Academics vs. Professional Managers when Leading Hospitality Management Education

Abstract

Traditionally, faculty assumes academic leadership positions without the adequate preparation and skill development that can lead to poor management. In addition, as higher education becomes more complex and financial resources become more challenging, schools need to make more partnerships with the business world and consequently hire professional managers in leadership positions in an attempt to meet the budgets and lead effectively the faculty. An e-mail survey and a focus group were administered. The study examined fifty case studies, including the opinions of faculty and administrators, and discusses the benefits and challenges of hiring professional managers instead of the traditional hiring of academic department chairs and deans in leadership positions in hospitality management education. Results indicate that the need for academic experience and the understanding of the academic culture are the main decisive factors why participants favor academics over professional managers in academic leadership.