Alasdair Blair, Darrell Evans, Christina Hughes and Malcolm Tight
Drawing upon the findings from three related research projects focused on academic leadership provided by university professors, in this chapter a leadership-sceptic lens is…
Abstract
Drawing upon the findings from three related research projects focused on academic leadership provided by university professors, in this chapter a leadership-sceptic lens is applied to the examination of the concepts of, first, leadership, and second, academic leadership. Discussion then focuses on the ways in which their perceptions of their leadership roles were found to influence how professors carried out their work, and with what effect(s). The key challenge is to persuade senior managers to remove their blinkers so that they may then see leadership not primarily as embodied in a person, but as influential agency that may – and does – occur in a myriad of ways, many of which go unnoticed and unrecognised, and are difficult to monitor and assess through formal performativity mechanisms.
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The academic sphere has in recent years become almost saturated in leadership-related processes, structures and positions. This is often explained through recourse to arguments…
Abstract
The academic sphere has in recent years become almost saturated in leadership-related processes, structures and positions. This is often explained through recourse to arguments concerning the pathologies of managerialism and the decline of academic autonomy. And yet one area where leadership-related thinking and development structures have not generally permeated is in relation to core research activities. As a result, thinking about research leadership, especially in relation to self-leadership and the governance of large inter-disciplinary ‘team science’ projects, is emerging as an important debate within academe. This chapter seeks to develop this debate by exploring what research leadership is and why it matters.
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The ability to communicate with society is one of the key skills by which our students can help enhance knowledge and understanding of different subjects within the general…
Abstract
Purpose
The ability to communicate with society is one of the key skills by which our students can help enhance knowledge and understanding of different subjects within the general population. Unfortunately, up until recently few subject areas have provided tailored training for their students in the art of communicating with different audiences, especially a non‐specialist one. This review paper aims to discuss the rationale for incorporating defined communication skills training (CST) into higher education courses, focusing on medicine, other healthcare professions and science. In addition the review aims to identify example methodologies used for the training and assessment of communication skills.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach taken for this review has been to: identify and review national, subject specific and individual drivers for why higher education should be including CST in their courses and programmes; evaluate some of the published approaches and innovations used to introduce CST into higher education courses; and finally, assess the factors that curriculum designers should consider when incorporating CST into their programmes or modules.
Findings
The review shows that there are a number of important drivers for including CST in higher education curricula, especially training which is directed to communicating with non‐specialist audiences. The paper identifies a number of varied approaches for integrating training into existing and emerging HE courses and modules, aimed at developing both oral and written communication skills.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the need for CST in undergraduate courses and acts as a challenge to others to devise strategies to ensure their students are ready and able to communicate with society in the twenty‐first century.
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Leadership in higher education has become of increasing importance as the size of the enterprise has grown, and this has naturally led to a growing research interest in the topic…
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Leadership in higher education has become of increasing importance as the size of the enterprise has grown, and this has naturally led to a growing research interest in the topic. Using systematic review methods, this chapter interrogates and synthesises the research literature on leadership in higher education in terms of its meanings, application and practice, and the issues and critiques raised. It concludes that research into leadership in higher education has been both extensive and global in nature, identifying a variety of understandings, practices and approaches adopted, and the continuing dominance of white men in senior leadership positions. There is clearly scope for more research on this topic, which could both emphasise different issues and give greater recognition to the particular nature of higher education and higher education institutions.
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Australian universities have a rich history for enabling, promoting and evaluating innovation and excellence in learning and teaching. Universities have used this practice to…
Abstract
Australian universities have a rich history for enabling, promoting and evaluating innovation and excellence in learning and teaching. Universities have used this practice to respond to drivers from government and the changing global educational environment, as well as accommodating for the characteristics of Australian universities such as scale, equity of access and the balance of domestic and international students. Often through institutional collaborations, educators have challenged pedagogical practices and introduced and tested innovative ways to enhance student learning, which has contributed to an international reputation for quality learning and teaching. However, the recent removal of specific government funding to support innovation, the increased emphasis on student success and employability outcomes and the threat of performance-based funding means that Australian universities will need to commit to the ongoing development of learning and teaching and demonstrate the potential for learning gain.
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The immediate financial and operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education have resulted in short-term responses focused on reducing costs. This has included…
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The immediate financial and operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education have resulted in short-term responses focused on reducing costs. This has included decreasing the size of the permanent workforce, pausing senior executive pay and replacing face-to-face with online teaching. The impact of these changes on employees who provide education, research and student support has been significant. To enable higher education to respond effectively to future complexity requires a more strategic approach designed to build employees commitment. The extent of change requires a move away from the current control-oriented, individualist and hierarchical administrative management approach that characterises higher education, towards a more collaborative leadership approach. Based on a case study of Australian higher education, the chapter unpacks how, in combination, the elements of an ecological view of leadership, actioned through multiple double-loop feedback based on the six tenets of a distributed leadership approach, can underpin a collaborative leadership approach designed to build employee commitment.
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This chapter considers the reasons for appointing external leaders to higher education institutions, and how to support and retain them. Outsiders can bring a particular set of…
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This chapter considers the reasons for appointing external leaders to higher education institutions, and how to support and retain them. Outsiders can bring a particular set of skills that can be valuable to modern higher education institutions and which are complementary to the skillsets of ‘expert’ academic leaders. The success of injecting ‘otherness’ into institutions is an active and ongoing process if the benefits sought after are to be realised. Three scenarios are given particular attention: being recruited from a different sector; being recruited to a higher education institution in another country and arriving in the sector having followed a very different career path. For each scenario, factors are identified that can enable a positive impact and contribution. Some of the unintentional and unforeseen barriers that can hamper such leaders having the desired impact are also identified.
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Ana González Ramos and Nora Räthzel
In this chapter the authors analyse different forms of gender and class discrimination in Spanish academic institutions. Androcentrism in terms of the structures of academic…
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In this chapter the authors analyse different forms of gender and class discrimination in Spanish academic institutions. Androcentrism in terms of the structures of academic institutions, the meritocratic system, the rhythms and contents of work present barriers for women advancing into positions of leadership. The intersectionality of gender and class provides different kinds of hurdles and possibilities for women and men from middle-class and working-class backgrounds. Relationships between (mostly male) supervisors and men and women researchers tend to strengthen men's capabilities of developing their own scientific aspirations and claims to leadership, while women tend to become subordinated supporters of their supervisors' objectives. Power structures dominated by men's values have the effect that some women do not perceive leadership positions as desirable.