Managing Academics on Short Term Contracts

Over 40 per cent of academic staff in Higher Education and an unspecified number of support and part time staff, are employed on fixed term contracts. This article reports the findings of a study into the experiences of academic staff on such contracts. It argues that temporary employees' contractual status affects their ability to perform effectively and reduces their level of commitment to the organisation. It considers the implication of these findings and argues that while some of the factors which have prompted the use of temporary contracts may lie beyond the control of Higher Education institutions, universities could reduce their negative effects by reviewing the way in which temporary staff, who now make up almost half of the academic population, are managed.