there is consistency among the
since mayors have vested interests.
two groups as respondents in this case.
Both the LCU presidents and the
experts in the first iteration recognized
Poverty Alleviation Discussants agreed that LCUs were
the importance and the exigent need of
through Access to created to alleviate poverty through
providing accessibility of education
Education education for all.
for all in order to actualize LCUs’
vision of alleviating poverty.
Theoretically or in principle, the FGD
Again, the experts as insiders are more
panel of experts admits the importance of
outspoken, frank and honest in their
policies that can be flexible; however,
stances on the existence of political
there is also the need to use the political
malpractices in the operations and
will to get away from any untoward
Malpractices in the management of LCUs. Animosity and
activities like horse-trading.
Governance System of annoyance; these are expected from
Both the LCU Presidents and local chief
LCUs experts from inside LCUs because
executives must exert their mutual strong
they have been victims, and were
leadership skills to avoid inappropriate
wounded by these inevitable political
policy decision-makings that create
malpractices while LCU presidents are
disruptive and de-motivating impacts to
in discreet “silence”.
all stakeholders of LCUs.
Note: Suggestions and recommendations were provided by the panel of experts regarding improving LCU,
transformative management and appointment of LCU President

The focus group discussants, although they were not aware about the identities of experts in the first iteration, still
consistently affirmed the importance of friendly relations of LCU presidents and local executives. The reason behind was
that formal relation or professional relation will result in good management and benefit to the clientele especially the
students.

Secondly, LCU presidents embody their position by “walking their talk” or practicing what they teach and “walk
around” or managing their constituent by respecting contributions of their employees from “bottom to top.” They “walk
their talk” by being consistent in their words and actions and at the same time, they need to apply circular management
style or even delegations of works and this will encourage people to keep on learning and for them to be wanting to know
more (Templar, 2011).

The discussants also agree unanimously that contenders need to have academic competence and that LCU
presidents need to upgrade themselves academically or professionally. As Templar (2011) postulated, “If you fear
competition, what you really fear is your own incompetence.” In terms of political manoeuvring, they admit the importance
of political will where practices can be flexed from situation to situation or understanding the different contexts of different
LCU presidents. The ideal is to follow all the rules and regulations or CMOs. However, the LCU presidents must always
be wise in decision-making and solving issues based on their competence and moral responsibilities. They also identified

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
10 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

the advantages and disadvantages of LCU presidency with open or close succession planning of appointment.

Interrelationships of LCU Presidents and Local Executives Vis-À-Vis Freire’s Five Concepts of Transformative
Education: Process of Structural Themes

Mindsets of LCU Presidents vis-à-vis Conscientization. Most of the interviewees were conscientious and conscienticized
persons. This meant that most of them were aware of the consequences of their plans, decisions and actions. For instance,
when an LCU president affirmed that “whether there are poor or rich students is irrelevant to LCUs. However, LCUs will
still be prioritizing poor students; that is, even if rich families decide to send their children to affluent universities, LCUs
will still be there for poor students to avail of quality and affordable education.” Quality education and affordability for
students are prerequisites to academic excellence and social involvement. In another instance, one LCU president affirmed
the importance of excellence and commitment. Another attitude of a conscienticized person is “the willingness to give up
one’s position” without being bothered of losing that position” (Rothwell, 2005).

Adaptability, Critical Innovations and Change vis-à-vis Radicalization. Most innovative LCU presidents are willing to
sacrifice their time, energy and efforts for the sake of the school or college. In one interviewed president, he blatantly
proclaimed, “I am a workaholic president. I do not like slow process to hamper my freedom to work. I always see to it that
my works are perfectly done. Messing with mediocrity deteriorates the vision-mission of the college.” According to LCU1
R1, “I am always ready to sacrifice my time and energy for the college without necessarily being pressured by public
demands and too much bureaucracy (LCU1 R1).” Mediocrity and shortsighted vision can hamper progress and
development (Fowler, 2004).

At the same time, radical minded people must be willing to transfer obligations through mentorship. Freire (1997)
believed that in mentoring the mentor, critical loyalty will be established and will allow the mentored to be innovative. In
the context of LCUs, contenders for the LCU presidency in the future will not be worried too much if they will be
appointed by local executives because they have prepared themselves for the position and oriented by the incumbent
presidents.

Personal Skills and Professional Competence vis-à-vis Praxis. Most interviewed LCU presidents agree on the complexity
of executive succession. For instance, “LCUs’ executive succession especially of the presidency of the LCU is a very
complex issue because with SCUs for example, there is a mandated search committee who follow standard procedures.
This means that candidates for SCU presidency need to have an endorsement from the congressman, from the governor, or
mayor prior to the appointment to the presidency. Practice of bureaucracy in politics is always at work between making
LCUs under national government vis-à-vis maintaining the status quo. For the LCU presidents, they want to maintain the
status quo for reason of continuity of programs of LCUs. For instance, “On the House Bill related to making LCUs under
national mandate, authority and management, this will not be realized and actualized because congressmen need mayors.
Politically, there is no way that national administrators will have the capacity to monitor all the activities of the LCUs
without the knowledge of the LGUs. The status quo is already stable. It is just a matter of proper monitoring or proper
implementations of programs” (LCU7 R1).

Challenges and Difficulties vis-à-vis Problem-Posing Method. The monopoly of power vested on the presidency and as a
mayor is where conflicts can arise. The two functions overlap where there will be no more possible check and balance in
terms of disposing one’s functions. Corollary to the conflict of interest is the conflict of academic interest. In this particular

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38

Managerial Capacities and Executive Succession in the Light of Paulo Freire’s 11
Transformative Education: Implications to Transformative Management

case, since the political appointee is not an academician, there is the tendency not to truly understand the whole context of
the academic community.

Dialogical Relationships among LCU Presidents vis-à-vis Local Executives. All LCU presidents agree on the importance
of harmonious relationship with the mayor. One LCU president said, “It is important that there should be a harmonious
relationship between the LCU President and the incumbent Mayor so that the delivery of education to the constituents will
be served best. Decisions on both sides are to be respected to avoid derail of service to constituents” (LCU1 R1). Another
LCU president affirmed this when he attested, “The president appointed by the mayor has to be knowledgeable on how to
work with the mayor; understands his mayor and he needs to be good with the mayor; and both need to have unceasing
mutual understanding; they also need to seek ways to maintain that good relationship that they have established” (LCU2
R1).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a direct relation of transformative education of Paulo Freire to transformative management particularly in the
context of managerial capacities and executive succession of LCUs. First, there were no pieces of evidence of having a
problem regarding the managerial capacities of LCU presidents because their competence, skills, and strong leadership
management were highly appreciated. Second, there were pieces of evidence about issues and concerns regarding
succession planning particularly in praxis or implementations where varied interpretations and practices were done
differently by LCUs. Third, the overall assessment regarding open (outsider) succession planning as suggested by
discussants in the second iteration to be applied in appointing LCU is valid since transformation can be introduced. Finally,
in the reflective integration or process of synthesis of the study following transformative education of Paulo Freire, the
researcher identified that contenders, either insider or outsider, and any incumbent LCU president, need to upgrade
academically or professionally to respond to the need of the LCUs effectively.

REFERENCES

1. Abel, J. and Deitz, R. (2019). The cost of college continues to climb. Liberty Street Economics. New York, USA.

2. Bevilacqua, C., Calabro, F., and Spina, L. (2020). New metropolitan perspectives: Knowledge dynamics, innovation-
driven, policies towards the territories’ attractiveness volume 1. Springer. London, United Kingdom.

3. Creswell, L. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social & Behavioral Research.

4. Elder, L. (2019). Liberating the mind: Overcoming sociocentric and egocentric tendencies. Rowman and Littlefield
Publications. Maryland, USA.

5. Freire, P. (1921). The politics of education: Culture, power and liberation. Garvey Publishers, Inc. Granby, Massachusetts.

6. Freire, F. (1973). Education as the practice of freedom in education for critical consciousness. Continuum. New York,
USA.

7. Freire, P. (1997) "Mentoring the mentor: A critical dialogue with Paulo Freire, counterpoints. Studies in the Postmodern
Theory of Education, 60. ISBN 0-8204-3798-0

8. Freire, P. (2004). Pedagogy of Indignation, Paradigm 7. Boulder: Colorado, USA.

9. Friere, P. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed 50th anniversary edition. Bloomsbury Academic. New York, USA.

www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org
12 Elisa Cudiamat Cristobal Y Evangelista Elizarde

10. Gaol, F., Filimonova, N., Frolova, I., Vladimirovna, I. (2020). Inclusive development of society. Taylor and Francis
Publishing. Oxfordshire, USA.

11. Honadle, B.W. & Howit, A.M. (1986). Perspectives on management capacity building. State University of New York Press.
New York, USA.

12. Jansen, J. (2019). Decolonisation in universities: The politics of knowledge. Wits University Press. Johannesburg, South
Africa.

13. Melling, A. and Pelkington, R. (2018). Paulo Friere and transformative education: Changing lives and transforming
communities. Palgrave Macmillan. London, United Kingdom.

14. Pandey, A. (2018). Philosophical foundations of education. Rajat Publications. New Delhi, India. Bernan, Press. London,
United Kingdom

15. Pardy W. and Andrews, T. (2020). Integrated management systems (2nd edition): Leading strategies and solutions.

16. Partelow, L., Brown, C., Shapiro, S., and Johnson S. (2018). 7 Great Education Policy Ideas for Progressive in 2018. Center
for American Progress.

17. Raboca, H. M., Lazar, I., Lazar, P. S. and Zelter, D. Z. (2010). An exploratory analysis of the management capacity within
the local public administration (LPA) from Romania. Transylvanian review of administrative sciences.Romania, Balkans.

18. Redding, G., Drew, A., Cramp, S. (2019). The Oxford handbook of higher education systems and university management.
Oxford University Press. New York, USA.

19. Salmi S. (2019). Strategic executive succession: Achieve the best for your company, your customers, your future. Corporate
Psychologists LLC. Bloomington, USA.

20. Taylor, P. (1993), The texts of Paulo Freire, Buckingham: Open University Press. Maidenhead, United Kingdom.

21. Templar, R. (2011). The Rules of Management (2nd ed). Pearson Publishing. New York, USA.

22. Walker, M. and Fongwa, S. (2017). Universities, employability, and human development. Palgrave Macmillan. London,
United Kingdom.

23. Wassem, M., Baig, S., Abrar, M., Hashim, M., Zia-Ur-Rehman, M., Awan, U.., Namjad, F., Nawab, Y. (2019). Impact of
capacity building and managerial support on employees’ performance: The moderating role of employees’ retention. Sage
Journals.

Impact Factor (JCC): 8.6089 NAAS Rating: 3.38