Abstract
BackgroundDuring the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case now to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. The objective of this study was to explore the views on effective academic leadership requirements held by key informants in Iran's medical education system.MethodsA nominal group study was conducted by strategic sampling in which participants were requested to discuss and report on requirements for academic leadership, suggestions and barriers. Written notes from the discussions were transcribed and subjected to content analysis.ResultsSix themes of effective academic leadership emerged: 1)shared vision, goal, and strategy, 2) teaching and research leadership, 3) fair and efficient management, 4) mutual trust and respect, 5) development and recognition, and 6) transformational leadership. Current Iranian academic leadership suffers from lack of meritocracy, conservative leaders, politicization, bureaucracy, and belief in misconceptions.ConclusionThe structure of the Iranian medical university system is not supportive of effective academic leadership. However, participants' views on effective academic leadership are in line with what is also found in the western literature, that is, if the managers could create the premises for a supportive and transformational leadership, they could generate mutual trust and respect in academia and increase scientific production.
Highlights
During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs
This study explores, analyzes, and synthesizes the view held by experts on effective academic leadership requirements in Iranian medical education in order to prepare the groundwork for academic leadership development
The most important issue discussed in detail was integrated academic leadership as a whole, as proposed by the western world research. [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24]. It is important for effective academic leadership to engage in sharing visions, goals, and strategies; to establish collaborative and transformational leadership and include full participation by delegating authority, and sharing responsibility among faculty; to help their development with a fair and effective reward system according to time and appropriate feedbacks; to increase meritocracy, which lack of has caused leadership to be based exclusively on leaders' authority or position; to gain sufficient autonomy and authority to direct resources toward achieving the overall objectives of medical education; and to have document-based strategies and plans
Summary
During the last two decades, medical education in Iran has shifted from elite to mass education, with a considerable increase in number of schools, faculties, and programs. Because of this transformation, it is a good case to explore academic leadership in a non-western country. Many individuals holding managerial and administrative academic positions in medical universities, such as chancellor, vice-chancellor, dean, or head of department, are physicians or medical specialists without any preparation or training for academic leadership [1]. The process of reform in the health service and medical education in Iran poses major challenges to faculty members and academic leaders
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