| Abstract: | The academic deanship is the least studied andmost misunderstood position in the academy. The work ofadministration and the pursuit of scholarly endeavors donot make good bedfellows since deans' academic interests turn them firmly toward theirdepartments, but their leadership of the colleges andschools depends largely on directions from the provostand university. The resulting paradoxical situationcauses many academic leaders to burn out from thestrain of trying to be effective administrators, on theone hand, and attempting to protect the academicautonomy and independence of faculty on the other(Gmelch and Miskin, 1993, 1995). Many academic leaders,such as deans, end their administrative careers fatiguedand suffering from excessive levels of stress (Gmelchand Burns, 1994). The first phase of this study explores the sources of stress experienced bydeans in both Australia and the United States. |
