The concept of agency has become widely used in education, social sciences, psychology, and more. This article explores the concept of agency and provides a critical review from two main bodies of work: The social cognitive theory and the structure agency theory. The two are not the same. Structure agency theory was used to illuminate agency from…

The position of writing center assistant director resides in the middle of the often blurry lines of hierarchy. While many writing centers advocate for team leadership, the fact remains that universities are steeped in bureaucratic tradition familiar to university leaders, students, and tutors. Assistant directors accomplish tasks that keep the…

This article examines the dynamics of friction and tension in contemporary dance, focusing on the precarious working conditions within the Flemish dance sector. Recent studies have highlighted how such conditions often foster unspoken tensions and perpetuate a culture of silencing. In particular, high-profile cases in the Flemish arts have…

"Plantation politics" refers to the lingering impact of slavery's afterlife or how vestiges of enslavement permeate contemporary culture, including institutions of higher education (IHEs; Hartman, 2008; Squire et al., 2018; Williams et al., 2021). For Black women administrators (admins), the enduring legacy of caretaking, bodily control,…

Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to delve into the causes of occupational stress and burnout amongst administrative staff members in Pakistani universities. It does so by employing a qualitative research strategy, offering a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a qualitative research…

With gendered organization theory and n = 201 Historically Black Colleges and Universities women faculty, the following is addressed: RQ1: Which Historically Black Colleges and University women faculty, those at schools with or without an anti-bullying policy, are more likely to report workplace bullying? RQ2: What is the relationship between…

This article compares Swedish social workers, teachers, and journalists' experiences of workplace violence. It addresses similarities and differences between the three professional groups in terms of who exposed them to workplace violence, what it was about, and what triggered it. The article is based on an online survey study, and the findings…

Administrative staff in higher and health professions education have been described as invisible and been characterized by what they are "not": non-academics, non-teachers, non-faculty and non-professionals. Staff appear as passive objects in literature and minimized in institutional reports. These characterizations contribute to the…

This study examines the intricate dynamics of racial gaslighting faced by women of color in higher education, highlighting how this form of gendered whiteness intertwines with race, gender, and power to marginalize and undermine their lived experiences. Using Critical Whiteness and Black Feminist Thought frameworks, this paper highlights the…

This article aims to explore the impacts of power dynamics arising from the use of the WhatsApp instant messaging application on the work routines of civil servants within a public educational institution. Utilizing the Foucauldian genealogy of power as a theoretical framework, we endeavor to conduct a critical historical analysis of the mechanics…

Using Ahmed's (2012) scholarship on diversity work and institutional life as a conceptual framework, we examine how LGBTQ+ social justice educational intervention (SJEI) facilitators described the challenges of their role. We found LGBTQ+ SJEI facilitators descriptions of their role revealed institutional dynamics that undermine purported support…

Black women who become school-based administrators are severely understudied in scholarly research (Lomotey, 2019). Studies suggest that Black women in the United States, who ascend into educational leadership positions, rely on professional training(s) associated with their employment and understandings accrued from inter/personal background…

Black staff working at predominately white institutions (PWIs) of higher education experience systemic workplace racism undergirded by higher education's deep connections to and reproduction of White supremacy and antiblackness. This phenomenological qualitative research study entails a literature review with historical, conceptual, and empirical…

This study uses the concept of 'organisational power' -- control over the environments in which others interact -- to investigate the structures and lived experience of power among academic associate deans at public, research-intensive universities in the US. Previous research claims that the associate dean role lacks 'legitimate power.' Through…

Hélène Cixous is perhaps best known for her paper, 'The Laugh of the Medusa' (1976) and her literary contributions outside academia. In this paper, we pick up a lesser known Cixous text, 'Le Sexe ou la tête?' that offers an interesting and provocative perspective on the traps associated with being feminine in a masculine environment. As we…