It's Very Different Here: Practice-Based Academic Staff Induction and Retention

Virginia King; Jannie Roed; Louise Wilson

doi:10.1080/1360080X.2018.1496516

It's Very Different Here: Practice-Based Academic Staff Induction and Retention

Virginia King, Jannie Roed, Louise Wilson

School of Health and Care

University of West London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

96 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The sociologist, Max Weber (1864-1920), suggested that few could withstand the frustrations of academic life. As the strategic management of human resources begins to differentiate higher education institutions (HEIs) in league tables, the costs of voluntary staff turnover (attrition) become more significant. In this paper, we consider links between induction (orientation) and retention for academic staff. We report on a qualitative study of thirty academic staff in five United Kingdom HEIs who were recruited on the basis of their professional experience. Their practice-based knowledge lends our participants particular insight into their HEI induction experience which, where found wanting, led in several cases to resignation. We analyse the induction experiences of our participants to glean explanations for these perceived shortcomings. Since induction interventions are thought to lead to improved retention, we recommend policy and practice changes to induction which may benefit all academic staff.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	470-484
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
Volume	40
Issue number	5
Early online date	23 Jul 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1496516
Publication status	Published - 3 Sept 2018

Bibliographical note

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, on 23/07/2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1496516

Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Keywords

academic staff
faculty
onboarding
retention
turnover

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences

Access to Document

10.1080/1360080X.2018.1496516

Post-PrintAccepted author manuscript, 898 KB

Cite this

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title = "It's Very Different Here: Practice-Based Academic Staff Induction and Retention",

abstract = "The sociologist, Max Weber (1864-1920), suggested that few could withstand the frustrations of academic life. As the strategic management of human resources begins to differentiate higher education institutions (HEIs) in league tables, the costs of voluntary staff turnover (attrition) become more significant. In this paper, we consider links between induction (orientation) and retention for academic staff. We report on a qualitative study of thirty academic staff in five United Kingdom HEIs who were recruited on the basis of their professional experience. Their practice-based knowledge lends our participants particular insight into their HEI induction experience which, where found wanting, led in several cases to resignation. We analyse the induction experiences of our participants to glean explanations for these perceived shortcomings. Since induction interventions are thought to lead to improved retention, we recommend policy and practice changes to induction which may benefit all academic staff.",

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author = "Virginia King and Jannie Roed and Louise Wilson",

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N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, on 23/07/2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1496516 Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

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AB - The sociologist, Max Weber (1864-1920), suggested that few could withstand the frustrations of academic life. As the strategic management of human resources begins to differentiate higher education institutions (HEIs) in league tables, the costs of voluntary staff turnover (attrition) become more significant. In this paper, we consider links between induction (orientation) and retention for academic staff. We report on a qualitative study of thirty academic staff in five United Kingdom HEIs who were recruited on the basis of their professional experience. Their practice-based knowledge lends our participants particular insight into their HEI induction experience which, where found wanting, led in several cases to resignation. We analyse the induction experiences of our participants to glean explanations for these perceived shortcomings. Since induction interventions are thought to lead to improved retention, we recommend policy and practice changes to induction which may benefit all academic staff.

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ER -

It's Very Different Here: Practice-Based Academic Staff Induction and Retention

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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