In this qualitative study, the relationship between the expectations and perceptions Black South African students have of the university president as a leader was explored. The focus of the study was on the expected and perceived characteristics, the roles, and the leadership styles of the university president. Data were collected by way of semi-structured interviews (n = 8) and surveys (n = 65). The survey data were obtained on a university campus in South Africa. Interviewees were recruited from Black South Africans studying in the United States of America.
It was found that the respondents' expectations of the characteristics (Age, Gender, Marital Status, and Race) of the university president were that it "did not matter"; their expectation is that the president should have a South African nationality and that the president should have political views acceptable to the majority of the people. In terms of leadership style, the respondents expect a style that had a mixture of elements of the democratic and bureaucratic styles. Role expectations of the president included that of politics and fundraising. Although they did not expect the president to be a researcher, they expected the president to be a leader who would have an understanding of the research process.
The respondents did not have differing expectations for the president based on race, but they did feel that race could in some instances favorably influence the role of the president. White presidents in comparison to Black presidents, for instance, were perceived as leaders who would have an easier task with fundraising.
It was found that the interviewees' perception was that there was a lack of accessibility to the university president and that the expectation was that the president should be more accessible to the student body.
