Introduction: Understanding Change in the Academic Profession Through the Perceptions of Academics and Institutional Leadership

Abstract

This chapter presents the research on which the book Academic Careers in Europe: Trends, Challenges, Perspectives, edited by the authors, is based. This book sheds light on under-explored issues relating to the academic profession by highlighting the diversity of academic career paths, the intertwinement of academic work, working conditions and job satisfaction, gender differences and inequalities in the academic profession, the combination of teaching, research and service functions, the academics’ perceptions of the shift from self-governance and collegiality to executive university management and leadership. Last but not least the perceptions on evaluation of research and teaching, of the internationalisation of academic labour markets, of changing careers and profession are also explored. It proposes a qualitative approach to answer the question: how does the academic profession in various European countries perceive, interpret and interact with changes in the socio-economic environment and in the organisational fabric of higher education systems and institutions?