Ulrich Beck's model of the "individualised individual" in a second modernity has generated interest from social scientists in education, particularly in terms of what he has to say about the demise of social class. What has attracted less attention from educationalists is his argument regarding transformations in the nature of work. This article offers insights into women academics' perceptions of recent changes in their working practices (in the form of the new managerialism) as regards the extent to which these are proving to be as "liberatory" as Beck argues. A small case study of two generations of women academics suggests that, while "new managerialist" practices compel people to focus on themselves and thus reflect the "self-interest" of the "individualised individual," they do not produce the social entrepreneur/independent worker Beck envisaged.