This article reports findings related to race, ethnicity and institutional type from a more extensive study on the perceptions of South African academics on academic workload. An attempt in a South African university department to distribute workload fairly indicated this task involved personal and sensitive concerns, which often had to do with biographical and situational variables. That attempt inspired this study which investigated the relationship between social group and institutional type, and views on the composition and distribution of aspects of academic work, determinants of teaching load, determinants of remuneration, the purpose of staff development programmes, and decision-making in departments. It was found that social group and institutional type are significant factors in views on the composition and distribution of academic work, on remuneration and on the purpose of staff development programmes. There is a disparity between what all groups think should be the case and what actually is the case, and yet there is a general satisfaction with decision-making processes. These findings suggest that the systemic and organizational transformation of higher education in South Africa is embedded in the complexities of social identity and institutional type. This has implications for the management and leading of systemic transformation in other countries. (Contains 8 tables.)