An Exploration of Academy Deans' Responsibilities in Five U15 Research-Intensive Universities in Canada: Ambiguities and Managerialism in the Academe - A Mixed Methods Research

This study examined the responsibilities of academic deans within five U15 research-intensive universities in Canada as they operate in an increasingly complex environment. The academic deans who are sometimes flaunted as Chief Executive Officers, were found to be consummate academics who transitioned from their academic discipline into administration as middle managers. Academic deans have a dual responsibility in that they are accountable to the senior leadership of their university while being advocates for their colleges. Significantly, the responsibilities of these academic middle managers are central to the achievement of their universities’ strategic objectives. However, the position of the deanship is described by researchers as complex, and the very nature of the duality of the role engenders ambiguities. The ambiguities and complexities of academic deans’ responsibilities are said to be influenced by public sector reforms disguised as managerialism. Some practices espoused by managerialism appear to be integral to universities’ strategies globally, whether as an ideology or through processes and practices. Universities in Canada are also adopting various strategies which are said to be driven by managerialism (Brownlee, 2015). Symptomatic of managerialism are various changes in university governance, including the professionalization of the roles of middle managers, now referred to as chief executive officers in some institutions, and the implementation of marketing techniques (Brownlee, 2015; Kolsaker, 2008; Olssen, 2002). Additionally, and as indicated in the literature, reflective of managerialism are the demands for accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness which are achieved through practices such as increased competition, a focus on marketization, and engagement of private-public partnerships. According to the literature, the practices espoused by managerialism in higher education institutions (Meek et al., 2020; Seale & Cross, 2016) have shifted the responsibilities of academic deans to a type of management that is reflective of corporate-style management practices and evidenced by various corporate terminologies. Given the tenets of managerialism, the argument obtains that some principles of this ideology are translated into practices and have contributed to the evolved roles of academic deans. They now engage in business-like practices, the processes of their institutions’ strategic planning initiatives, establishing public-private partnerships, and marketization, among others. The changes have impacted how academic deans interpret, understand, and enact their roles, which are oftentimes imbued with role conflict and ambiguity due to competing demands and unclear expectations by various constituents (Arntzen, 2016; Boyko & Jones, 2010; Hoyle & Wallace, 2005). With the evolved responsibilities of academic mid-level managers, more specifically academic deans who are at the centre of this study, there is evidence of job enlargement as well as increased complexities in their roles. As such, in examining academic deans’ responsibilities, this study gathered information on academic deans lived experiences and perceptions of the presence of managerialism in their institutions and how their responsibilities reflect practices akin to managerialism. That is, responsibilities that mirror management techniques usually employed by the private sector or corporate organizations. The study further examined academic deans’ perceptions of role conflict and role ambiguity and how their perceived self-efficacy and tolerance-intolerance of ambiguity influence how they navigate the complexities of their roles. The study’s findings were limited to the perceptions of the participants who indicated that some of their responsibilities are reflective of practices such as budgeting and fund development; strategic planning; advancement/fundraising/establishing donor relationships; advertising/marketization and human resource management, among others. According to the narratives provided by the academic deans in this study, they found themselves ill-prepared for important corporate-like responsibilities, which they indicated generally do not coalesce with their academic disciplines. Further, the findings revealed that the practices that characterize the responsibilities of these middle-level managers/chief executive officers are delineated by varying degrees of uncertainties and ambiguities which are defined by role conflict and role ambiguity. However, the academic deans in the study demonstrated that having a sense of self-efficacy and a high tolerance for ambiguity had been valuable in helping them to navigate the complexities of their roles as they engaged the corporate-like management imperatives of their responsibilities. The research was grounded in the constructivist paradigm through a qualitatively dominant cross-over (Frels & Onwuegbuzie, 2013) mixed-methods research design. This process captured the subjective experiences of academic deans to gain an in-depth understanding of the practices of academic deans as they carry out their functions in an ambiguous environment characterized by managerialism (Arntzen, 2016; Ayers, 2012; Bess, 2006). Data were collected to address the research questions using a mixed methods sequential design over two phases. Phase one of this study focused on gathering quantitative data from surveys through SurveyMonkey. Phase two concentrated on the qualitative method of collecting data by way of reviewing position descriptions of academic deans, policy documents governing deans, and elite interviews with deans. The study has implications for further research initiatives, research-into-practice, and contribution to theory. Implications for future research include comparative research with larger sample sizes across U15 research-intensive and non-research-intensive universities to garner a more comprehensive understanding of academic deans’ perceptions of managerialism, role conflict, and role ambiguity. The study findings have potential implications for institutions’ policies governing academic deans’ recruitment and professional development of academics, including the establishment of management career pathways and succession planning initiatives.

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