University management a man’s world, survey reveals

Less than one in five senior management posts in Irish public universities are held by women because they lack ambition and political skills, and their lifestyles are “unhelpful”, a study has found.

University of Limerick sociology professor Pat O’Connor surveyed 34 senior managers in Irish universities and found that the majority of them believe women are the source of this “problem” and the focus must be on “fixing the women”.

This was the view shared by both men and women who took part in the survey, the findings of which are contained in Prof O’Connor’s latest book, Management and Gender in Irish Education.