Benchmarking Succession Planning & Executive Development in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education has historically been slow to adopt many corporate management processes. Succession planning is an especially difficult concept to apply in academia due to dramatic cultural differences between the boardroom and the campus. College and universities often have complex and sometimes bureaucratic procedures for hiring compared with many business corporations (Rosse & Levin, 2003). In a tightening economic and growing competitive climate, innovative colleges and universities are re-examining whether succession planning, coupled with executive development, could be adapted for more cost effective transitions of power and authority. As reported by others, there is little new research on succession planning in recent years (Goodpractice.net news, 2002) and an ongoing dearth of writing about succession planning as applied in higher education. In order to understand the corporate policies and processes that are available for possible adaptation in higher education, a literature review of corporate succession planning is warranted. As relevant, applications to higher education will be discussed.