| This article presents the findings of questionnaire surveys of departmental heads in one chartered and one statutory university. Comparisons are made between the role in the two types of university and with the findings of a study that was carried out by the author in 1995-6. The main findings of the present study were that, although the role has become more similar in the two types of university, there remain significant differences, most notably relating to the perceived importance of personal research. The most difficult issue identified by heads in both universities was dealing with under-performing staff |