Abstract
This article analyzes how an academic department chair may employ power in ways that advance or hinder departmental goals. It defines inappropriate uses of power as actions that serve personal interests or undermine institutional purposes, and it highlights abdication of responsibility as another form of misuse. The discussion then turns to appropriate uses of power, beginning with definitional considerations drawn from social psychology and organizational theory. Power is conceptualized as the demonstrated capacity to effect change, derived from both formal authority and personal characteristics. The article surveys classic bases of social power and examines how assigned authority, positional status, and interpersonal credibility shape the chair’s influence. It then applies these concepts to three central domains of chair work: fiscal operations, promotion and tenure decisions, and instructional and research programs. Across these areas, the article emphasizes the importance of faculty endorsed criteria, systematic decision procedures, and negotiation within institutional constraints. It concludes that power itself is neither positive nor negative; its value depends on disciplined, contextually grounded use that supports the department’s mission.
Recommended Citation
Goyer, Robert S.
(1985)
"The Ideal Chair: Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of Power,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 52, Article 3.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol52/iss1/3
