The problem with which this study is concerned is to compare the perceptions and expectations of the deans, chairpersons, and faculty members regarding the leadership behavior of academic department chairpersons at Silpakorn University in Thailand. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) was employed to assess the leadership behavior of the academic department chairpersons in terms of initiating structure and consideration. The populations included 6 deans, 31 chairpersons, and 255 faculty members who were employed at Silpakorn University during the 1982-1983 school year.

<p>The essay discusses how to look at a equality plan of a academic department experiences the, gender equality in general and how power is portrayed from a gender perspective in the academic department. Through the use of qualitative interviews and a short survey the results have shown that few of the staff members have knowledge about the equality plan and few are familiar with its contents. Furthermore results show that the academic department is run hierarchyilly and that both vertical and horizontal gender segregation exists.</p><p>The climate at the academic department is characterized by the will to work with gender equality but so far there have only been few exercised or planned efforts to do so. The gap between theory and practise is wide, the will to be seen as an equal academic department concerning equality of men and women seems important. The conscious or unconscious strategy of covering up the real gender equality seems to be done by focusing on the numerical equality.</p> / <p>Syftet i uppsatsen är att se på hur jämställdhetsplanen, jämställdhet upplevs och hur makt yttrar sig på institutionen ur ett genusperspektiv. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer och en kortare enkät visade det sig att institutionen har problem med att jämställdhetsplanen är ointegrerad och att ytterst få i personalen har kunskap om den eller är insatta i dess innehåll. Vidare visade det sig att institutionen är väldigt hierarkiskt styrd och att vertikal och horisontell könssegregering finns.</p><p>Klimatet på institutionen präglas av en vilja till jämställdhetsarbete men med hittills endast ett fåtal utförda eller planerade punktinsatser. Glappet mellan teori och praktik verkar existera och att vilja vara numeriskt jämställda utåt sett förefaller vara av stor vikt. Att täcka upp den reella ojämställdheten med en jämn könsfördelning verkar vara en medveten eller omedveten strategi.</p>

The essay discusses how to look at a equality plan of a academic department experiences the, gender equality in general and how power is portrayed from a gender perspective in the academic department. Through the use of qualitative interviews and a short survey the results have shown that few of the staff members have knowledge about the equality plan and few are familiar with its contents. Furthermore results show that the academic department is run hierarchyilly and that both vertical and horizontal gender segregation exists. The climate at the academic department is characterized by the will to work with gender equality but so far there have only been few exercised or planned efforts to do so. The gap between theory and practise is wide, the will to be seen as an equal academic department concerning equality of men and women seems important. The conscious or unconscious strategy of covering up the real gender equality seems to be done by focusing on the numerical equality. / Syftet i uppsatsen är att se på hur jämställdhetsplanen, jämställdhet upplevs och hur makt yttrar sig på institutionen ur ett genusperspektiv. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer och en kortare enkät visade det sig att institutionen har problem med att jämställdhetsplanen är ointegrerad och att ytterst få i personalen har kunskap om den eller är insatta i dess innehåll. Vidare visade det sig att institutionen är väldigt hierarkiskt styrd och att vertikal och horisontell könssegregering finns. Klimatet på institutionen präglas av en vilja till jämställdhetsarbete men med hittills endast ett fåtal utförda eller planerade punktinsatser. Glappet mellan teori och praktik verkar existera och att vilja vara numeriskt jämställda utåt sett förefaller vara av stor vikt. Att täcka upp den reella ojämställdheten med en jämn könsfördelning verkar vara en medveten eller omedveten strategi.

Leadership is a problematic topic at universities and it is therefore difficult to isolate a leadership theory that is applicable to Heads of Department (HODs). The manner in which HODs construe their leadership roles is the focus of this research project and the study is conducted from a constructivist perspective The university context in which HODs lead is explored in the literature overview. Definitions of leadership, general leadership theories and leadership issues in academe are investigated. The research findings are integrated into a leadership model for HODs, consisting of constructs (leadership behaviours, actions and values) and elements (leadership situations). The following contributions are made by the study: * The variety roles an HOD has to fulfil is confirmed by the study. However, this study indicates that leadership is interwoven with everything an HOD undertakes. * HODs construct their roles uniquely, but in general terms most HODs consider academic and scholarly work (own and that of the department) as part of the leadership role they fulfil. Leadership at HOD level at university incorporates both managerial and leadership ideas. * HODs consider their leadership environment to have qualities of the following known university environments: collegial, enterprise, bureaucratic and corporate. * This study identifies eight leadership themes with reference to the leadership role of an HOD at university; providing academic guidance, being a figurehead, determining the strategy and positioning the department, liaising with internal and external stakeholders, being a change agent, being a general manager, and being involved in student and staff relations. The following leadership themes can be added to the current body of literature: being a figurehead, own scholarly profile, as well as being involved in staff and student relations. Leadership at academic departments is at the heart of everything in which an HOD is involved. Leadership is thus becoming indispensable at academic departments at university. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology) / D. Com. (Consulting Psychology)

Leadership is a problematic topic at universities and it is therefore difficult to isolate a leadership theory that is applicable to Heads of Department (HODs). The manner in which HODs construe their leadership roles is the focus of this research project and the study is conducted from a constructivist perspective The university context in which HODs lead is explored in the literature overview. Definitions of leadership, general leadership theories and leadership issues in academe are investigated. The research findings are integrated into a leadership model for HODs, consisting of constructs (leadership behaviours, actions and values) and elements (leadership situations). The following contributions are made by the study: * The variety roles an HOD has to fulfil is confirmed by the study. However, this study indicates that leadership is interwoven with everything an HOD undertakes. * HODs construct their roles uniquely, but in general terms most HODs consider academic and scholarly work (own and that of the department) as part of the leadership role they fulfil. Leadership at HOD level at university incorporates both managerial and leadership ideas. * HODs consider their leadership environment to have qualities of the following known university environments: collegial, enterprise, bureaucratic and corporate. * This study identifies eight leadership themes with reference to the leadership role of an HOD at university; providing academic guidance, being a figurehead, determining the strategy and positioning the department, liaising with internal and external stakeholders, being a change agent, being a general manager, and being involved in student and staff relations. The following leadership themes can be added to the current body of literature: being a figurehead, own scholarly profile, as well as being involved in staff and student relations. Leadership at academic departments is at the heart of everything in which an HOD is involved. Leadership is thus becoming indispensable at academic departments at university. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology) / D. Com. (Consulting Psychology)

Although access to South African universities has increased, academic persistence among undergraduate students remains low. Three cross-sectional studies were conducted to investigate the underlying psychosocial and social identity factors that influence academic persistence among undergraduate students at a South African university. Studies 1, 2, and 3 demonstrated that academic adjustment, academic motivation and identification with the academic department are prominent factors in predicting academic persistence. Studies 1 and 2 supported the hypothesis that students who highly identified with the university/academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to be academically motivated and academically persistent. Study 3 confirmed that students who highly identified with the academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to persist academically. The studies also revealed that the relationship between identification with the university/academic department and academic persistence via academic adjustment and academic motivation was conditional on whether students were from historically underrepresented or overrepresented racial groups (Studies 1 and 2) and whether students were first-generation or continuing-generation students (Study 3). These results underscore the importance of psychosocial and social identity factors on academic persistence among undergraduate students. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)