Leadership Succession: How New Deans Take Charge and Learn the Job

Executive Summary Deans usually come to their positions without leadership training, without prior executive experience, without a clear understanding of the ambiguity of their new roles, without recognition of the metamorphic changes that occur, and without an awareness of the toll their new positi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of leadership studies 2000-09, Vol.7 (3), p.68-87
Main Author: Gmelch, Walter H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Deans (in schools)
Educational leadership
Higher education
Leadership
Management
Organizational behavior
Succession planning
University administration
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Summary:Executive Summary Deans usually come to their positions without leadership training, without prior executive experience, without a clear understanding of the ambiguity of their new roles, without recognition of the metamorphic changes that occur, and without an awareness of the toll their new position may take on their academic and personal lives. This study investigated the socialization process academics go through to get settled into a new deanship. The succession of the new dean followed a predictable pattern similar to the corporate executives as they "took charge" of their new positions: (1) taking hold; (2) immersion; (3) reshaping; (4) consolidation; and (5) refinement (Gabarro, 1985). While the overall length of time for incorporation was similar, the phases mirrored the structure of the academic year.
ISSN:1071-7919
DOI:10.1177/107179190000700305