Roles of academic department chairpersons at the university level

The study presents an attempt at investigating the role perceptions of academic chairpersons of departments at the University level, the fulfillment of these roles, and the desirability to fulfill them.A group of 90 chairpersons in six universities responded to a questionnaire that was especially developed for the present study. Factor analysis yielded five main factors: 1) Curriculum and Instruction, 2) Initiation, 3) Staff Development, 4) Democratic Leadership Style and 5) Departmental Status. Significant differences were found between the actual fulfillment and the extent of the desire to fulfill all the roles. Several background variables and role factors were found to explain the variance in chairpersons' satisfaction with role fulfillment. Findings shed some light on a relatively neglected subject - the role perceptions and satisfaction of department chairpersons. The information gained on this subject is expected to initiate attempts at making the role more satisfying in the direction desired by chairpersons.