Abstract/Summary

Located between senior management and academic staff, the role of the Associate Dean is potentially a critical part of organisational change in higher education. A role arguably fraught with complexity, it remains largely undefined and under-researched. Moreover, this study reports that, in a recent UK study, some 60% of Associate Deans had received no or very little formal management training and very little overall development. What they did report as being a vital source of support, however, was the establishment of informal learning and support networks made up of other individuals who were also Associate Deans. This suggests that an alternative model of leadership development for this group of academic managers might be more appropriate.