Do heads of academic departments have real effects?

A big question for any HOD! Well the answer appears to be yes, which will please the HODs.

There is one robust predictor of a department's future research output. After adjustment for a range of personal and institutional characteristics, departmental research productivity improves when the incoming department Chair's publications are highly cited.

What can I say other than I must send this to the HOD of Econ.

The result comes from a new working paper "Leadership and the Research Productivity of University Departments" by Amanda H. Goodall, John M. McDowell and Larry D. Singell.