Running for university department headship: A complex decision

Abstract

When a university head of department steps down, members of that department know that they need a successor, so, months before this happens, moves to find candidates who will put themselves forward for the role are set in motion. However, this process is far from being easy, predictable or linear, and instead is fraught with controversy and difficulties. In this article we hold in-depth interviews with practising heads of university departments of Education throughout Spain to discover their reasons for applying for the role. After contacting all those involved, we were able to conduct seventeen interviews with both experienced and new heads of department. The results show that candidates have a wide variety of reasons for applying, and in some cases they repeat the experience, as it is often easy for them to form a team and they feel that continuity in management styles predominates. We conclude that there is a need for solid specific training and more extensive research on the subject to help identify the real possibilities and limitations of departmental headships, so that departmental staff have a better understanding of these necessary and important positions.