View in EDS

Working at the Level Above: University Promotion Policies as a Tool for Wage Theft and Underpayment

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Working at the Level Above: University Promotion Policies as a Tool for Wage Theft and Underpayment
Language: English
Authors: Troy Heffernan (ORCID 0000-0002-8156-622X), Kathleen Smithers (ORCID 0000-0001-7301-5658)
Source: Higher Education Research and Development. 2025 44(3):585-599.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Faculty Promotion, Deception, Compensation (Remuneration), Faculty Workload, Academic Rank (Professional), Expectation, Employment Qualifications, Administrative Principles, Labor Standards
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2024.2412656
ISSN: 0729-4360
1469-8366
Abstract: Higher education has a strong relationship with wage theft, which has been examined throughout years of research, reports, and government enquiries. This paper examines the practices of wage theft that often surround academic promotions, and specifically, the common requirement that someone must already be working at the level for which they are hoping to be promoted. The work uses Australia's higher education sector as an example, as Australia's employment and promotion conditions are similar in many aspects to other higher education sectors. The paper provides an analysis of the promotion expectations to which academics are subjected to understand what tasks academics are expected to complete, and for how long, without being paid, "before" they can apply for promotion. The paper demonstrates to academics, policymakers, and unions, yet another exploitative practice that must be monitored and removed from the modern university as the sector looks to engage more equitable practices.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503544
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1503544
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Working at the Level Above: University Promotion Policies as a Tool for Wage Theft and Underpayment
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Troy+Heffernan%22">Troy Heffernan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8156-622X">0000-0002-8156-622X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kathleen+Smithers%22">Kathleen Smithers</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7301-5658">0000-0001-7301-5658</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Higher+Education+Research+and+Development%22"><i>Higher Education Research and Development</i></searchLink>. 2025 44(3):585-599.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 15
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Promotion%22">Faculty Promotion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Deception%22">Deception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Compensation+%28Remuneration%29%22">Compensation (Remuneration)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Workload%22">Faculty Workload</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Rank+%28Professional%29%22">Academic Rank (Professional)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expectation%22">Expectation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Qualifications%22">Employment Qualifications</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrative+Principles%22">Administrative Principles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+Standards%22">Labor Standards</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/07294360.2024.2412656
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0729-4360<br />1469-8366
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Higher education has a strong relationship with wage theft, which has been examined throughout years of research, reports, and government enquiries. This paper examines the practices of wage theft that often surround academic promotions, and specifically, the common requirement that someone must already be working at the level for which they are hoping to be promoted. The work uses Australia's higher education sector as an example, as Australia's employment and promotion conditions are similar in many aspects to other higher education sectors. The paper provides an analysis of the promotion expectations to which academics are subjected to understand what tasks academics are expected to complete, and for how long, without being paid, "before" they can apply for promotion. The paper demonstrates to academics, policymakers, and unions, yet another exploitative practice that must be monitored and removed from the modern university as the sector looks to engage more equitable practices.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1503544
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1503544
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07294360.2024.2412656
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 585
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Promotion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Deception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Compensation (Remuneration)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Workload
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Rank (Professional)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Expectation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Qualifications
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrative Principles
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Labor Standards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Working at the Level Above: University Promotion Policies as a Tool for Wage Theft and Underpayment
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Troy Heffernan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kathleen Smithers
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0729-4360
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1469-8366
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 44
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Higher Education Research and Development
              Type: main
ResultId 1