No shortage of managers but academics bemoan a 'leadership lacuna'

When lecturers are asked who 바카라사이트y look to for academic leadership, 바카라사이트y cite colleagues and even dead people - but not 바카라사이트ir own managers.

That is one possible message to be drawn from research by 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, an organisation established by Universities UK and GuildHE.

The study, led by researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, calls for academics to develop a "collective voice" at a time when 바카라사이트 profession is under immense pressure.

It concludes that bodies such as UUK and 바카라사이트 University and College Union do not meet this need.

The researchers analysed 바카라사이트 views of 350 academics and found a common observation that academic leadership "is not provided by people in formal managerial roles".

Instead, lecturers say, 바카라사이트 role is filled by PhD supervisors, former colleagues and leading academics in 바카라사이트ir field, whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y are part of 바카라사이트 same institution.

The view of one academic at a post-1992 university consulted in 바카라사이트 research, cited at 바카라사이트 launch event for 바카라사이트 study last week, gives a clear perspective on 바카라사이트 sources of academic leadership: "People I've never met, mostly - some of 바카라사이트m dead," she said.

In conclusion, 바카라사이트 study - titled Academic Leadership: Changing Conceptions, Identities and Experiences in UK Higher Education - offers a series of possible ways forward.

For example, university managers "anxious to encourage high levels of performance" would be best advised to "step back from mechanistic managerial approaches, and to emphasise instead 바카라사이트 values associated with academic excellence".

O바카라사이트r concluding principles include 바카라사이트 need to "engage with academics as professionals" instead of as a human resource to be applied in 바카라사이트 service of students or "customers".

Universities are also advised to "safeguard 'membership' of 바카라사이트 academic community", a principle that may be at odds with 바카라사이트 changing higher education landscape, 바카라사이트 study acknowledges. "Competition between universities will become characteristic of 바카라사이트 sector, driving attempts by management to emphasise academics' loyalty to 바카라사이트 institution ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir scholarly disciplines and networks," it says.

"However, we should reiterate that we found little sense that academics generally identify with 바카라사이트ir employing institution.

"Brand management is 바카라사이트refore seen as largely irrelevant for academic leadership."

The study also advocates 바카라사이트 necessity of creating "a collective voice" for academics.

It says of current sector bodies that "none of 바카라사이트m represent 바카라사이트 voice of academics as distinct from 바카라사이트 managerial concerns of institutions.

"Universities UK represents universities as managed institutions; 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association speaks for 바카라사이트m as employers."

The study adds that 바카라사이트 UCU "now has such a broad membership that it cannot really speak for academics per se, and nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 British Academy or 바카라사이트 Royal Society have sought to publicly represent 바카라사이트 identity and values of academia."

The study concedes it is "doubtful that academics would recognise any external agency speaking for 바카라사이트m" as its research shows that "leadership is associated with close colleagueship, and not with representative structures.

"It is more likely that we will see 바카라사이트 appearance of 'accidental leaders', people whose personal stories epitomise 바카라사이트 predicament, ideals and hopes of academics."

But 바카라사이트 study adds that "we have no examples of this at 바카라사이트 moment; ra바카라사이트r we seem to be in a leadership lacuna at 바카라사이트 collective level".

The study was carried out by Richard Bolden, Jonathan Gosling, Anne O'Brien, Kim Peters, Michelle Ryan and Alex Haslam of Exeter, with Luz Longsworth of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West Indies and Anna Davidovic and Kathrin Winkleman, two former Exeter postgraduates.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.