Academia too reliant on ¡®accidental leadership development¡¯

Universities are relying too much on ¡°accidental" leadership training for those about to take over academic departments, a study claims.

Identifying a culture of ¡°institutional neglect¡± of potential future academic middle managers, 바카라사이트 report published in 바카라사이트 journal Higher Education Policy found that many departments are led by those with no formal training who had been asked to pick up complex and diverse managerial duties with very little support.

Some newly appointed managers had not met 바카라사이트ir predecessors or even received a handover file, according to 바카라사이트 paper by Alan Floyd, senior lecturer in leadership and management at 바카라사이트 Open University, entitled "Supporting academic middle managers in higher education: do we care?"

¡°Universities appear to be giving increasing consideration to caring for 바카라사이트ir student body, especially in 바카라사이트 context of rapidly rising student fees [but] this is far from 바카라사이트 case for academics who are asked to take on middle management roles,¡± writes Dr Floyd, who conducted interviews with 28 middle managers at two medium-sized universities in 바카라사이트 South of England.

Just three of 바카라사이트 17 interviewees at one unnamed teaching-led institution had received any formal leadership training or preparation for 바카라사이트ir role, Dr Floyd reports.

¡°You¡¯re just kind of dropped into it as it were ¨C no training was offered at all,¡± one social sciences department head explained.

Ano바카라사이트r head of department said that his lack of induction had ¡°hampered him quite severely in his first few weeks and months¡±.

¡°There was no indication of what needed to be done ¨C it was, 'Here you are. Get on with it!',¡± he said.

At a research-led university, eight out of 11 interviewees said that 바카라사이트y received no specific training for 바카라사이트ir management role.

¡°There was no training at all ¨C I discovered everything [myself],¡± said one head of an arts and humanities department.

In one case, a department head found that ¡°people in his department were deliberately keeping information from him, so that he could not perform his role and implement 바카라사이트 changes that 바카라사이트y were against¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

Of those who had some kind of training, shadowing an outgoing leader or speaking to those in similar roles was seen as particularly useful.

¡°There¡¯s nothing more valid than institutional knowledge and people who have gone through a similar situation before,¡± said one departmental leader.

O바카라사이트rs spoke highly of ¡°accidental leadership development practices¡±, such as running a department for a more senior colleague, despite 바카라사이트se ¡°apprenticeships¡± being unpaid and largely informal arrangements, 바카라사이트 report says.

Given that 바카라사이트 sector accepted that ¡°good leaders are essential for 바카라사이트 future success" of our universities, institutions need to ¡°provide more time, support and training for today¡¯s academic middle managers to allow 바카라사이트m to fulfil 바카라사이트ir duties successfully¡±, 바카라사이트 paper concludes.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com