Representation of Early Career Academics in Higher Education Governance: Policies and Practices Across Europe

ABSTRACT This study investigates the representation of early career academics (ECAs) in higher education governance across nine EU countries. Drawing on cultural and organisational theories and New Public Management literature, the aim is to analyse how national and institutional policies regulate ECAs' representation in institutional decision‐making and how inclusive in terms of gender this representation is in practice. Based on a documentary analysis, the study finds that various EU soft law initiatives regarding ECAs' representation are slowly being translated into national and institutional regulations. While managerialism in higher education systems is less predictive of ECAs' representation, low power distance in local culture appears to be important for fostering more inclusive regulations regarding ECAs' representation. At the institutional level, diverse practices are observed with more diverse ECAs' representation at the lower hierarchical levels. The paper offers a set of recommendations for higher education policy and practice regarding more inclusive representation of ECAs in higher education governance.