Passing the buck: gender and management of research production in UK Higher Education: Management perspectives from a case study

摘要

Purpose – The paper seeks to evaluate the views of manager-academics on gender equity and research in one UK institution. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on semi-structured interviews with 22 manager-academics in one UK institution, against a context of national data. Findings – It was found that manager-academics had little knowledge of the conceptual issues surrounding gender equity and used a discourse of choice and agency to explain continuing inequalities in the research careers of women academics. Research limitations/implications – While the case study was carried out in one institution, it replicates many of the issues raised by national studies and data. Practical implications – Good practice in encouraging gender equity for women academics engaged in research includes role models, confidence and support networks, gender awareness training for managers, mentoring and building networks. Originality/value – The paper provides new empirical data on gender equity and research in one UK university and critically analyses the gap between theory on gender equity and practice of manager-academics. It provides a link between a micro-agentic viewpoint and a meso-institutional viewpoint and suggests that both these as well as a macro national and supranational view will give a fuller analysis of the issue of gender equity and research careers for women academics.