Increasing Gender Diversity in Higher Education Leadership: The Role of Executive Search Firms

Abstract

Women are under-represented in leadership roles in United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Existing scholarship focuses on institutional barriers, which include cognitive bias and entrenched homosocial cultures, rather than external factors such as the use of executive search firms (ESFs) in recruitment and selection. Recent research indicates that the use of ESFs is increasing for senior HEI appointments. This analysis offers insights on these firms’ involvement from a gender equality perspective, based on the results from a study that used a ‘virtuous circle’ approach to research and knowledge exchange. The requirement for HEIs to pay ‘due regard’ to equality considerations under the Public Sector Equality Duty provides a framework for analysis. This paper provides new insights on the dynamics within recruitment processes when ESFs are involved and on how a legislative approach can leverage better equality outcomes.

Gendered and diversified? Leadership in global hospitality and tourism academia

“…Such a tactic would make real change in addressing diversity in global academia. Another promising practice would be involvement of external agencies and executive search firms (Manfredi et al , 2019) into hiring processes in academia, which can help increase gender equality and diversity in senior academic positions.…”

A Scarlet A-Line Skirt, Independent and Critical Visual Practice, and the Brit(ish)line: Representing Women’s Leadership in Education Through Values-Based Cartooning

“…In 2018, alongside Professor Jo Duberley and Equality and Diversity Advisor Sheena Griffiths, I undertook research into the experiences of women working and studying at the University of Birmingham. We began with a conversation about the values and knowledge underpinning the project (see Ledwith and Manfredi, 2000;Manfredi et al, 2019). Figure 1 was included within festival promotions, posted on social media, and displayed across the university in order to build interest in the project.…”

“…The lack of representation of women, particularly women of color, in formal leadership roles across education is an ongoing concern (Mirza, 2008;Fuller, 2017;Miller and Callender, 2018;Manfredi et al, 2019). Improving the visibility of women's leadership, in education and beyond, is one way that visual practitioners can highlight the contributions made by, and the barriers facing, women and seek to counter depictions that exclude, undermine, objectify, and misrepresent.…”

For whose benefit? Black and Minority Ethnic training programmes in higher education institutions in England, UK

“…BME groups remain under‐represented in senior roles in HEIs (Morrow, ; ECU, ; Manfredi et al , ; Joslyn, ), and inequalities in higher education based on ethnicity continue to persist (Ahmed, ; Bhopal, ; Bhopal & Piktin, ). Evidence suggests that BME groups experience overt racism in HEIs (Bhopal & Jackson, ; Bhopal, ; Bhopal & Piktin, ; Bhopal & Henderson, ), and they continue to be seen as ‘others’ intruding in a White space (Ahmed, ; Reay, ).…”

“…Racialised expectations of the requirements of senior decision‐making roles suggest that BME academics are expected not to ‘fit in’ with such roles (Bhopal, ; Maylor, ), and expectations required to meet institutional and unwritten criteria to advance to senior roles are influenced by such values (Trotman, ; Bhopal, ). The existence of institutional racism and processes of exclusion suggest that if BME groups are expected to reach senior leadership roles in HEIs, they require greater support and mentoring compared to their White colleagues (Manfredi et al , ; Bhopal & Piktin, ). Consequently, specific programmes targeted at BME staff have recently been introduced to support them in their career trajectories as they aspire to reach leadership roles.…”