The effect of responsibility centre budgeting/responsible centre management on the role of academic deans in a public university

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Responsibility Centre Budgeting/Responsibility Centre Management (RCB/RCM) on the role of academic deans in a public university. A model was developed in the study, incorporating the traditional role of deans, the components of a responsibility centre budge, and current management theories. Using this model, a new dimension of the deans' decisional role emerged. The increased decision-making is characterized and bound by issues of autonomy, accountability, communication, and contingent factors. The research implies that the deans studied in this particular RCB/RCM system carry out roles similar to those of general managers in the for-profit sector. An implication for academics holding this expanded role is that knowledge and/or training in RCB/RCM systems is required. Additionally, workload generated by this type of system, and the accountability it imparts on deans, necessitates the assistance of individuals trained in budget preparation.