Management and leadership in UK universities: exploring the possibilities of change

Abstract

This article was published in Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management on 18 July 2017 (online), available at https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2017.1354754

This paper considers the case for reform of management struc- tures in UK universities and offers proposals for change. The model of top-down, performance-led management that characterises many institutions is both outmoded and ill-suited to the chal- lenges of an increasingly turbulent higher education sector. Drawing on the experiences of a university that introduced a new scheme of performance management, I explore alternative approaches to leadership and management, collaborative or part- nership working designed to improve employee voice and the need to re-evaluate approaches to Human Resource Management. I conclude with a five-point model for change.