Representation of Early Career Academics in Higher Education Governance

Policies and Practices Across Europe

Bibliographic Data

ID17675893
AuthorsLiudvika Leišytė (0000-0001-8757-3781, Department of Business and Economics, Center for Higher Education TU Dortmund University Dortmund Germany, corresponding author), Christine Cro (0000-0002-6582-7936, Munster Technological University), C Cross (Munster Technological University Cork Ireland), I Načinovič‐Braje (Faculty of Economics and Business University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia), Panourgias Papaioannou (0000-0001-8322-5413, TU Dortmund University), Inga Matijošytė (0000-0002-9667-7774, Sector of Applied Biocatalysis, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center Vilnius University Vilnius Lithuania), Ester Oras (0000-0002-7212-629X, Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study), Giuliana Birindelli (0000-0001-5765-613X, University of Pisa), A P Iannuzzi (Department of Economics, Management and Business Law University of Bari Bari Italy), Anna Farmaki (0000-0002-9996-5632, Cyprus University of Technology), A Rojo Gallego‐Burín (Department of Management University of Granada Granada Spain), M Rojo Gallego‐Burín (Department of Private Law University of Malaga Malaga Spain), Gernot Pruschak (0000-0002-3594-2108, Bern University of Applied Sciences), Rakibe Kulcur (0000-0003-1874-2822, The London College), S Baysan (Department of Social Studies Education Aydın Adnan Menderes University Aydın Türkiye)
Year2026
Volume80
Issue2
Publication date2026-03-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHigher Education Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-5224 • E-ISSN: 1468-2273
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hequ.70122
OpenAlexW7142695333
LanguageEN
References cited41

This study investigates the representation of early career academics (ECAs) in higher education governance across nine EU countries. Drawing on cultural and organisational theories and New Public Management literature, the aim is to analyse how national and institutional policies regulate ECAs' representation in institutional decision‐making and how inclusive in terms of gender this representation is in practice. Based on a documentary analysis, the study finds that various EU soft law initiatives regarding ECAs' representation are slowly being translated into national and institutional regulations. While managerialism in higher education systems is less predictive of ECAs' representation, low power distance in local culture appears to be important for fostering more inclusive regulations regarding ECAs' representation. At the institutional level, diverse practices are observed with more diverse ECAs' representation at the lower hierarchical levels. The paper offers a set of recommendations for higher education policy and practice regarding more inclusive representation of ECAs in higher education governance

Corporate governance · Higher education · Higher education policy · Managerialism · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Higher Education Governance and Development · Management and Organizational Studies

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