Creating University Spaces of Inspiration: Examining the Critical Link Between Leading and Lecturing

Abstract

Our review and research examines the power bases and influences university lecturers can deploy to motivate their students to learn. Lecturers are in similar situations as leaders, that is, to be successfully they must secure scarce resources. In other words, lecturers must convince students to deploy their scarce resources of time and effort to the task of learning. The research examines which (a) workplace ideas can be applied to a university learning space, (b) key environmental influences, (c) the core influence tactic to gain and influence the attention of students, (d) the supplementary tactics to gain and influence the attention of students, and finally, (e) five case studies are present which demonstrate how space for inspiration can be created. This research attempts to provide an in-depth understanding of how power and influence exist in the learning environment and can be used to create university space for inspiration. Simply put, for inspiration to occur the politics and environment must be enabling rather than inhibiting.