How to put passion into admin

How do you persuade academics at the height of their research careers to take on management roles? How do you get them acquainted with the finer points of administration? And how do you help them to reintegrate into the research world afterwards?

In an unprecedented and rather introspective move, Aston University plans an academic study of these issues.

It is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher in management or business studies to work in the senior pro vice-chancellor's office. The role will attract a salary of up to £29,128 and would be the first step in an academic career, perhaps leading to a post in a business school. The project was prompted by Graham Hooley, senior pro vice-chancellor, from the university's Business School.

"Academe is notorious for promoting people for the wrong reasons," he said.

"Most people enter academia because they are fired up by research, not by managing something. If they were, they would work in industry or commerce and earn a fair bit more."

Professor Hooley said that the appointee would be considering rotating senior roles such as head of school, pro vice-chancellor or even vice-chancellor. The aim was to help the university identify the right people, persuade them to apply and assist in developing their management skills.

In particular, Aston wants to consider how best to help managers settle back into their academic role afterwards. Professor Hooley said: "In moving back to academic positions, the issue is not just one of having kept up with their discipline."

He said that senior academics' workloads concentrated on research, followed by teaching with a little administrative work. But as a manager, there would be a significant shift towards administration while teaching duties all but disappear. "It's about moving back into teaching. And letting go of the strategic reins."

A report from the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education earlier this year found that academics have little desire to be managers. In universities, the pinnacle of success is to be top of the research tree.

Managers are commonly perceived as little more than failed academics.

Ewart Wooldridge, chief executive of the Leadership Foundation, welcomed what Aston was doing. "It seems to be well known among higher education institutions that succession planning is not something they do very well," he said.

"We will be producing a report on potential and workable interventions, and we are also in the process of setting up centres that will help support the development of leadership talent within institutions."

caroline.davis@thes.co.uk