Microsoft Word doctoral thesis final[1]. doc

participants: ‘to understand systems of varsity…’ ‘wanted a more strategic and 
developmental role …’ ‘the opportunity to work with very bright people and to make a 
difference’. 
 
Some participants were motivated by the simple enjoyment of management and a 
willingness to contribute to the development of the department: 
 
‘interest in the post and enjoyment of leadership and management…’ ‘opportunity 
to acquire administration and management skills…’ ‘opportunity to build up new 
department and increase profile of faculty…’ ‘it was a newly established 
department; wanted to lay solid foundation…’ 
‘knowing I could make positive change to a struggling department vis-à-vis 
research and collegiality…’  
 
While some felt it was their turn to ‘take the reins,’ others fell into the position by default 
as no one else was willing to take the job. Others were encouraged by colleagues or were 
simply elected by staff. These are selections from their comments: ‘no one else would do 
it…’ ‘I thought it was my turn…’ ‘not a deliberate position – default position…’ 
‘encouraged by colleagues…’ 
 
Asked to share what factors may have influenced their career to take its present course, 
the interview participants listed these main factors: 
 
‘the direction, I think it’s just the normal direction in an academic career which 
got me this position…’ ‘my career was influenced by the departmental needs at 
the time…’ ‘I thought I wanted to be a scientist as a child but I was always more 
interested in how things work than, if you like why things happen…’ ‘I was 
always interested in biology and science and investigation and finding out and 
then I had an overriding passion for education and teaching.’ 
 
 

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It is apparent from the accounts shared by the participants regarding their motivation and 
what influenced their career direction that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors are at play. 
While for some, the motivation comes from a need to develop themselves as leaders and 
managers in order to contribute to the growth of their department, for others it results 
from an external need. Whereas they would not, it seems, deliberately seek out the 
position, they eventually take it for the sake of the department. Again career directions 
are either influenced by a passion and interest in the field or by the needs of the 
department. 
 
5.3.3.2    Job challenges  
 
Challenges are encountered in any job situation. The position of HoD is no exception. 
Consequently the participants were asked to share those aspects of their job as HoD, 
which they found most challenging. One of the most frequently mentioned challenges by 
South African participants was “dealing with merger problems.”  However, both South 
African and UK participants found “restructuring and transformation of universities and 
of departments and programmes”  a trial. Some of the consequent problems of merging, 
according to participants, include “having to deal with staff who are resentful over 
shrinking departmental budgets” and those who “won’t let go of dying programmes”. In 
addition, according to a South African participant, merger and incorporation presents 
challenges of “dealing with different cultures”, and said one UK participant, “being 
integrated into the university’s ethos and culture – where many of the staff are from a 
college which has been incorporated into the university”. 
 
The budget is a continuous challenge. HoDs have to operate with shrinking budgets and 
resources and are expected to ‘do more with less’. This also results in feelings of 
resentment among staff forced to share scant resources. It leads to frustration and 
aggression as well as confrontation and resistance—all of which are a test for the HoD. 
‘Maintaining research outputs’ was identified as yet another challenge for the HoD. Not 
only does the HoD have to ensure that staff engage in teaching, but she has to encourage 
them to engage in top-level research as well in order to meet the demands for education 
and research assessment. In the UK the research assessment exercise (RAE) is a ongoing 

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issue for the HoD. Time management is yet another. The HoD has to balance many 
demands including work, family, university and programme requirements. She is also 
faced with identifying and developing talented staff; designing and developing 
postgraduate programmes; and turning an emerging programme around. 
 
In addition to all these tasks the HoD is a fulltime academic/professor. 
 
5.3.3.3 Career advancement and obstacles  
 
(a)   
Plans and reasons to advance further in career 
 
A commonly held assumption is that women (especially married) often put their careers 
on hold to allow their partners or husbands to develop theirs. The woman plays a 
supportive role, often subordinating her own career to that of her spouse or sometimes 
even sacrificing it for the sake of her husband. However, the experiences shared by the 
women in the present study do not list ‘prioritising the husband’s career as an obstacle’. 
Rather, it is the dual role of career and family (with some putting family first) which 
constitutes an obstacle to career development. 
 
The participants were asked if they had any plans to advance further and where they 
would like their careers to be in the next five years. Three categories of comments were 
distinguishable. The majority of comments were positive with regard to desire to move 
up the academic ladder or move into a senior management position. The following are 
representative selections: ‘would like to advance from HoD to dean…’ ‘looking for role 
to become vice-chancellor…’ ‘would like to do PhD’. 
 
 An almost equal number of comments were negative or uncertain with regards to desire 
for career advancement: ‘no aspiration to go into management- would like to make a 
difference in structures other than management…’ ‘not interested in moving up – would 
like to work with students which is fulfilling…’ ‘not sure – currently re-evaluating…’ 
 

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The last group of commentators included the ‘age clock’ as an obstacle. Those who 
responded this way said they were too old for advancement or could not advance 
themselves  even if they wanted to, because of retirement (cf 3.3.3.1(v) ): ‘well, I think 
since you know how old I am, all I can say is there’s not much time to further my career 
– I’m tired’ ‘retiring at end of year…’ [2006] ‘that’s a problem for me because I’m quite 
old now – I’m nearing the end of my career and although I would like advancement it’s 
very unlikely that a job will come up in time for me to apply’. 
 
 
 
What was interesting about these comments were the reasons given. Whereas the women 
who aspired to a higher academic rank or a senior management position expressed a 
desire to be more involved in research, publishing and supervision of postgraduate 
students, and in ‘making a difference at the whole organisational level’, the women who 
were not interested in moving up felt that being ‘too management-oriented’ would 
hamper their enjoyment of working with students. It appears, therefore, that while on the 
one hand, more involvement in management is perceived by some as an opportunity to 
improve their research careers, on the other hand, it is perceived by others as a barrier to 
teaching and making a difference at that level.  
 
(b)  
Obstacles to promotion, promotion opportunities  and strategies for dealing with 
obstacles