he overall aim of the study was to collect valid and reliable information on the attitudes, experiences and expectations of administrative and support staff currently working in higher education. Within this broad theme, the research had a number of specific objectives:

to understand the impact of broader changes in higher education on the working lives of administrative and support staff and in particular on their roles and responsibilities;

to examine the opportunities available to them for training, staff development and career progression;

to assess levels and sources of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction; and to explore their ideas on the development of higher education over the next twenty years.

Management Performance Template 1. How comfortable do you feel voicing your concerns to your supervisor?

Extremely comfortable

Quite comfortable

Moderately comfortable

Slightly comfortable

Not at all comfortable 2. Would you like to interact with your supervisor more, less, or about the same amount

as you currently interact with him/her?

A great deal more

Quite a bit more

Somewhat more

About the same amount

Somewhat less

Quite a bit less

A great deal less 3. How clearly does your supervisor explain the company's business plans?

Extremely clearly

Very clearly

Moderately clearly

Slightly clearly

Not at all clearly 4. When decisions or goals change, how often does your supervisor explain to you why

this has happened?

Always

Most of the time

About half the time

Once in a while

Never 5. How realistic are the expectations of your supervisor?

Extremely realistic

Quite realistic

Moderately realistic

Slightly realistic

Not at all realistic 6. How well does management handle political issues that affect the company?

Extremely well

Very well

Moderately well

Slightly well

Not at all well 7. How much support for the company is management able to get from the community?

A great deal

A lot

A moderate amount

A little

None at all 8. How effective is management at public relations?

Extremely effective

Very effective

Moderately effective

Slightly effective

Not at all effective 9. Does your supervisor spend too much money to meet short-term goals, too little

money, or about the right amount of money?

Much too much

Somewhat too much

Slightly too much

About the right amount

Slightly too little

Somewhat too little

Much too little 10. How effectively does your supervisor use company resources?

Extremely effectively

Very effectively

Moderately effectively

Slightly effectively

Not at all effectively 11. How well does your supervisor handle employee problems?

Extremely well

Very well

Moderately well

Slightly well

Not at all well 12. How committed is your supervisor to making the company a more comfortable

place to work?

Extremely committed

Very committed

Moderately committed

Slightly committed

Not at all committed 13. How well do your supervisor's priorities match up with the goals of your company?

Extremely well

Quite well

Moderately well

Slightly well

Not at all well 14. What does management need to do to improve their overall effectiveness?

4 if it is highly valued; 3 if it is given a fairly high value; 2 if it is given rather low value; 1 if it is given very low value.1. Free interaction amongst employees, each respecting others’ feelings, competence and sense of judgment

1

2

3

4

2. Facing and not shying away from problems.1

2

3

4

3. Offering moral support and help to employees and colleagues in crisis.1

2

3

4

4. Congruity between feeling and expressed behavior.1

2

3

4

5. Preventive action on most matters.1

2

3

4

6. Employees taking independent action relating to their jobs1

2

3

4

7. 4

3

2

1

Team work and team spirit.

8. Employees trying out innovative ways of solving problems.1

2

4

3

9. Genuine sharing of information, feeling, and thoughts in meetings.1

2

3

4

10. Going deeper rather than doing surface-level analysis of interpersonal problems.1

2

3

4

11. Interpersonal contact and support amongst employees

1

2

3

4

12. Tactfulness, smartness and even a little manipulation to get things done.1

2

3

4

13. Seniors encouraging their subordinates to think about their development and take action in that direction.

1

2

3

4

14. Close supervision of and directing employees on action.1

2

3

4

15. Accepting and appreciating help offered by others.1

2

3

4

16. Encouraging employees to take a fresh look at how things are done.1

2

3

4

17. Free discussion and communication between seniors and subordinates.1

2

3

4

18. Facing challenges inherent in the work situation.1

2

3

4

19. Confiding in the senior without fear of their misusing trust.1

2

3

4

20. Owning mistakes made.1

2

3

4

21. Considering both positive and negative aspects before taking action.1

2

3

4

22. 4

3

2

1

Obeying and checking with seniors rather than acting on your own.

23. Performing immediate tasks rather than being concerned about large organizational goals.

1

2

3

4

24. Making genuine attempts to change behavior on the basis of feedback received.1

2

3

4

4 if it is a very widely shared belief; 3 if it is a fairly widely shared belief; 2 if only some persons in the organization share this belief;1 if only a few persons or none have this belief.

25. Pass the buck tactfully when there is a problem.1

2

3

4

26. Telling a polite lie is preferable to tilling the unpleasant truth.1

2

3

4

27. Free and frank communication between various levels helps in solving problems.1

2

3

4

28. Surfacing problems is not enough; we should find the solutions.1

2

3

4

29. People are what they seem to be.1

2

3

4

30. A stitch in time saves nine.1

2

3

4

31. A good way to motivate employees is to give them autonomy to plan their work.1

2

3

4