Perceived power of department heads and deans in public, research-oriented universities with and without faculty unionization

Comparison of unionized and nonunionized universities in regard to positions of department heads and deans was the general objective of this study. Of interest was whether or not there are differences between unionized and nonunionized universities in perceived power of department heads and deans. Data were collected by telephone interview from 239 respondents—faculty, department heads, deans, chief academic officers, and chief executive officers—in 5 unionized and 5 nonunionized public, research-oriented universities that were member institutions of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Heads and deans had at least recommending authority in seven categories of decisions; instruction, finance, staff/ faculty, students, facilities, community relations, planning; and influence was greater in nonunionized universities than in unionized ones. More authority was found in nonunionized universities of search committees in head and dean selection and of faculty votes in head selection. Greater involvement of students and deans in head selection and of heads in dean selection were perceived in nonunionized universities. Conclusions were:

Administrators should seek information from representatives of various positions before making decisions of university-wide magnitude. Being a head or dean may be easier in unionized universities than in nonunionized ones. Being a head or dean in a unionized university may be frustrating. Loss of power of heads may be replaced by a closer working relationship between faculty and heads and accompanied by a divisive effect on head/dean relationships. Loss of power of deans probably is not accompanied by an increasingly close working relationship with any other identifiable group of persons. Middle managers are likely to lose power as a result of faculty unionization. Search committees probably gain power as a result of faculty unionization. Department heads generally are more accountable to faculty in unionized universities than in nonunionized ones. Faculty unionization may not be desirable from the standpoint of department heads and deans. Even though there appears to be an erosion of decision-making authority with unionization, heads and deans still have a high level of decision-making authority.