The selection of a dean in an academic environment: are we getting what we deserve?

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of the development of the paper was due to the seemingly endless searching for deans to replace the former dean of three to four years. Design/methodology/approach -The paper was developed around the present relevant secondary data. Findings -The key findings of the paper were that deans were being replaced due to the difference in expectation of the various constituents (e.g. students, faculty, administration, parents) in the performance of the SBA. Research limitations/implications -Limitations of the study were not providing primary data to support the theory based hypotheses of the study. Practical implications -Deans need to recognize that there will be conflicting expectations relative to the performance of the dean and that deans have a very short time to effectuate change in academic organizations. Social implications -Not having such high turnover in dean's positions should provide the stability of management to bring about change need in institutions of higher education. Originality/value -Identification of key mistakes made by deans as well as the mistakes made by faculty undermine the performance of deans. Keywords Dean search process, Mistakes made by deans/faculty, Reference point theory, Dean candidate pool, Higher education, Performance management Paper type Research paperThe difference between a top CEO and a dean: The CEO starts a meeting by placing a loaded revolver on the table and asks if there are any questions! A dean starts a meeting by placing a water gun (minus the water) on the table and hopes that there will be no questions ( Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric).

Supporting the Role of Associate Dean in Universities: an Alternative Approach to Management Development

“…The Associate Dean role is arguably a role that is still not well understood in higher education with previous research focusing more on more clearly defined academic manager positions such as the Head of Department (Sarros et al ., ; Floyd, , , , Floyd and Dimmock ), the Professor (Rayner et al ., ; Evans, ), the Dean (de Boer and Goedegebuure, ; Harvey et al ., ) or the Vice‐Chancellor (Bosetti and Walker, ). Below the level of Dean, but above the level of Department Head, Associate Deans can work in a number of different areas such as teaching and learning, research and enterprise but the roles are often not well defined (Floyd and Preston, ).…”

Academic Deans: Perceptions of Effort-Reward Imbalance, Over-Commitment, Hardiness, and Burnout

“…They must also oftentimes address challenges emanating from long-tenured disgruntled faculty (Krebs, 2015;, uncivil internal climates , and low empathy from others concerning the challenges inherent to this work (Matos, 2015;Monaghan, 2108). Cumulatively, these factors can add up to considerable stress (Ammons, 2010) and is at least in part attributed to an increasing shortage of professionals willing to step forward to serve in the position (Halonen & Dunn, 2017;Krebs, 2014;Harvey, Shaw, McPhail & Erickson, 2013).…”

“…Indeed, few academic administrators have had any leadership training prior to beginning their post, in sharp contrast with corporate America (Morris and Liapple, 2015). People in these positions often pay a heavy price related to their work (Harvey, et al, 2013). The extent to which the price is paid depends at least in part on the extent to which perceived challenges and related stress influence aspects of their workplace well-being, which could manifest in burnout, effort-reward imbalance, over-commitment, and lack of hardiness.…”

“…For this study, the independent variables were challenges and related stress for academic deans that were categorized into nine (9) typical job duty areas prominently found in the professional literature: finding a new vision for an academic major or discipline, promoting positive change, dealing with resistance and conflict, addressing financial challenges, fundraising pressure, coping with the tension of change within a shared governance structure, addressing community and state demands for teacher education reform, managing internal personnel matters, and receiving administrative support from the provost's office (Buller, 2007;Coll, et. al., 2018;Harvey, et al, 2013;Krahenbuhl, 2004;Monaghan, 2018;Sarros, Gmelch, & Tanewski, G. A., 1998).…”

During Furloughs, Who Is More Attached to a Public University? Staff? Faculty? . . . Managers

“…Essentially, the relational ties an employee has with his or her organization shape that individual’s willingness to contribute to and remain with the organization. Given the costs associated with hiring managerial personnel and faculty (Harvey, Shaw, McPhail, & Erickson, 2013; Teodorescu, 2012), retaining managerial and professional workers is likely to be considerably more cost-effective than continuous rehiring. Hence, it is critical to examine whether interventions that impose austerity measures on existing organizations (academic institutions in this case) as remedial responses to economic decline influence employee perceptions of organizational membership and attachment.…”