Leadership, governance and management in dental education– new societal challenges

Dental schools around the world face new challenges that raise issues with regard to
how they are governed, led and managed. With rapid societal changes, including globalization
and consumerism, the roles of universities and their funding have become
intensely debated topics. When financial burdens on universities increase, so does the
pressure on dental schools. This is exacerbated by the relative expense of running dental
schools and also by the limited understanding of both university managers and the
public of the nature and scope of dentistry as a profession. In these circumstances, it is
essential for dental schools to have good systems of leadership and management in
place so that they can not only survive in difficult times, but flourish in the longer
term. This paper discusses the concept of governance and how it relates to leadership,
management and administration in dental schools and hospitals. Various approaches
to governance and management in dental schools on different continents and regions
are summarized and contrasted. A number of general governance and leadership issues
are addressed. For example, a basic principle supported by the Working Group is that
an effective governance structure must link authority and responsibility to performance
and review, i.e. accountability, and that the mechanism for achieving this should be
transparent. The paper also addresses issues specific to governing, leading and managing
dental schools. Being a dean of a modern dental school is a very demanding role
and some issues relating to this role are raised, including: dilemmas facing deans, preparing
to be dean and succession planning. The importance of establishing a shared
vision and mission, and creating the right culture and climate within a dental school,
are emphasized. The Working Group advocates establishing a culture of scholarship in
dental schools for both teaching and research. The paper addresses the need for effective
staff management, motivation and development, and highlights the salience of
good communication. The Working Group suggests establishing an advisory board to
the dean and school, including lay persons and other external stakeholders, as one way
of separating governance and management to some extent and providing some checks
and balances within a dental school. Several other suggestions and recommendations
are made about governance, management and leadership issues, including the need for
schools to promote an awareness of their roles by good communication and thereby
influence perceptions of others about their roles and values.