Designing a Model for Competencies of Department Chairs

The purpose of this study was to design a model for competencies of department chairs. The statistical population was all students (n: 15724) and faculty members (n: 239) of Islamic Azad university of Kerman. Research method was a mixed one. In the qualitative section, research method was grounded theory and in quantitative section it was a survey. The procedure of conducting the study was comprised of three parts; 1) extraction of competencies by grounded theory; 2) validation of competencies by inferential statistics; and 3) competencies prioritizing using Analytical Hierarchy Process. In the first part, sampling method was stratified purposeful and data collection instrument was Semi-structured interview. In the second part, sampling method was stratified random and data collection instrument was a closed responses questionnaire. In the third part, sampling method was purposeful and data collection instrument was a questionnaire of competencies paired comparisons. The result suggests a model of competencies consisting of 11 core competencies as well as 62 sub competencies. Core competencies were in order of importance: Ethical, Administrative – Monitoring, Personal, Motivational, Technological, Conceptual, Communicational, Cultural, Professional, Political, and Economic – Entrepreneurial.