Leading from the Middle: Understanding the Leadership Role of Mid-Level Department Chairs at a Public Statewide Community College System

Autor/in	Butler, Tiffani Nicole
Titel	Leading from the Middle: Understanding the Leadership Role of Mid-Level Department Chairs at a Public Statewide Community College System
Quelle	(2019), (207 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, Indiana University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-3921-6853-0
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Leadership Role; Department Heads; Middle Management; College Faculty; Community Colleges; English Departments; Role Perception + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Mittlere Führungskraft; Fakultät; Community college; Community College; Role conception; Rollenverständnis
Abstract	Department chairs serve a vital function at community colleges. They are middle managers, mid-level leaders, and faculty members. They serve a unique position within the organization because they interact with nearly every unit: academics affairs, student affairs, senior administrators and students. At a time when professional organizations are redefining what it means to lead from the middle, the central research questions were: What are the lived experiences of community college department chairs as leaders, and how do chairs make meaning of their management and leadership roles within the institution? This study explored the lived experiences of community college department chairs as leaders in order to understand the nuances and complexities of this role. There are few studies that focus solely on participant voices. This dissertation study, part of a larger case study, employed a social constructionism approach in order to appreciate the ways in which English department chairs make meaning of their social interaction with constituents. Five chairs were observed and interviewed for this study. Several themes emerged through data analysis: chair as middle manager, juggler, leader, politician, faculty advocate, relationship builder, giver and teacher. Despite the never-ending workload placed on them, these department chairs embraced opportunities to lead. They did not necessarily apply traditional leadership definitions to the work they manage. And most intriguing was that while they articulated what a leader is and identified with the work leaders do, no one explicitly stated, "I am a leader." These five participants easily claimed the title of chair, but did not claim the role, leader. Each participant was proficient at traversing a politicized environment. A central component of their job was to support faculty and work in their best interest. Each chair thought it vital to establish and nurture relationships with other areas of the college in order to complete their assigned tasks, regardless of the many stressors associated with the job. Ultimately, all chairs considered themselves faculty (teachers) first. Based on these emergent themes, community college administrators and researchers need to appreciate department chairs as leaders and their contributions to the organization and its students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01