Mapping Knowledge Domains of the Scholarship on Department Chairs: A Scoping Review of Literature

• In Event: Professional Development in Higher Education Administration and Leadership

Abstract

Sweeping changes in the structures and functions of higher education have occurred in the past 15 years. Scholars have estimated that department chairs make more than 80% of departmental academic decisions that impact a wide array of stakeholders. This scoping literature review investigated scholarly contributions of research on department chairs based on an international dataset of 82 publications between 1981-2024 to identify primary dimensions of the empirical literature. Four dimensions of knowledge emerged from content analysis of the publications on department chairs: “department chair roles and responsibilities,” “leadership,” “satisfaction,” and “preparation and support.” These results can inform future research on department chairs in response to the changing nature of higher education.

Authors

• Amanda L. Nolen, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Jim Vander Putten, Mercer University