A Continuing Exploration of the Chair Role

Examining Leadership Style Influence on Engagement in a National Change Process: Implications for Leadership Education

“…According to Buller (2012), most department chairs established a reputation as great teachers and researchers in the field. However, due to a steep learning curve, many department chairs fail at the important aspect of leading change within the first year because of their lack of preparation (Cipriano & Riccardi, 2010). This means the skills most professors have acquired to become strong teachers and researchers are not the same skills one needs to use to run a department.…”

“…However, several studies conducted in higher education have found department chairs receive little to no formal training before assuming their leadership roles. For example, Cipriano and Riccardi (2010) found 81 percent of department chairs reported having no formal training in their administrative responsibilities. Buller (2012) found leaders within academia were promoted based on their prior work experience in the field and not on their credentials to lead and manage people.…”

“…When individuals are chosen to take on leadership roles the tenants of leadership are often overlooked (Northouse, 2013). Leaders of large-scale change initiatives are typically chosen because they hold a position of power within the area, have built a reputation based on 2 their expertise, and/or because they have a specialization in the context area being addressed (Buller, 2012;Cipriano & Riccardi, 2010). However, little attention is ever paid to leadership style and how leadership style can influence the level to which an individual engages in a change process and their ultimate success in implementing change.…”