TY - JOUR
T1 - The UK higher education senior management survey
T2 - a statactivist response to managerialist governance
AU - Erickson, Mark
AU - Hanna, Paul
AU - Walker, Carl
PY - 2020/1/14
Y1 - 2020/1/14
N2 - In this paper, we present results from an extensive survey of United Kingdom (UK) university academics investigating satisfaction with senior managers and university governance: the Senior Management Survey (SMS). In total, 5888 academic staff across the United Kingdom Higher Education (HE) sector completed the survey, and results were used to construct a league table of staff satisfaction with management. This table is a stark indictment of the current state of the UK HE sector, showing a mean satisfaction score of 10.54%. The SMS also collected qualitative data, and we extend the league table’s insights using these data. Thematic analysis revealed seven major themes: the dominance and brutality of metrics; excessive workload; governance and accountability; perpetual change; vanity projects; the silenced academic; work and mental health. We conclude with a discussion of how this statactivist research can be used to bring about change in management and governance of UK HE.
AB - In this paper, we present results from an extensive survey of United Kingdom (UK) university academics investigating satisfaction with senior managers and university governance: the Senior Management Survey (SMS). In total, 5888 academic staff across the United Kingdom Higher Education (HE) sector completed the survey, and results were used to construct a league table of staff satisfaction with management. This table is a stark indictment of the current state of the UK HE sector, showing a mean satisfaction score of 10.54%. The SMS also collected qualitative data, and we extend the league table’s insights using these data. Thematic analysis revealed seven major themes: the dominance and brutality of metrics; excessive workload; governance and accountability; perpetual change; vanity projects; the silenced academic; work and mental health. We conclude with a discussion of how this statactivist research can be used to bring about change in management and governance of UK HE.
KW - Higher education
KW - higher education management
KW - academic labour process
KW - mental health
KW - statactivism
KW - staff satisfaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078018204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03075079.2020.1712693
DO - 10.1080/03075079.2020.1712693
M3 - Article
SP - 1
EP - 18
JO - Studies in Higher Education
JF - Studies in Higher Education
SN - 0307-5079
ER -
