Leadership Foundation

Leadership and work-life balance

In April 2014, the Higher Education Leadership and Management Survey (HELMs) was sent to over 7,000 individuals in the UK who had previously had some involvement with the Leadership Foundation. The survey was designed in collaboration with Ashridge Business School and the University of the West of England. This report is one of four that analyse the data generated by HELMs. It focuses on the qualitative data relating to respondents’perspectives on the skills and experience that are necessary to lead in higher education, on the attributes and skills that they look for in their own leaders, and their views around the challenges that lie ahead for higher education institutions Other major themes that emerged from the HELMs data set include what is expected from leadership, work–life balance, and motivating and developing staff.

This report provides an examination of the responses of the HELMs sub-sample of 848 staff working in UK higher education institutions. It is dominated by senior staff and those in professional service roles, but it nonetheless broadly reflects the heterogeneity of the sector in terms of institutional type, job role, and demographic characteristics.

It focuses on respondents’ perceptions of their work–life balance, including their workload, their ability to cope, and the availability of flexible working. It also examines key antecedents and consequences of work–life balance and proposes a series of recommendations based on the data.

Paper written by Dr Kim Peters, University of Queensland and Professor Michelle. K Ryan, University of Exeter and University of Gronignen

Also in the HELMs series:

• Leading higher education
• Motivating and developing leaders
  
• Governors' views of higher education