Skill Development for Academic Leaders

Examining Department Chairs’ Needs in Performing Academic Leadership in Turkish Universities

“…Some of the existing studies have also identified the best practices of development activities for academic leaders. These studies indicate that the most effective academic leadership development programs provide practice-based and continuous learning opportunities, mentoring and coaching experiences, and strong peer networks (Gmelch, 2013;Scott et al, 2008;Wolverton et al, 2005).…”

“…This makes it hard to establish hierarchical management structures in higher education institutions and limits the autonomy of academic leaders (Marshall, Adams, & Cameron, 2001). At the same time, academic leaders mostly continue to do their research and teaching after they become the head of departments or colleges, while there is rarely any other leadership position which involves requirements of the previous position (Gmelch, 2013). Based on these unique characteristics of the chairship work, Sathye (2004) suggests that although academic leaders need to have the common attributes of leadership, they should also be able to carry out their teaching and research roles as scholars.…”

“…There are, however, only few universities which provide substantial leadership development opportunities for department chairs even in the USA, where the most leadership research are conducted and implemented. Pointing out the lack of preparatory leadership support for department chairs, Gmelch (2013) states; Department chairs typically come to the position without leadership training, without prior executive experience, without a clear understanding of the ambiguity and complexity of their roles, without recognition of the metamorphic changes that occur as one transforms from an academic to a leader, and without an awareness of the cost to their academic and personal lives (p. 26).…”

“…Accordingly, a substantial body of research has focused on leadership theories and practices at K-12 level, in order to provide principals with the guideline for effective leadership (Hallinger, 2003). Yet, there has not been much research focusing on leadership roles at the higher education level until recently (Gmelch, 2002(Gmelch, , 2004(Gmelch, , 2013. It could be argued that "leadership" is relatively an unknown concept in higher education settings compared to other organizational settings, including K-12 education.…”

“…A good chair is also expected to know everyone in the department personally through regular communication, motivate and empower people, and become supportive to the academic work of personnel (Parker, 2014). Despite such arduous and multiple nature of their work, department chairs usually come to the position without going through any preparation for leadership and often chosen among those who are volunteer, with higher academic title or waiting for his/her turn (Gmelch, 2013;Hecht, 2000;Sirkis, 2011). For instance, Cipriano and Riccardi (2012) found that only 3.3 percent of department chairs had formal coursework related to chairship in their graduate education and only 9.1 percent had formal department management training in the USA.…”