Research in Higher Education Journal Changing recruitment patterns, Page 1 Changing recruitment patterns:

This study examines changes in the career paths of young academics over a period of 18 years. Higher education researchers have emphasized that the conditions under which the academic profession operates have changed considerably over recent years. So far, only few studies attempted to analyze these changes empirically. Using longitudinal data on German professors of business administration, different issues are addressed: (1) Age and gender composition of young faculty are analyzed across time. (2) Publication behavior before initial appointment is analyzed and compared across different age cohorts. (3) Changes in status differences between faculty producing departments are analyzed during the course of time. Using a methodology derived from economics, the Lorenz curve and Gini Coefficient are introduced as tools for investigating and quantifying vertical differentiation in a higher education system. The results suggest that structural and historical conditions have a strong impact on the career perspectives of young faculty