Life histories of academics who become heads of department: socialisation, identity and career trajectory

Although the role of the academic head of department (HoD) has always been important to university management and performance, an increasing significance given to bureaucracy, academic performance and productivity, and government accountability has greatly elevated the importance of this position. Previous research and anecdotal evidence suggests that as academics move into HoD roles, usually with little or no training, they experience a problem of struggling to adequately manage key aspects of their role. It is this problem – and its manifestations – that forms the research focus of this study. Based on the research question, “What are the career trajectories of academics who become HoDs in a selected post-1992 university?” the study aimed to achieve greater understanding of why academics become HoDs, what it is like being a HoD, and how the experience influences their future career plans. The study adopts an interpretive approach, in line with social constructivism. Edited topical life history interviews were undertaken with 17 male and female HoDs, from a range of disciplines, in a post-1992 UK university. These data were analysed using coding, categorisation and theme formation techniques and developing profiles of each of the respondents. The findings from this study suggest that academics who become HoDs not only need the capacity to assume a range of personal and professional identities, but need to regularly adopt and switch between them. Whether individuals can successfully balance and manage these multiple identities, or whether they experience major conflicts and difficulties within or between them, greatly affects their experiences of being a HoD and may influence their subsequent career decisions. It is claimed that the focus, approach and analytical framework - based on the interrelationships between the concepts of socialisation, identity and career trajectory - provide a distinct and original contribution to knowledge in this area. Although the results of this study cannot be generalised, the findings may help other individuals and institutions move towards a firmer understanding of the academic who becomes HoD - in relation to theory, practice and future research.

Two heads may not be better than one : corporate board structure, managerial self-dealing,and common agency

This paper compares the effects on corporate performance and managerial self-dealing in a situation in which the CEO reports to a single Board that is responsible for both monitoring management and establishing performance targets to an alternative in which the CEO reports to two Boards, each responsible for a different task. The equilibrium set of the common agency game induced by the dual board structure is fully characterized. Compared to a single board, a dual board demands less aggressive performance targets from the CEO, but exerts more monitoring. A consequence of the first feature is that the CEO always exerts less effort toward production with a dual board. The effect of a dual board on CEO self-dealing is ambiguous: there are equilibria in which, in spite of the higher monitoring, self-dealing is higher in a dual system. The model indicates that the strategic interdependence generated by the assignment of different tasks to different boards may yield results that are far from the desired ones.

Pauta para el desarrollo de la Segunda Conferencia de Ministros y Jefes de Planificación de América Latina = Outline for the development of the Second Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America

Contiene sugerencias para el tratamiento de los temas en la reunion a nivel de Tecnicos en Planificacion (15 y 16 de noviembre) y a nivel de Ministros y Jefes de Planificacion (17 y 18 de noviembre); y lista provisional de documentos.

Resumen de los documentos técnicos preparados por el ILPES para la IV Conferencia de Ministros y Jefes de Planificación de América Latina y el Caribe = Summary of the technical documents prepared by ILPES for the IV Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean

Contiene los resumenes, los principales antecedentes, y las conclusiones y recomendaciones que se derivan de los diversos trabajos que ha preparado el ILPES en cumplimiento de las tareas que le fueran encomendadas por la III Conferencia de Ministros y Jefes de Planificacion de America Latina y el Caribe.

Informe de relatoría de la IV Conferencia de Ministros y Jefes de Planificación de América Latina y el Caribe = Report submitted by the rapporteur of the IV Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean

Informa sobre las deliberaciones que tuvieron lugar en las sesiones plenarias de la Conferencia en las cuales las delegaciones resenaron la evolucion de la planificacion en sus respectivos paises y formularon observaciones sobre la coyuntura economica y social, sus manifestaciones en la region y medidas para superar la crisis. En una sesion de trabajo, funcionarios de ILPES y CEPAL hicieron la presentacion de documentos tecnicos preparados por el Instituto. Incluye lista de participantes y de documentos.

Informe de la V Conferencia de Ministros y Jefes de Planificación de América Latina y el Caribe = Report of the Fifth Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean

Presenta la organizacion y el resumen de las deliberaciones de la reunion que trato sobre la crisis externa y los programas de reactivacion en los anos 80, y el papel del Estado en las politicas economicas y sociales del futuro.