8 - Leading an Academic Staff Union as a Middle-level Academic (2003–2013)
Corresponding Author(s) : Richard Makhanu Wafula
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 18 No. 2 (2020): Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on Middle-level Academics and Leadership in African Universities
Abstract
This article examines the emergence of the author as a leader of the Universities Academic Staff Union at a university in East Africa. Using the role, resource and constraint-based theories as well as autoethnography, which is a sub-category of qualitative research, the author traces the intellectual and political ferment that enabled him to become a unionist. From the discussion that emanated from the data he collected, from memos, newspaper articles and personal memories, it became increasingly clear that as a unionist his story demonstrates tensions, contestations and in some cases expensive trade-offs. Overall, there were actions that he performed well and others that he would implement differently were he given a second chance to lead the union.
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- Abdalla, A., 1973, Sauti ya Dhiki, Nairobi: Oxford University Press.
- Abrahams, P., 1946, Mine Boy, London, UK: Heinemann.
- Barthes, R., 1993, The Death of The Author, in Ritcher, D., ed., Falling into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature, Bedford, UK: St. Martin’s Press.
- Bochner, A., 2016, Evocative Ethnography: Writing Lives And Telling Stories, London, UK: Taylor & Francis.
- Brutus, D., 1973, A Simple Lust, London, UK: Heinemann.
- Cabral, A., 1980, Unity and Struggle, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Camus, A., 1947, The Plague, Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.
- Ellis, C., 2004, The Ethnographic I: A Methodological Novel about Autoethnography, New York: AltaMira Press.
- Fanon, F., 1963, The Wretched of the Earth, New York: Grove Press.
- Hirsch, E. D., Jr, 2003, Objective Interpretation, in Keesey, D., Contexts for Criticism, New York: McGraw Hill, pp. 17–28).
- Hufford, D., 1995, The Scholarly Voice and the Personal Voice: Reflexivity in Belief Studies, Western Folklore, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 57–76.
- Ilo, S. C., 2018, Stories my Grannies Never Told Me: Memory and Orality in the Narrative of African Christian History, in Robert, D. L., African Christian Biography, Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications, pp. 42–62.
- Kaunda, K., 1962, Zambia Shall be Free, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Kenyatta, J., 1938, Facing Mount Kenya, London, UK: Harvill Secker.
- Kim, S., Mabin, V. J. and Davies, J., 2008, The Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes: Retrospect and Prospect, Journal of Operations & Production Manage- mentI, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 155–184.
- La Guma, A., 1972, In the Fog of the Season’s End, London, UK: Heinemann.
- Leghan, J. A., Buda, R. and Eisner, A., 2007, An Examination Of The Role Of Emotional Inteligence In Work And Family Conflict, Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol XIX, pp. 79–94.
- Maguire, M., 2006, Autoethnography: Answerability/ Responsibility in Authoring Self and Others in the Social Sciences/ Humanities, Qualitative Social Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, art.16.
- Mandela, N., 2002, No Easy Walk to Freedom, New York: Norton.
- Mazrui, A. A., 1981, Kilio cha Haki, Nairobi: Longman Publishers.
- Mazrui, A. and Mutunga, W., 1995, The State Vs The Academic Unions in Post-Co- lonial Kenya, Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 22, No. 64, pp. 257–262.
- Mohamed, S. A., 1980, Dunia Mti Mkavu, Nairobi: Longman Publishers.
- Morris, R. L., 2002, Trade Union Administration: A Caribbean Workers’ Education Guide, London, UK: International Labour Organization.
- Munene, I., 1997, The Struggle for Faculty Unionism in a Stalled Democracy: Les- sons From Kenya’s Public Universities, Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 91–114.
- Ngugi, wa T., 1964, A Grain of Wheat, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Ngugi, wa T., 1964, Weep Not Child, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Ngugi, wa T., 1977, Petals of Blood, Nairobi: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Ousmane, S., 1972, God’s Bits of Wood, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Pankaj, M., 2010, Resource Based View of Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Practices, Hyderabad: Icfai University Press.
- Peteraf, M. A. and Bergen, M. E., 2003, Scanning Dynamic Competitive Landscapes: A Market-Based and Resource-Based Framework, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24, No. 10, pp. 1027–1041.
- Rodney, W., 1972, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House.
- Sicherman, C., 1990, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o: The Making of a Rebel: A Sourcebook in Kenyan History and Literature, London, UK: Hans Zell Books.
- Soyinka, W., 1972, The Man Died, New York: Harper and Row Publishers.
- Soyinka, W., 1984, The Interpreters, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
- Van Dijk, T. A., 1993, Principles of Discourse Analysis, Discourse and Society, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 249–283.
References
Abdalla, A., 1973, Sauti ya Dhiki, Nairobi: Oxford University Press.
Abrahams, P., 1946, Mine Boy, London, UK: Heinemann.
Barthes, R., 1993, The Death of The Author, in Ritcher, D., ed., Falling into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature, Bedford, UK: St. Martin’s Press.
Bochner, A., 2016, Evocative Ethnography: Writing Lives And Telling Stories, London, UK: Taylor & Francis.
Brutus, D., 1973, A Simple Lust, London, UK: Heinemann.
Cabral, A., 1980, Unity and Struggle, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Camus, A., 1947, The Plague, Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.
Ellis, C., 2004, The Ethnographic I: A Methodological Novel about Autoethnography, New York: AltaMira Press.
Fanon, F., 1963, The Wretched of the Earth, New York: Grove Press.
Hirsch, E. D., Jr, 2003, Objective Interpretation, in Keesey, D., Contexts for Criticism, New York: McGraw Hill, pp. 17–28).
Hufford, D., 1995, The Scholarly Voice and the Personal Voice: Reflexivity in Belief Studies, Western Folklore, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 57–76.
Ilo, S. C., 2018, Stories my Grannies Never Told Me: Memory and Orality in the Narrative of African Christian History, in Robert, D. L., African Christian Biography, Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications, pp. 42–62.
Kaunda, K., 1962, Zambia Shall be Free, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Kenyatta, J., 1938, Facing Mount Kenya, London, UK: Harvill Secker.
Kim, S., Mabin, V. J. and Davies, J., 2008, The Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes: Retrospect and Prospect, Journal of Operations & Production Manage- mentI, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 155–184.
La Guma, A., 1972, In the Fog of the Season’s End, London, UK: Heinemann.
Leghan, J. A., Buda, R. and Eisner, A., 2007, An Examination Of The Role Of Emotional Inteligence In Work And Family Conflict, Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol XIX, pp. 79–94.
Maguire, M., 2006, Autoethnography: Answerability/ Responsibility in Authoring Self and Others in the Social Sciences/ Humanities, Qualitative Social Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, art.16.
Mandela, N., 2002, No Easy Walk to Freedom, New York: Norton.
Mazrui, A. A., 1981, Kilio cha Haki, Nairobi: Longman Publishers.
Mazrui, A. and Mutunga, W., 1995, The State Vs The Academic Unions in Post-Co- lonial Kenya, Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 22, No. 64, pp. 257–262.
Mohamed, S. A., 1980, Dunia Mti Mkavu, Nairobi: Longman Publishers.
Morris, R. L., 2002, Trade Union Administration: A Caribbean Workers’ Education Guide, London, UK: International Labour Organization.
Munene, I., 1997, The Struggle for Faculty Unionism in a Stalled Democracy: Les- sons From Kenya’s Public Universities, Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 91–114.
Ngugi, wa T., 1964, A Grain of Wheat, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Ngugi, wa T., 1964, Weep Not Child, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Ngugi, wa T., 1977, Petals of Blood, Nairobi: Heinemann Educational Books.
Ousmane, S., 1972, God’s Bits of Wood, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Pankaj, M., 2010, Resource Based View of Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Practices, Hyderabad: Icfai University Press.
Peteraf, M. A. and Bergen, M. E., 2003, Scanning Dynamic Competitive Landscapes: A Market-Based and Resource-Based Framework, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24, No. 10, pp. 1027–1041.
Rodney, W., 1972, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House.
Sicherman, C., 1990, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o: The Making of a Rebel: A Sourcebook in Kenyan History and Literature, London, UK: Hans Zell Books.
Soyinka, W., 1972, The Man Died, New York: Harper and Row Publishers.
Soyinka, W., 1984, The Interpreters, London, UK: Heinemann Educational Books.
Van Dijk, T. A., 1993, Principles of Discourse Analysis, Discourse and Society, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 249–283.