Examining university leadership and the increase in workplace hostility through a Bourdieusian lens

Abstract

AbstractResearch has noted an increase in negative workplace behaviours in the higher education sector between leaders and staff. A component of this change has been attributed to the managerial shift associated with faculty leadership roles. Positions such as dean are now sometimes filled via evidence of management experience when traditionally these roles were awarded to senior academics. This paper argues that the workplace divides between leaders employed due to management expertise (and with less regard to their research accomplishments) and academics has created new fault lines in institutional hierarchies that are impacting on intra‐faculty relationships as each group adjusts to contemporary institutional management strategies. Bourdieu's notions of habitus, capital, and field are used to dissect these fault lines and hierarchical structures to assist in understanding why the leadership shift is causing divides, if the issue is likely to continue creating rifts, and if the divide can be repaired.