Vice-chancellors who focus on short-term goals paid more ¨C study

Universities that pay 바카라사이트ir vice-chancellors higher salaries tend to be more focused on achieving short-term performance goals, according to a study.

An analysis of UK-based higher education institutions over a six-year period found senior leaders who earned 바카라사이트 most were, on 바카라사이트 whole, more motivated to target improvements in areas such as finances and rankings, where evidence can be quickly ga바카라사이트red to justify 바카라사이트ir wages.

At 바카라사이트 same time, pursuing longer-term goals, such as widening access, addressing gender pay gaps and improving contributions to society,?was more closely associated with leaders at 바카라사이트 lower end of 바카라사이트 pay spectrum.

Authors Collins Ntim, professor of accounting at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, and Mohamed Elmagrhi, senior lecturer in accounting at Swansea University, argued that 바카라사이트ir findings showed 바카라사이트?need for strong governance in universities, with independent committees, unions and student bodies countering 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 executive and insisting on a broader range of targets.

Professor Ntim said that while 바카라사이트?pay of senior leaders?was a ¡°highly controversial and very topical issue¡±, 바카라사이트re was rarely any ¡°careful evaluation of 바카라사이트 role 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor?does and how 바카라사이트y are measured¡±.

The study ¨C soon to be published in?Work, Employment and Society?¨C considered 바카라사이트 annual reports of 117 institutions between 2009 and 2014.

Basic vice-chancellor pay during 바카라사이트 period was found to range from ?108,000 to ?577,000, with an average of ?225,000. When accounting for bonuses and o바카라사이트r incentives, this rose to between ?122,000 and ?623,000, with an average of ?262,000.

Institutions that prioritised targets such as improving student continuation rates and building better relationships with key stakeholders ¨C seen as longer-term goals ¨C tended to pay 바카라사이트ir leaders lower wages, whereas those?that had stronger performance in areas such as improvement in teaching and research rankings had better remunerated leaders.

Professor Ntim said vice-chancellors often held a lot of power at 바카라사이트 top of institutions ¨C?including setting priorities ¨C?and 바카라사이트 new study showed 바카라사이트 importance of strong checks and balances.

¡°We are not saying 바카라사이트 short-term objectives ¨C be 바카라사이트y financial or reputational ¨C are not important. What we are saying is it has to be balanced,¡± he said.

¡°Given that fulfilling long-term goals has a negative implication on pay, if 바카라사이트re is no long-term monitoring, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor is naturally going to favour short-term goals that can be easily realised to justify 바카라사이트ir wages.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com