Excellence has become a ‘hoorah’ word which is widely used in higher education institutions to legitimate practices related to the recruitment/progression of staff. It can be seen as reflecting an institutionalised belief that such evaluative processes are unaffected by the social characteristics of those who work in them or their relationships with each other. Such views have been challenged by gender theorists and by those researching informal power in state structures. The purpose of this article is to raise the possibility that excellence is an ‘idealised cultural construct’ and a ‘rationalising myth’. Drawing on data from qualitative interviews with 67 men and women, who were candidates or evaluators in recruitment/progression processes in five higher educational institutions (in Ireland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany and Italy), it conceptualises and illustrates masculinist, relational and ‘local fit’ micro-political practices that are seen to affect such recruitment/progression. Variation exists by gender and by contextual positioning in the process (i.e. as evaluator/candidate). These practices illustrate the perceived importance of the enactment of informal power. The article suggests that the construct of excellence is used to obscure these practices and to maintain organisational legitimacy in the context of multiple stakeholders with conflicting expectations.

The objective of this research is to explore the experiences of the first generations of Spanish academics that carried out research stays in foreign institutions. The analysis of 30 semi-structured interviews shows the interviewees’ evaluation of their stay abroad, the impact that this had on their academic career and how the return to the home institution was a complex process of adaptation. It is an exploratory research which attempts to contribute to current debates about international mobility of academic staff. While it confirms that generally speaking mobility is perceived as positive there are negative aspects related to academics’ (re)integration related to cultural specificities and of the maturity of the scientific system.

Universities present themselves as meritocratic organizations; however, there is evidence that such claims are ‘rationalised myths’. This article is concerned with the perceived effect of micropolitics on academic careers in two case study universities: a collegial Spanish and a managerial Irish one. The data are drawn from 86 semi-structured interviews with academics (43 from each context). The focus is on two aspects of micropolitics: those related to career experiences, particularly networks; and those related to the evaluation of candidates, particularly double standards. Research results show that informal social networks are perceived to facilitate career progression; and these are referred to in particular by the Spanish male respondents. Double standards in evaluation are used to favour specific candidates: local ones in the Spanish case, men in the Irish case. Men in the Spanish context refer more openly than their Irish counterparts to these double standards, arguably reflecting the strength of discourses other than merit in that context. The results suggest that the informal structure influences the formal structure regardless of the governance model, raising fundamental questions about the nature of universities and the limitations of structural changes.

The diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease (ND) produces profound changes in the quality of life of the affected families. Despite the vital importance of these processes, the scientific literature has addressed this topic almost exclusively relating to the main caregiver or using limited approaches. Thus, the main objective of this research is to achieve a deeper understanding of the quality of family life of people with a neurodegenerative disease, following a mixed-method approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methodology. The quantitative instrument was the Spanish version of the Family Quality of Life Survey-Neurodegenerative Disease (FQOLS-ND), which was completed by 300 participating families. The qualitative methodology was used in two focus groups with family caregivers, with a total of 21 participants. On the one hand, confirmation of the dimensional structure of the scale in the focus groups was obtained and, on the other hand, the results of family quality of life in attainment and satisfaction were shown to be high for Family Relations and Careers and Planning for Careers and low for Support from Services and Leisure and Recreation. The results of this study, through the combination of quantitative and qualitative information, helps to identify key issues to optimize services that respond to the priority needs of families.

Este artículo analiza la relación entre el trabajo académico y la vida familiar a partir de dos investigaciones sobre carrera académica y género desarrolladas en Chile y España. A partir de 36 entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a profesoras universitarias, se abordan el desarrollo de la carrera académica, las condiciones de trabajo y los factores que dificultan o facilitan la conciliación entre el trabajo académico y el ámbito familiar, como la presencia o ausencia de políticas de género en las universidades. Los resultados de investigación, en ambos contextos, muestran que es el individuo el actor responsable de conciliar los tiempos de trabajo y vida; que existe un fuerte sesgo de género en el que los hombres apenas aparecen como figuras corresponsables, y que la universidad tampoco se responsabiliza de crear un entorno que facilite la conciliación.

Introducción. La universidad se presenta como un espacio caracterizado por la meritocracia y objetividad, tanto en el acceso como en la promoción laboral. Sin embargo, las mujeres continúan estando infrarrepresentadas en los espacios de poder y decisión. La literatura señala la existencia de múltiples factores que impiden la igualdad de oportunidades. Objetivo. En el presente trabajo, se pretende profundizar en la influencia de los condicionantes de índole organizacional en las trayectorias profesionales del profesorado. Se analiza la influencia de las redes informales en las carreras académicas en dos universidades, una italiana y otra española. Metodología. Para ello, se realizaron 48 entrevistas al cuerpo docente (24 de cada contexto, con igual distribución por sexos). Resultados. Los resultados muestran que elementos informales tienen influencia en los procesos de acceso y promoción de ambos sexos. Se constata también una tendencia hacia la homosociabilidad, de modo que la tradicional masculinización de las redes de poder favorece las trayectorias de los varones, afectando de un modo negativo a las carreras de las mujeres. Conclusiones y discusión. La imagen de la academia como un sistema neutral al género sigue vigente en el imaginario colectivo. La escasa concienciación acerca de la realidad se sitúa como una de las causas por las que continúa habiendo tan pocas mujeres en las principales posiciones. Este estudio contribuye a visibilizar las prácticas que dificultan o evitan que el mérito prevalezca y que la universidad se acerque a la ansiada excelencia académica.