This study, conducted as part of an unfunded research project, presents the findings of an empirical investigation aimed at developing a comprehensive framework of key competencies for heads of academic departments. The framework is designed to support both the preparation of academics for leadership roles and the ongoing development and…

This study explores an understudied yet critically important role in higher education: the academic department chair. Building on research related to the gendered organization of faculty life and using a national sample of department leaders per the COACHE "Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey" (n = 1,173), we use descriptive discriminant…

This study investigated whether the big five factors of personality traits can predict academic department chairs' leadership practices. The study had a predictive research design; the data were collected from 424 participants in the 2023 academic year, and the instruments of this study were two questionnaires. The study found that the big five…

Background/purpose: This research aims to assess the level of organizational sustainability among deans of colleges at Anbar University from the perspective of academic department heads. Materials/methods: The current study sample consisted of 50 department heads, representing 50% of the total population of 101 academic department heads. The…

In this article, I argue that we need to reposition how we think about and talk about assessment from a faculty-focused task to a student-centered process. To demonstrate the impact of this change in thinking, I will share a case study from my time as a basic course director and chair that illustrates the benefits of understanding assessment as a…

Background/purpose: College deans' responsibilities include monitoring and evaluating the performance of academic department heads to ensure that they lead academic programs, faculty members, and students efficiently, thereby contributing to the achievement of both college-level and institutional objectives. This study is the second phase of a…

Background: The quality of teaching and learning depends on the school management team's support and monitoring of teachers and learners to achieve the school's objectives. Poor monitoring and lack of support compromise quality education. Aim: The study examined the challenges faced by Foundation Phase departmental heads in managing and monitoring…

The curriculum leaders in the infancy phase of schooling are challenged. They engage in mammoth tasks that lead to confusion as to whether they are level one educators or curriculum heads in terms of their daily functions. Recent research studies demonstrate that many primary schools' performance is questionable in the Foundation Phase in areas…

Drawing upon the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI), this study explored the construction of the role identity of department heads within higher education, with a specific emphasis on their perceptions of themselves as leaders and/or managers. Three section heads, each holding a doctoral degree in educational leadership from different…

Distributed leadership has become one of the most popular and important leadership models in the West, particularly in the field of education. However, both theoretical and empirical research into distributed leadership in the Chinese Higher Education context is rare. This dearth of literature on the subject has motivated the authors to carry out…

The purpose of this study was to understand K-12 school department chairs' lived experiences with burnout, a condition caused by chronic workplace stress that manifests as exhaustion, cynicism and mental distancing from one's work, and a sense of ineffectiveness (World Health Organization, 2019). Semi-structured interviews conducted over Zoom with…

Effective leadership is crucial for organizations to remain competitive in this expanding higher education environment as they lead their followers, especially those in their academic units or departments. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the understanding of academic department chairs of U.S. colleges and…

Conflict is inevitable in every part of life and institutions of higher education are not immune to experiencing interpersonal conflict. Department chairs hold a key position between upper administration and the rest of the faculty and staff within the department, all while still teaching classes. The purpose of this research study is to explore…

The objectives of this research were 1) to study components and indicators for adaptive leadership of the division heads in technical colleges, 2) to study the current conditions, desirable conditions, and needs to develop adaptive leadership of the division heads in technical colleges, 3) to create and develop the model development for adaptive…

The role of the department chair is considered one of the most thankless jobs in higher education, but there is surprisingly little research on the daily work-lives of faculty members serving in departmental leadership roles. This study updates the literature by using a national sample of 3,317 associate and full professors serving in department…