Microsoft Word doctoral thesis final[1]. doc

CHAPTER 5: PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 
 
5.1     INTRODUCTION 
 
In the previous chapters the researcher presented the background of this study of women 
in management in universities in South Africa and the UK.  She pointed out that women 
are generally under-represented in positions of management and leadership. The impetus 
for the study was discussed and the literature on leadership and management in 
universities was presented. This included the statistical overview of women’s under- 
representation in professional  and non-professional categories; challenges to women in 
educational leadership in higher education including obstacles to women advancement 
and the ‘new managerialism’ and how it affects women in management and leadership. 
The research methodology and design of the present study was described in chapter 4. 
The rationale for the choice of a combined quantitative and qualitative research 
methodology was also presented in the chapter. 
 
The findings from the survey questionnaires and the video conference focus group 
interviews are presented and discussed in this chapter. A synthesis of key findings from 
both methods of data collection follows. 
 
From the outset it must be made clear that the present study is of an exploratory nature 
and has a restricted dataset. Results forthcoming from the analyses should therefore be 
regarded as investigative and indicative of possible trends or patterns. Larger samples 
will eventually be required to confirm trends observed in the current dataset. In relevant 
cases in this particular analysis, comparisons will be made with Seagren et al’s (1994) 
study of chairpersons in community colleges. Seagren et al’s study examined four areas 
of chairperson’s (referred to as chairs’) professional lives. These were personal 
characteristics, responsibilities, challenges, and strategies. The study involved 3000 
academic leaders (deans and chairs’) in community colleges across the United States and 
Canada (1994: ix). Some of the issues explored in the present study, such as challenges 
and strategies, role perceptions and skills use Seagren et al’s study. Therefore an attempt 
is made to highlight consistency/inconsistency in the findings of the two studies on the 

---

 
131
common issues listed above. Where relevant cross references are made with findings 
from other studies and, in particular, with the complementary qualitative part of the 
study.  The findings of the qualitative part of the study are compared with those of the 
survey and cross-referenced with other similar studies in the literature, chief of which is 
Gupton’s and Slick’s (1996) study of  300 randomly selected  top-level female 
administrators in public school education in the United States. These women shared their 
common experiences as women in educational leadership positions (1996:xxxviii).