Stakeholders' perceptions of the work of non-academic middle managers in two universities in Ghana

Abstract

In Ghana, two main groups of middle managers exist in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), namely academic and non-academic. However, the extant literature provides little research on the quality of the role of Non-Academic Middle Managers (NAMMs), making it difficult to understand their roles and thereby creating the impression that the services they render are of poor quality. This study is a mixed method design, employing the convergent parallel approach which consists of a self-administered survey-questionnaire and structured interview to collect data from the participants in two universities (one public and one private). Using purposive sample technique, 231 participants were involved, including 64 academic staff, 148 undergraduates third and final year students and 19 NAMMs. Three research questions guided this study: (1) what roles do NAMMs play in HEIs? (2) what are the perceptions of academic staff of NAMMs in relation to quality of service provided to the university community? (3) what are the perceptions of students of NAMMs on quality of service received? The data collected were analysed with the aid of SPSS version 21, NVivo version 10, and a thematic framework adapted from Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings revealed that academics had a negative view of the performance of NAMMs; the students were divided on the quality of service; and the NAMMs complained about several challenges: Inadequate training, lack of recognition, lack of trust and workload issues. Though some of the challenges could be ascribed to the NAMMs’ leadership style, majority of these challenges were as a result of the top management style and behaviour. This study contributes to the theoretical framework on NAMMs based on the findings obtained. It shows how the relationships among the groups under the supervision of the top management influence the quality of service rendered. A model on improved service quality at HEIs was also designed. For NAMMs to thrive in universities, top management must change its management style and attitude. Finally, this study adds to the empirical literature on NAMMs in HEIs’ management