This article presents the findings of questionnaire surveys of departmental heads in one chartered and one statutory university. Comparisons are made between the role in the two types of university and with the findings of a study that was carried out by the author in 1995–6. The main findings of the present study were that, although the role has become more similar in the two types of university, there remain significant differences, most notably relating to the perceived importance of personal research. The most difficult issue identified by heads in both universities was dealing with under-performing staff.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ahmed, M.
, Denton, M., O’Connor, J.S. and Zeytinoglu, I.U. (1999) ‘Gender Patterns in Faculty Participation: A Decade of Experience at a Mid-Sized University’, Canadian Journal of Higher Education29(2/3):1–32.
2.
Bagilhole, B.
(2000) ‘Too Little Too Late? An Assessment of National Initiatives for Women Academics in the British University System’, Higher Education in Europe25(2): 139–145.
3.
Bennett, J.B.
and Figuli, D.J. (1990) Enhancing Department Leadership: The Roles of theChairpersonNew York: ACE and Macmillan.
4.
Bolton, A.
(2000) Managing the Academic Unit.Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
5.
Bone, A.
and Bourner, T. (1998) ‘Developing University Managers’, Higher Education Quarterly52(3): 283–299.
6.
Brodie, D.
and Partington, P. (1992) Higher Education Departmental Leadership/ Management: AnExploration of Roles and Responsibilities. Sheffield: CVCP.
7.
Brooke, A.
and Davies, J. (1994) ‘Proliferating Demands on Academic Heads of Department: A Management Issue?’, Higher Education Policy7(2): 56–57.
8.
Brown, H.
(1997) ‘Equal Opportunities Policy’, in H. Eggins (ed.) Women as Leaders andManagers in Higher Education.Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
9.
Bull, J.
(1994) ‘Managing Change or Changing Managers’, in Introducing Change from the Top inUniversities and Colleges, pp. 81–94. London: Kogan Page.
10.
Coleman, M.
(2001) ‘Achievement Against the Odds: The Female Secondary Headteachers in England And Wales’, School Leadership and Management, 21(1): 75–100.
11.
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
(1985) Report of the Steering Committee forEfficiency Studies in Universities (Jarratt Report).London: CVCP.
12.
Currie, J.
, Harris, P. and Thiele, B. (2000) ‘Sacrifices in Greedy Universities: Are they Gendered?’, Gender and Education12(3): 269–291.
13.
Davies, J.L.
(1989) ‘The Training of Academic Heads of Department in Higher Education Institutions: An International Overview’, Higher Education Management1(2): 201–215.
14.
Deem, R.
(1998) ‘“New Managerialism” and Higher Education: The Management of Performances and Cultures in UK Universities’, International Studies in the Sociology of Education8(1): 47–70.
15.
Deem, R. (2000) ‘“New Managerialism” and the Management of UK Universities’, End of Award Report of the Findings of an Economic and Social Research Council Funded Project Oct. 1998–Nov. 2000, Lancaster University.
16.
Eggins, H.
(1997) ‘Reaching for Equal Opportunities: Models from Australia and the USA’, in H. Eggins (ed.) Women as Leaders and Managers in Higher Education, pp. 125–134. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
17.
Eley, A.
(1994) ‘Management Training for the University Head of Department’, InternationalJournal of Educational Management8(2): 20–22.
18.
Farnham, D.
(1999) Managing Academic Staff in Changing University Systems.Buckingham: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
19.
Gmelch, W.
, Wolverton, M., Wolverton, M. and Sarros, J. (1999) ‘The Academic Dean: An Imperiled Species Searching for Balance’, Research in Higher Education40(6): 717–40.
20.
Green, M.
and McDade, S. (1991) Investing in Higher Education: A Handbook of LeadershipDevelopment.New York: ACE.
21.
Hartley, D.
(1997) ‘The New Managerialism in Education: A Mission Impossible?’, CambridgeJournal of Education27(1): 47–57.
22.
HMSO
(1991) Higher Education: A New Framework. London: HMSO.
23.
House, D.
and Watson, D. (1995) ‘Managing Change’, in D. Warner and E. Crosthwaite (eds) Human Resource Management in Higher and Further Education, pp. 7–19. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
24.
King, C.
(1997) ‘Through the Glass Ceiling: Networking by Women Managers in Higher Education’, in H. Eggins (ed.) Women as Leaders and Managers in Higher Education, pp. 91–100. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
25.
Lafferty, G.
and Fleming, J. (2000) ‘The Restructuring of Academic Work in Australia: Power, Management and Gender’, British Journal of Sociology of Education21(2): 257–267.
26.
Levacic, R.
and Glover, D. (1996) ‘The Limits of Managerialism’, Managing Schools Today5(5): 34–37.
27.
Lumby, J.
and Tomlinson, H. (2000) ‘Principals Speaking: Managerialism and Leadership in Further Education’, Research in Post-Compulsory Education5(2): 139–151.
28.
McNay, I.
(1995) ‘From the Collegial Academy to Corporate Enterprise: The Changing Culture of Universities’, in T. Schuller (ed.) The Changing University?, pp. 105–115. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
29.
Mathias, H.
(1991) ‘The Role of the University Head of Department’, Journal of Further andHigher Education15(3): 65–75.
30.
Meade, P.
, Morgan, M. and Heath, C. (1999) ‘Equipping Leaders to Capitalise on the Outcomes of Quality Assessment in Higher Education’, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education24(2): 147–156.
31.
Middlehurst, R.
(1989) ‘Evaluation and Development of a Leadership Course for Heads of Academic Departments in the United Kingdom’, Higher Education Management1(2): 170–182.
32.
Middlehurst, R.
(1993) Leading Academics. Buckingham: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
33.
Morley, L.
and Rassool, N. (2000) ‘School Effectiveness: New Managerialism, Quality and the Japanization of Education’, Journal of Educational Policy15(2): 169–183.
34.
Nestor, R.
(1995) ‘Managing Diversity’, in D. Warner and E. Crosthwaite (eds) Human ResourceManagement in Higher and Further Education, pp. 32–34. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
35.
Palfreyman, D.
and Warner, D. (2000) ‘Setting the Scene’, in D. Warner and D. Palfreyman (eds) Higher Education Management, pp. 1–15. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
36.
Powney, J.
(1997) ‘On Becoming a Manager in Education’, in H. Eggins (ed.) Women as Leaders and Managers in Higher Education, pp. 49–62. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
37.
Prichard, C.
(2000) Making Managers in Universities and Colleges. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
38.
Rutherford, D.
(1992) ‘Appraisal in Action: A Case Study of Innovation and Leadership’, Studies in Higher Education17(2): 201–210.
39.
Schuller, T.
(1995) ‘The Changing University? A Sketchmap with Coda’, in T. Schuller (ed.) TheChanging University, pp. 1–14. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
40.
Siemienska, R.
(2000) ‘Women in Academe in Poland: Winners among Losers’, Higher Education in Europe25(2): 163–172.
41.
Simkins, T.
(2000) ‘Education Reform and Managerialism: Comparing the Experience of Schools and Colleges’, Journal of Educational Policy15(3): 317–332.
42.
Smith, M.
(1999) ‘After Managerialism: Towards a Conception of the School as an Educational Community’, Journal of Philosophy of Education33(3): 317–336.
43.
Smith, R.E.
(1996a) ‘Staff Appraisal at Nene College of Higher Education’, Higher EducationManagement8(2): 69–77.
44.
Smith, R.E. (1996b) ‘The Role of the Head of Department in New British Universities’, EdD thesis, University of Leicester.
45.
Startup, R.
(1976) ‘The Role of the Departmental Head’, Studies in Higher Education1(2): 233–244.
46.
Suspitsina, T.
(2000) ‘Mothers, Bosses, and Superwomen: The Construction of Identities of Russian Women Administrators in Higher Education’, Higher Education in Europe25(2): 207–212.
47.
Tann, J.
(1995a) ‘Managing Transformations in University Departments’, in M. Slowey (ed.) Implementing Change from Within: Universities and Colleges, pp. 44–55. London: Kogan Page.
48.
Tann, J.
(1995b) ‘The Learning Organisation’, in D. Warner and E. Crosthwaite (eds) HumanResource Management in Higher and Further Education, pp. 97–118. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
49.
Walker, E.
(1995) ‘Developing Managers’, in D. Warner and E. Crosthwaite (eds) Human ResourceManagement in Higher and Further Education, pp. 134–151. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
50.
Warner, D.
and Crosthwaite, E., eds (1995) Human Resource Management in Higher and Further Education. Milton Keynes: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press.
51.
Warren, R.C.
(1994) ‘The Collegiate Ideal and the Organisation of the New Universities’, Reflections6 (Aug.): 39–55.
52.
Watson, D.
(2000) Managing Universities and Colleges: Guides to Good Practice—ManagingStrategy. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
53.
Webb, R.
and Vulliamy, G. (1996) ‘A Deluge of Directives: Conflict between Collegiality and Managerialism in the Post-ERA Primary School’, British Educational Research Journal22(4): 441–458.
54.
Weinberg, S.
(1984) ‘The Perceived Responsibilities of the Departmental Chairperson: A Note of a Preliminary Study’, Higher Education13: 301–303.
55.
Wright, N.
(2001) ‘Leadership, “Bastard Leadership” and Managerialism’, EducationalManagement & Administration29(3): 275–290.
