Leadership Qualities of Canadian Academic Deans Sought in Job Announcements From 2011 Through 2015

• In Event: 44.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 44.084-8 - International Issues in Higher Education

Abstract

This study of 223 job announcements identifies the leadership role signals conveyed to future academic deans by Canadian universities. To do so, the study uses a framework conceptualizing academic leadership roles as either structural, human resources, political, or symbolic. It finds that leadership role signals are strong yet poorly defined. Overall, the image of leadership conveyed through job announcements aligns with outdated constructions of leadership and presents leadership as a static quality, defined as one type of role, and contingent upon the leader instead of the situation. Symbolic leadership roles are emphasized, while political roles are neglected. Differences across university types, faculty types, and recruiting firms, as well as implications for research and practice are explored.

Author

• Eric Lavigne, University of Toronto