eair 2014 harboe&kallenberg
DESCRIPTION
This presentation explores and declares what kind of roles and activities academic middle managers fulfil. This presentation elaborates about the results of two fulfilled PhD-researches (Harboe 2013, Kallenberg, 2013) and compares the results for Danish and Dutch Higher Education.TRANSCRIPT
Shifting boundaries: The academic middle manager negotiating the landscape
between policy and practice
Paper Presentation EAIR 2014Higher Education Diversity and Excellence for Society
Duisburg-Essen, Germany, August 28-30, 2014.
Ton KallenbergLeiden University - The Netherlands
Thomas HarboeKopenhagen University - Denmark
1. Introduction2. Position academic middle manager3. Changing landscape Higher Education4. Management concepts5. Discussion: a critical juncture?
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
We are “administrators” working on the cross field between the domains of professionals (researchers/teachers) and administrators (management, administration).We fulfilled our PhD-research in 2013.Now we’re going on with our research on academic middle management in shifting national and institutional boundaries.
Harboe (2013): 11 semi-structured qualitative interviews with Danish heads of study from 5 out of 8 HE-institutions in Denmark, combined with studies of the literature and relevant documents. Kallenberg (2013): a written survey among academic middle managers working at 14 Dutch universities and 44 universities of applied sciences in The Netherlands. The analysis included 246 subjects (33,37 %) and adequately represents each HE-institution in The Netherlands.
Different methods – but the same conclusions!
Who we are and what we do
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Academic middle manager (Hellawell & Hancock, 2001; Kallenberg, 2005) = umbrella term for the middle manager who:...is integrally responsible for program curricula, from strategy - including participation in decisions on institutional strategy and responsibility for School/faculty strategy - through to educational management - including control of education and research programs and student relations within the governing board’s parameters.
academic manager (Mercer, 2009)mid-level academic manager (Inman, 2007; Whitchurch, 2008; Larsen et al, 2009)manager academics (Deem & Brehony, 2005)
Subject: The (academic) middle manager
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Academic middle managers are functioning on different levels in the HE-organization:
• academic dean (Wolverton et al 2001, Vieira da Motta & Bolan, 2008)
• head of department (Smith R., 2003)
• head of study (Kallenberg 2013, Harboe 2013)
• programme directors, course coordinators (Ladyshewsky et al., 2007)
Subject: The (academic) middle manager
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
“You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.”
“You’re in the line of fire whether you want it or not”
(interviews, Kallenberg, 2013)
The position of the academic middle manager
“It's really a strange title, Head of Study, because you're virtually not leading anyone. You do not have any formal leadership responsibilities. On the contrary, it is a very informal leadership position. A kind of political leadership, if you will. I think Head of Study is a very misleading title. Maybe I'm more a kind of a Study Developer.”
(Interview, Harboe, 2013)
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
possibilities:• unique ‘(tacit) knowledge’ basis (he
knows what’s happening in the organization)
• integrates strategic information with operational information (and vice versa)
• is in position to speak and negotiate with stakeholders in the organization on strategic, organizational and operational level.
• relatively large freedom with regard to his acting and behavior: his role fulfillment
constraints:• encapsulated in processes• imbalance in role
expectations and freedom of action
• accountable, but no authorization
• leadership is expected, but account with reference to managerial targets, etc.
The academic middle manager holds an paradoxical in-between position
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
possibilities:• unique ‘(tacit) knowledge’ basis (he
knows what’s happening in the organization)
• integrates strategic information with operational information (and vice versa)
• is in position to speak and negotiate with stakeholders in the organization on strategic, organizational and operational level.
• relatively large freedom with regard to his acting and behavior: his role fulfillment
constraints:• encapsulated in
processes• imbalance in role
expectations and freedom of action
• accountable, but no authorization
• leadership is expected, but account with reference to managerial targets, etc.
The academic middle manager holds an paradoxical in-between position
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
The prism effect
the prism effect of the academic middle manager is that he select, interprets and synthesizes information and uses this information in a custom way elsewhere in the organization.
(Kallenberg, 2013)
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
possibilities:• unique ‘(tacit) knowledge’ basis (he
knows what’s happening in the organization)
• integrates strategic information with operational information (and vice versa)
• is in position to speak and negotiate with stakeholders in the organization on strategic, organizational and operational level.
• relatively large freedom with regard to his acting and behavior: his role fulfillment
constraints:• encapsulated in processes• imbalance in role
expectations and freedom of action
• accountable, but no authorization
• leadership is expected, but account with reference to managerial targets, etc.
The academic middle manager holds an paradoxical in-between position
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
The traditional collegial culture
“The role I really often get, is what some call a broker. A kind of dealer. One to get the pieces to fall into place, after prior consultation with the Head of Department, of course, but also with the staff. So, it is very rare that I order people to take care of certain tasks. More often I have, what you can call, friendly conversation and queries. If people disagree with me, they are welcome to meet with the Head of Department. Because I have no formal powers to put too much trump behind my words.”
(interview, Harboe, 2013)
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Guard - creating an atmosphere of order and alignment within the studyGuide - introducing and maintaining cohesion and development of the employeesConstructor - focussing on achieving goalsDiplomat - searching in a creative manner for opportunities and means to realize his vision.
Role fulfillment of academic middle managers
(Kallenberg, 2013)
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
it’s not stableit gets other characteristicsthe policy room is changing: shifting boundaries
Changing landscape in Higher Education
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Netherlands: Recently new attention for quality of teaching; quality of education; increasing criticism on (the amount of) managers in education
Denmark: high level of political attention, local reforms changing focus from the local professional basis organization to the multidisciplinary levels, leadership programmes aimed specific at Heads of Study
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Macro level: Reforms and political attentions
Changing landscape Higher Education
Traditional Forms New Public Management
Decision making
Garbage can models Rationalist approach
Interconnection Loosely coupled systems
collegiality
Tight and controlled
competitive
Inflow initial students increasing diversity
Quality assurance
emerging peer-review necessity to prove quality
Focus on Learning of students
Academic values
Efficiency of students
Efficiency / effectivity
Output Quality driven Quantity driven (“publish or perish”)
Governance Democratic Hierarchicintroduction
position middle manager
changing landscape HE
management concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Our struggle and questioning
“Today I would guess that you can not start a new program without the department head and the dean to not just say it's a good plan, but to be wholeheartedly for it. I did once, actually, started a program from scratch without the support and I sourced support along the way. Today it is not to be this bottom-up process. Today you will evaluate how needs are different places and develop a strategy: "Develop this program". And this is in my opinion very demotivating.”
(interview, Harboe, 2013)
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
The strategic levels are more dominant today
1. tension of focus: centralization versus decentralization (central staff vs faculties)
2. tension of functions: administrators (managerial efficiency) versus professionals (content quality)
3. tension of initiative: top-down versus bottom-up (and vice-versa)
4. tension of interest: education versus research 5. tension of control: hierarchy versus collegiality
Tensions that mark the position of the academic middle manager
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Dominant perspective on middle management from literature:
60’s - control agent (Chandler, Cyert & March)
70’s - “Jack of all trades” (Mintzberg, Adizes, Quinn & Rohrbauch)
80’s - Desillusion 90’s - Strategist (Floyd & Wooldridge, Bartlett & Ghoshal, Nonaka & Takeuchi)
00’s - Knowledge broker (Huy, Druskat & Wheeler, Larsen)
10’s - ???
Management concepts
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
From To
Character Professionalism Managerialism
Focus Intern oriented and control Management of external relations
Ambition Leaders with own academic career
Leaders with managerial driving forces
Appointment Temporarily part time position Permanent full time position
Focus on Learning of studentsAcademic values
Professional autonomy
Efficiency of studentsEfficiency / effectivity
Common output
Control Democratic governance model Hierarchic professional model / integral management
Trends in the management concepts
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
1. pendulum movement towards a new kind of professionalism?
2. the academic middle manager is still in the same position with the same constraints and possibilities
3. the academic middle manager is still seeking for a delicate balance, a hybrid spot between professionalism and managerialism.
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
Again … the question !
Characteristics of the “third way” new academic middle manager:Subtle leadership, but in a new and more persistent form
• Collegial leadership• Prism effect • Strategic - global awareness, sustainability• Focus on professionalism - content driven, dialogue with the
researchers• Focus on efficiency and effectivity• Skills: framing (what’s expected of me?); holistic view; negotiator;
broker; networker; focus (not 100 but 6 projects); servant leadership;
introductionposition middle
managerchanging
landscape HEmanagement
concepts
Discussion: a critical juncture?
You are invited to download the presentation on:www.slidesharenet.com/tonkallenbergThe paper will be available on:https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/TonKallenberg
Thomas [email protected]
Kopenhagen University - Denmark
Leiden University - The Netherlands