The reality of ‘middle’ management roles: a case study of the Associate Head of School experience in a New Zealand University

ABSTRACT

Research on management in higher education predominantly investigates senior staff such as Deans or Pro-Vice-Chancellors. Relatively little attention is focused on the department level, middle management roles, such as Associate Heads of Schools (AHoS). This case study, based on anecdotal scoping data, utilized a mixed-methods approach through an email survey and face-to-face interview of past and present AHoS at Massey University, New Zealand to investigate participants’ perceptions about the role and the factors that influence it. Results show that a majority of participants did not envisage undertaking higher management within the University after holding the AHoS position, predominantly because the time commitments for the position disadvantaged their teaching and research, and therefore opportunity for academic promotion. Consideration of how AHoS roles may be supported and acknowledging the value of undertaking the role could aid in recognition for promotion and encourage the undertaking of the middle management positions within academia and universities.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic culture
• head of school
• management
• university

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely acknowledge and thank the participating past and present Associate Heads of Schools for allowing us to capture their experiences both good and challenging. We wish to acknowledge Professor Sarah Leberman, Alan Davis and the People and Organisational Development Team (POD) from Massey University, to whom we are grateful for the opportunity and support provided. This work was undertaken with a Massey University Human Ethics permit approval.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.