Eair 2015 Kallenberg - Interacting Spheres Revisited

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Interacting Spheres Revisited. Academics and Administrators between Dualism and Cooperation

Paper Presentation EAIR 2015 From here to there: Positioning Higher Education Institutions

37th EAIR forum, Danube University, Krems, Austria, Aug. 30 - Sept. 2, 2015.

Ton Kallenberg

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My questionsI was interested into two questions: • how do academics and administrators currently relate to each

other? (is there still talk of the existence of the interacting spheres) • are the “new professionals” really a new distinctive group of

officials?

introduction The Interacting Spheres model

New Professionals Research Results Discussion and

conclusions

The past (During the 70s - 80s) Universities were seen as: • loosely coupled systems (Weick, 1976) • decision-making processes: garbage can model (Cohen, March & Olsen,

1972) • a structure of chaos: organized anarchy as a respons to ambiguity (Moch &

Pondy, 1977) • hybrid organizations: various subsystems operate independently to each

other (In ’t Veld, 1984) • interacting spheres between academics and administrators (Hanson, 1979)



conclusions

focus on innovations

mid 80’s quality assurance start of external accreditation processes

90’s learnability study methods & guidance / learning styles

00’s internationalization

teachers quality study progress curriculumstructure

emerge of attention for diversity / multicultural start international programs (f.i. IBA) teacher training programs (basis qualification) 40 ects after 1 year of study learning lines, elective, educational concepts (PBL)

10’s output efficiency “Nominal = Normal” (60 ects after 1 year)

(Some) trends in policy - attention



conclusions

The presentAs a results of these developments: • trend towards managerialism (Smeenk et al, 2009) • substantial drive towards greater accountability, performance, quality

inspection, target setting (and so on) (Deem & Brehony, 2005; Anderson, 2008; Kolsaker, 2008; Meek et al, 2010, Hyde et al, 2013)

• formation of third space professionals / new professionals / blended professionals (Whitchurch, 2006; Klumpp & Teichler, 2008)

• universities have become more bureaucratic organizations (“There is an irresistible rise of academic bureaucracy, and where does it stops?”)



conclusions

My questionsI was interested into two questions: • how do academics and administrators currently relate to each

other? (is there still talk of the existence of the interacting spheres)

• are the “new professionals” really a new distinctive group of officials?



conclusions

The interacting spheres modelTwo groups of officials: • academics engaged with primary tasks, namely education and

research • administrators (overhead) - management and support of the primary

tasks • pure overhead: human resources, finance control, facility

management etc. • specific educational and research support



conclusions

Academics

Administrators

The Interacting Spheres Model (origin: Hanson, 1979)



conclusions

flexible environment classroom decisions

autonomy

quasi rational environment school wide decisions

autority

contested zonenegotiated order conflict resolution

New professionalsas a result of the scale-up and political-administrative changes:

1. shift of decentralization and greater autonomy towards organizations • emerge of more differentiated sections, departments and services

2. emerge of more specialized tasks and functions with ‘power’ • shift from primary to secondary processes • shift in the balance between the two domains (academics and

administrators)



conclusions

New professionalsthey: • work at the interface between administration, academics and university

leadership (Whitchurch, 2006, 2008, 2013; Mcfarlane, 2011) • have essential sector-specific expertise (Klücken et al, 2013) • monitor, regulate and manage the educational processes (Deem & Brehony,

2005) • can neither been seen as part of the administrators nor do they belong to the

academic staff (Klumpp & Teichler, 2008; Schneijderberg & Merkator, 2012)



conclusions

Academics

Administrators

New Professionals



conclusions

New professionals

Academic middle manager (Hellawell & Hancock, 2001; Kallenberg, 2005;

2013) umbrella term for the middle manager from the academic staff who: ...is integrally responsible for program curricula, from strategy through to educational management

academic manager (Mercer, 2009) mid-level academic manager (Inman, 2007; Whitchurch, 2008; Larsen et al, 2009) manager academics (Deem & Brehony, 2005)

Educational Administrator (Kallenberg, 2015)

umbrella term for the middle manager from the administrative staff who: …play their role in developing, supporting, and advising on educational activities. … show scientific aspirations

director educational affairs head quality control educational advisor program coordinator



conclusions

These new professionals: • work between the organizational structure of checks and

balances • they work “under the radar” • they are the lubricant between the domains • they work with both the academic and administrative rhythms,

timescales and staff • they work with the different perceptions of power between

academic and administrative staff. • By being aware of their binding function, they can use their

(tacit) knowledge to interpret and synthesize this knowledge within the organization (prism-effect)



conclusions

The research• online survey (SurveyMonkey) • may - june 2015 • 6 Dutch universities (out of 13) - • 1.632 addresses (from websites) of employees of faculties. • 548 respondents (31,6%) - 487 in dataset. • in questionnaire - three levels: (1) curriculum processes, (2)

education support processes, (3) education conditional processes



conclusions

Academics

!introduction The Interacting

Spheres modelNew

Professionals Research Results Discussion and conclusions

Academics



conclusions

academics (current) (N=222) third space professionals (N=104) administrators (current) (N=147)

Academics



conclusions

academics

(N = 222)

administrators(N = 147)

third space professionals(N = 104)

academic middle managers

(N = 72)

educational administrators

(N = 32)have want to

havehave want to

havehave want to

havehave want to have have want to

havecontent of education 3,55 3,98 (,43) 1,29 1,58 (,29) 3,50 3,66 (,16) 4,26 4,24 (- ,02) 1,78 2,38 (,60)development of education 3,26 3,67 (,41) 1,39 1,63 (,24) 3,55 3,71 (,16) 4,11 4,13 (,02) 2,28 2,78 (,50)teaching education 3,69 4,00 (,31) 1,34 1,49 (,15) 3,52 3,63 (,11) 4,25 4,27 (,02) 1,84 2,16 (,32)assessment 3,64 3,86 (,22) 1,34 1,41 (,07) 3,41 3,51 (,10) 4,08 4,08 (,00) 1,84 2,19 (,35)education logistics & planning 2,01 2,94 (,93) 1,85 1,99 (,14) 2,44 3,11 (,67) 2,61 3,50 (,89) 2,06 2,22 (,16)

educational engineering & infrastructure

1,50 2,35 (,85) 1,50 1,66 (,16) 1,88 2,75 (,87) 1,99 3,07 (1,08) 1,63 2,03 (,40)

students & exam administration

1,54 2,01 (,47) 1,92 1,98 (,06) 2,10 2,57 (,47) 2,01 2,63 (,62) 2,30 2,43 (,13)

internal and external communication

1,80 2,27 (,47) 2,13 2,28 (,15) 2,40 2,93 (,53) 2,49 3,08 (,59) 2,19 2,59 (,40)

study & student guidance 2,16 2,49 (,33) 1,85 2,01 (,16) 2,42 2,62 (,20) 2,38 2,55 (,17) 2,52 2,77 (,25)financial affairs 1,54 2,27 (,73) 1,48 1,56 (,08) 2,23 2,88 (,65) 2,33 2,97 (,64) 2,00 2,69 (,69)human resources 1,68 2,29 (,61) 1,57 1,79 (,22) 2,54 3,12 (,58) 2,82 3,38 (,56) 1,91 2,53 (,62)quality assurance 2,09 2,54 (,45) 1,68 1,82 (,14) 3,29 3,43 (,14) 3,36 3,53 (,17) 3,13 3,19 (,06)governance 2,08 2,63 (,55) 1,78 2,05 (,27) 3,14 3,37 (,23) 3,39 3,51 (,12) 2,55 3,06 (,51)strategic issues 1,87 2,78 (,91) 1,65 2,05 (,40) 2,95 3,66 (,71) 2,94 3,64 (,70) 2,97 3,72 (,75)

Academics



conclusions

educational logistics & planning (N=12)

educational engineering & infra-structure (N=26)

students & exam administration (N=36)

internal & external communicating (N=26)

study & student guidance (N=14)

financial affairs (N=6)

human resource (N=9)

governance (N=34)

content of education 1,50 1,08 1,22 1,23 1,64 1,17 1,00 1,62development of education 2,00 1,27 1,14 1,42 1,79 1,17 1,00 2,12teaching education 1,33 1,12 1,47 1,19 1,36 1,17 1,00 1,67assessment 2,17 1,23 1,28 1,08 1,36 1,17 1,00 1,76education logistics & planning 3,00 1,31 1,97 1,23 3,71 1,50 1,00 1,91

educational engineering & infrastructure

1,67 2,46 1,14 1,19 1,50 1,67 1,00 1,50

students & exam administration 3,08 1,42 2,54 1,15 2,79 1,20 1,00 2,13

internal and external communication 2,58 1,35 1,61 3,85 2,71 2,00 1,11 2,09

study & student guidance 2,42 1,19 1,61 1,31 4,71 1,17 1,00 2,30

financial affairs 1,67 1,35 1,42 1,50 1,07 4,17 1,00 1,88

human resources 1,42 1,46 1,44 1,38 1,00 2,50 3,33 1,82quality assurance 2,27 1,52 1,42 1,46 2,36 1,83 1,00 3,12governance 2,33 1,46 1,39 1,92 2,07 3,00 1,33 2,52strategic issues 1,67 1,54 1,36 2,08 1,43 2,50 1,22 2,94

Academics



conclusions

professors (N=129) (head) teachers (N=125)

PhD-students / researchers (N=37)

content of education 3,98 3,82 2,49development of education 3,60 3,65 2,36teaching education 3,99 3,95 2,92assessment 3,87 3,98 2,54education logistics & planning 2,29 2,31 1,46educational engineering & infrastructure 1,72 1,68 1,27students & exam administration 1,73 1,72 1,31internal and external communication 2,24 1,89 1,30study & student guidance 2,36 2,31 1,59financial affairs 2,32 1,36 1,14human resources 2,66 1,52 1,22quality assurance 2,90 2,20 1,41governance 3,11 1,99 1,28strategic issues 2,89 1,67 1,14

Discussion & Conclusions• The both questions can be answered affirmative • The Interacting Spheres Model:

• academic middle managers want to have more influence on education supportive processes (planning & logistics / engineering & infrastructure)

• educational administrators want to have more influence on curriculum processes

• academics want to have more influence on conditional processes (finance, strategy)



conclusions

Discussion & Conclusions



conclusions

• Loosely Coupled System is still there! (esp. Administrators seems to be an archipelago or a Patchwork)

• New Professionals are a new specialized buffer zone between academics and administrators

• Will there be a ‘fourth power’ (educational administrators)? (or: when will there be a stop on the rise of the bureaucracy?)

Discussion & Conclusions• Why a patchwork?

• there’s no communality • no vision on the future • conflicting interests • totally different interests • all kind of decisions are made in addition to and independently of each other

• The meaning of this for educational innovation? Questions! • How to increase the succes rate of innovations? (Keep it small!) • How to avoid stickiness in innovations after a change of focus of attention? (towards a

new hype) (incremental innovation!)



conclusions

Discussion & Conclusions• Further research:

• increase the respondents to massive frequencies • several European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, UK,

etc.) • use of Actor Network Theory for more significant understanding of

the connection between people (cultural anthropological approach)



conclusions

You are invited to download the presentation on: www.slidesharenet.com/tonkallenberg

The paper will be available on: https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/TonKallenberg

Ton Kallenberg [email protected]

Leiden University - The Netherlands

http://www.slidesharenet.com/tonkallenberg

https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/TonKallenberg

mailto:[email protected]

Eair 2015 Kallenberg - Interacting Spheres Revisited

Education

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