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9.4 other articles and book chapters, prior to becoming deans. Forty-eight percent of respon- dents were not actively looking for a dean's position when the oppor- tunity arose. More than half were promoted from within, and those in the largest group—22 percent— served as associate deans just prior to becoming deans. Other university jobs that led respondents to the deanship included academic depart- ment chair (17 percent), faculty member (15 percent), and interim dean (10 percent). Four percent were academic program directors, and only 2 percent moved from the assistant dean position into the dean's office. Outsiders also have their shot at the dean's job. Nineteen percent of respondents had served as deans at other schools, while the majority (57 percent) of deans coming into the position from the associate dean's job had changed institutions. Five percent came directly from busi- ness, most of them serving as presidents or CEOs. These figures represent slight but notable changes in the path to deaning com- pared to 2002 results. In 2007, more people moved to the deanship after serving as associate deans at their cur- rent institutions or as deans at other schools, while fewer came from fac- ulty positions or from business. In many cases, the career path to dean is similar for men and women. However, more men (20 percent) than women (16 percent) served as deans at other schools prior to tak- ing their current positions, which in part reflects the relatively small number of women who held dean- ships in the past. More striking are the numbers drawn from interim deanships. Seventeen percent of the female respondents advanced to the deanship while serving as interim deans; that was true for only 8 per- cent of the men. Once assuming their positions, deans focus their attention on a few key areas. Respondents rated these tasks as "very important" or "important": improving the school's reputation (95 percent), improving educational programs (94 percent), achieving or maintain- ing AACSB accreditation (89 per- Academic Specialization Fields of Deans 9% 9% 13% 17% Management (HR, OB, OM and Strategy) Economics Marketing Finance Accounting While deans are drawn from every academic field, the majority (44 percent) have backgrounds in management or economics— though the percentages have changed since a similar survey was conducted in 2002. At that time, 32 percent came from management backgrounds and 14 percent from economics backgrounds. 27% cent), improving external funding (78 percent), and improving faculty teaching (77 percent). After their time in the dean's office has ended, 40 percent of respondents plan to return to the faculty. A significant number aspire to higher academic posts, with 15 percent aiming for the position of university president and 6 percent for the provost's job. An equal number—21 percent—plan to retire after stepping down as dean. For the remaining 18 percent? They're still uncertain about what they might try next once they've finished deaning. "The portrait of the business dean is changing," write Flynn and McTiernan. "A key factor is the increasing share of deanships held by women, who possess some dif- ferent characteristics and follow different career paths than male deans." They consider it likely the trend will continue, bolstered by the significant increase in the number of women pursuing PhDs in business. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percent- age of business doctorates being awarded to women rose from 26 percent in 1990–91 to 40 percent in 2004–05. During that same peri- od, the percentage of business doc- torates conferred for men declined by 2 percent. "More generally, the growing share of business deans who have never been a dean before—now over 80 percent—calls for increased attention to the career development of deans," the authors continue. "Such development could include programs and guidance on mentor- ing, fund raising, and faculty devel- opment, as well as an emphasis on succession planning for the top slot in our business schools." BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 9