Women in Higher Education: Are They Ready to Take Up Administrative Positions?—A Mixed-Methods Approach to Identify the Barriers, Perceptions, and Expectations

Shreemathi S Mayya,Ashma Dorothy Monteiro,Maxie Martis,Lena Ashok

doi:10.1177/2158244020983272

Abstract

Higher education is anticipating vacancies in senior leadership positions over the coming years. Women are likely to be candidates for these openings, as the number of women pursuing doctoral degrees is rising. However, in the present scenario, there is a dearth of women in senior leadership positions in India. With a purpose to identify the factors influencing the decision of women to take up senior leadership positions, a cross-sectional survey was planned in India. Female faculty ( n = 136) employed on a tenure basis in state public universities were the respondents. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions. About 48% of the participants expressed that they decline opportunities for administrative positions. The distance to the workplace was found to be a barrier to take up senior leadership positions. Recommendations to promote the readiness of women to take up senior leadership are discussed.

Highlights

Higher education is anticipating many vacancies in senior leadership positions over the coming years (Marshall et al, 2009)
In the current Indian scenario, women are hardly visible in senior leadership positions in academia, and the majority (66.22%) of women are stagnant at the middle-level leadership positions (Banker & Banker, 2017; Ghara, 2016)
6.67% of women were in senior leadership positions, namely, Vice Chancellor, Director, or Dean (Banker & Banker, 2017), in India

Summary

Introduction

Higher education is anticipating many vacancies in senior leadership positions over the coming years (Marshall et al, 2009). 6.67% of women were in senior leadership positions, namely, Vice Chancellor, Director, or Dean (Banker & Banker, 2017), in India. It was 15.64% when the positions of Principal, Professor and Equivalent, and Associate Professor were added with the aforementioned positions (Ghara, 2016). Underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions in higher education is a global phenomenon (Banker & Banker, 2017), the scenario is too unpleasant in South Asia (Morley & Crossouard, 2015) and India in particular (Banker & Banker, 2017)

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion