THE UTILITY PLAYERS: UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS’ DECISIONS TO HIRE OR NOT TO HIRE CHIEFS OF STAFF

Large public R1 university presidents in the United States lead highly complex institutions, face ambiguous issues on a daily basis, and have little time to dwell on decision making while embodying a complex and evolving role. Presidents’ needs include efficiency, trust, confidants, and constant information flow through their offices. To address these needs, presidents may consider hiring a chief of staff. This qualitative study using a case study methodology examines the perceptions of six recently retired university presidents and why they did or did not hire a chief of staff to help them. Three presidents who did have a chief of staff and three presidents who did not have a chief of staff were interviewed for this study to better understand how they described the necessity of hiring a chief of staff as well as factors that influenced their decision to hire a chief of staff. Findings from this study can help presidents better understand the needs of their difficult roles and how they may address them through the hiring of a chief of staff. Additionally, findings may help chiefs of staff understand what presidents require of them should they desire to pursue the job.