Factors Affecting the Role of Department Chairs in University of Tabriz: Department Chairs Perspectives

Today، he role of management styles in the effectiveness and enhancement of organizational performance is more evident than ever before، and complexity and expansion of higher education system has added to the importance of department chairs’ role in the universities. From a postmodern viewpoint، management in higher education represents a medium to bring about organizational changes. Meanwhile، department chairs as a branch of leadership، have a critical role in inspiring and offering a future prospect. Therefore، the main goal of the present study was to evaluate the factors affecting the performance of the department chairs from their own standpoint. This practical research adopts a survey methodology. The statistic population included department chairs from 10 Tabriz University Faculties (Electrical Engineering، Humanities، Veterinary، Natural Sciences، Education & Psychology، Mathematical Sciences، Engineering، Physics، Persian Literature and Foreign Languages، and Computer Science) in 2012، of which 30 were sampled randomly. The data was collected using a standard questionnaire; its validity was assessed using content analysis and its reliability by Cronbach''s alpha. Multivariate regression analysis was applied، and SPSS 17 was employed to analyze the entire statistics and data. The results from the four regression model indicated that to exercise leadership role in a department، communication and human skills and for other roles، including scholarship and management as well as helping faculty members to advance، simply motivation can predict the model. Given the duties outlined for a department chair under the regulations of the Iranian Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution، the outcome of the present work is the recognition of motivation as the only factor influencing the performance of department chairs.