The Evolving Role of the External Search Firm in the Canadian Decanal Search - Study Abstract and Introduction

Oct 15, 2026

The article examines how external search firms have increasingly influenced Canadian dean-level recruitment, affecting both the decanal search process and the experiences of candidates. While existing knowledge about Canadian deanship largely reflects an institutional perspective, this study broadens understanding through participation of provosts, deans, and search firm representatives. The findings inform search policy and procedures and introduce a conceptual framework to support further research on senior administrative hiring in Canadian universities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

The Role of the Firm

The Evolving Role of the External Search Firm in the Canadian Decanal Search Abstract Despite the critical role academic deans play in the leadership and success of universities, most of what we know about the Canadian deanship we know from an institutional perspective, including our understanding of the recruitment and selection process. The findings presented in this article will facilitate a better understanding of how the increased involvement of external search firms in decanal searches has influenced both the decanal search process and the experiences of those candidates involved in the search. Provosts, deans, and search firm representatives participated in this study. The resultant findings have several important implications for search policy and process, and the conceptual framework proposed will support new research in the area of senior administrative hiring within Canadian universities. Keywords: decanal hiring, senior administrative hiring, institutional recruitment, search firm Résumé Malgré le rôle essentiel que jouent les doyens d’université dans le leadership et la réussite des universités, la plupart de nos connaissances sur le décanat au Canada sont issues d’une perspective institutionnelle, y compris notre compréhension du processus de recrutement et de sélection. Les résultats présentés dans cet article permettront de mieux comprendre comment la participation accrue des agences de recrutement externes a influencé à la fois le processus de recrutement et l’expériencedes candidats. Des vice-recteurs, des doyens et des représentants d’agences de recrutement ont participé à cette étude. Les résultats ont plusieurs implications importantes pour la politique et le processus de recherche, et le cadre conceptuel proposé soutiendra de nouvelles recherches dans le domaine de l’embauche de cadres supérieurs dans les universités canadiennes. Mots-clés : recrutement décanal, recrutement de cadres supérieurs, recrutement institutionnel, agence de recherche Introduction Academic deans are ultimately responsible for ensuring universities can fulfill the increasing societal expectations of institutions of higher education and those who lead within them (Boyko & Jones, 2010) . Deans are the individuals formally responsible for both the academic and administrative operations of a particular collection of schools or departments within a university (de Boer & Goedegebuure, 2009) . Deans have been understood by scholars to be both middle managers or mid-level leaders (Austin & Jones, 2016; Boyko & Jones, 2010; Hendrickson et al. , 2013; Rosser et al. , 2003) and senior administrators (Arntzen, 2016; Perlmutter, 2018; Wood, 2004) . While these notions may appear to be in conflict, they are perhaps more so representative of the assessor’s own positionality rather than the specific nature of the decanal role. When considered in the context of a college or faculty, deans are senior administrators. However, if considered in terms of the hierarchy of the wider university, deans are middle managers. The dean is a central component of a university’s leadership team (Del Favero, 2006; Dunning et al., 2007; Jackson, 2004) . Morris (1981) went so far as to claim Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 52:3 (2022) that the dean is “at the center of a university’s raison d’être” (p. 8) . Consequently, the recruitment and selection of qualified deans is vital to the overall success of universities. The majority of decanal searches within Canadian U15 universities are supported by external search firms. The use of external search firms by universities in North America began in the 1970s (Mottram, 1983) . In Canada, search firms were initially hired to support the work of the search committee, primarily by advertising and promoting a particular position (Usher et al. , 2009) . However, as this article demonstrates, search firms have become much more involved in the decanal se

FAQs

What question does the article address about Canadian decanal hiring?

It investigates how the growing involvement of external search firms has affected both the decanal search process and the experiences of candidates involved in those searches.

Who participated in the study?

Provosts, deans, and representatives from external search firms participated in the research.

What are the study’s implications?

The findings have implications for search policy and process, and the proposed conceptual framework supports new research on senior administrative hiring in Canadian universities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Danger Angel