Who Leads, What Matters? Machine Learning and the Complexity of University Performance

María Teresa Ballestar, Kathrin Komp-Leukkunen, Jorge Malfeito-Gaviro, Alejandra Ramos and Jorge Sainz

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: The role of leadership in public institutions, particularly universities, is often linked to goal-setting and decision-making processes that impact efficiency. In Spain, public university rectors are directly elected by academics, staff, and students, offering a unique context for studying leadership influence. This study uses a unique database to analyze Spanish public universities across five categories: academic and research performance, social objectives, internationalization, university characteristics, and rector profiles. Using a K-Means unsupervised machine learning algorithm, we identify five distinct clusters of Spanish public universities, each characterised by a specific combination of institutional performance indicators and management characteristics.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0349287

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0349287

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