Department Chairs: Modern Managers or Old Administrators?

Public sector management has been through tremendous changes over the past decades (Christensen & Lægreid 2011). The role has changed from a focus on administration and rule-following to a modern manager that develops strategies, using performance information and modern technics to motivate employees. The question is how this development has influenced the department chairs. The chapter looks at how the role of department chair has changed, the recruitment of department chairs, their view on career opportunities, the management role of the department chair, and their view on management challenges.