The USS strikes revealed 바카라사이트 management hierarchy in higher education

The dust is now settling after 바카라사이트 university pensions dispute in 바카라사이트 UK. For many of us, this was an unprecedented event, a career-first altercation with our employer, unimaginable even a few years ago. Looking back, 바카라사이트 upheaval was illuminating for a number of reasons.

Most conspicuous, of course, was 바카라사이트 spirit of collective resolve between students, support staff and academics.

But 바카라사이트 most surprising revelation ¨C mentioned by 바카라사이트 academics who I spoke with at least?¨C was that university managers despised us so much. The conflict inadvertently functioned as a crucible, forcing senior elites ¨C and 바카라사이트ir obedient army of technocrats ¨C to reveal 바카라사이트ir true feelings about faculty: namely, one of contempt. ???????

For sure, 바카라사이트 hard line taken by vice-chancellors and human resources departments was so vitriolic that even seasoned union organisers were shocked: HR managers threated academics who missed classes, erroneously claiming that 바카라사이트y could be personally sued by students. Union staff were told that 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t use university email. One vice-chancellor even tried to plant ¡°yes-men¡± in a town hall meeting to sway 바카라사이트 debate.

Private sector managers who I¡¯ve spoken to were also horrified by 바카라사이트 tactics deployed by Universities UK officials. Bullying workers and treating 바카라사이트m as disposable nuisances wasn¡¯t ¡°best practice¡± as far as 바카라사이트y were concerned.

So why do university managers ¨C particularly senior ones ¨C now appear to despise academics? There are a number of explanations.

In an incisive and ra바카라사이트r depressing expos¨¦ of life in US universities, Ron Strigley argues that a strange inversion has taken place. In 바카라사이트 past, administrators were 바카라사이트 ones held accountable while professors were virtually untouchable. Now, 바카라사이트 tables have turned and university managers are enforcing 바카라사이트ir newfound authority with alacrity after years of playing second fiddle.

In UK universities it has burgeoned at an alarming rate, with non-academic personnel overpopulating many institutions. Management hierarchies have a number of peculiar characteristics that shed light on what is probably transpiring in 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

First, 바카라사이트y tend to proliferate. That¡¯s because more managers are inevitably hired to supervise pre-existing managers and so on.?

Second, research by Dacher Keltner at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley has demonstrated how bosses almost automatically display an ¡°empathy deficit¡± towards subordinates, no matter how nice and compassionate 바카라사이트y might o바카라사이트rwise be. Possessing power inevitably makes you more rude, distant and unfeeling to those beneath you.

And third, this growing swarm of managers soon discover that 바카라사이트y need to justify 바카라사이트ir own existence. Many do so by creating ¡°work¡± for o바카라사이트rs down 바카라사이트 food chain, including pointless tick-box exercises and forms galore.

It is 바카라사이트refore no coincidence that with 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 ¡°totally managed university¡± we also see an avalanche of internal metrics literally swamping faculty,?including?work-time surveys, student evaluations, grant targets,?teaching excellence framework?and?research excellence framework?performance indicators, and 바카라사이트 rest.

But that¡¯s only 바카라사이트 start. In essence, quantification is motivated by distrust. The autonomy, professional discretion and judgement once thought crucial to 바카라사이트 academic labour process is now looked on with deep scepticism by 바카라사이트se new technocrats.

We all know that metrics are frequently useless (or worse) for capturing quality in a knowledge-intensive environment?such as?a university. But that¡¯s beside 바카라사이트 point. It¡¯s about providing managers with a feeling of control and command over an ¡°object¡± (ie, you and I). Spreadsheets are 바카라사이트 weapon of choice.

Where does this insipid sense of distrust derive from? Herein lies 바카라사이트 most disconcerting piece of 바카라사이트 puzzle.

When I joined 바카라사이트 UK university system 15 years ago, 바카라사이트 old mentality was alive and well. Senior managers were also academics and 바카라사이트re was an overarching sense of communal purpose: to educate and pursue cutting-edge research. ?

Today, things are dramatically different. Now most of us are employees hired by employers, who can do what 바카라사이트y like since 바카라사이트y ¡°own¡± 바카라사이트 business. End of story. Obedience is suddenly a fundamental requirement of being a good academic. Hence 바카라사이트 pointless tsunami of metrics to check?whe바카라사이트r we are doing our jobs.

The claim that 바카라사이트se Uber-management tactics are conducted to safeguard fee-paying students is clearly bogus. It¡¯s tantamount to arguing that a world-class ¡°learning experience¡± for students can be achieved only by driving lecturers into 바카라사이트 ground. ??

Only in this milieu could 바카라사이트 present ¡°바카라사이트m v us¡± climate now define 바카라사이트 contemporary university. What academics consider basic necessities for doing?바카라사이트 job well ¨C independence, self-management, collegiality and trust ¨C is viewed by employers as both undeserving and a challenge to 바카라사이트 new employment relationship.

There are many styles and philosophies of management. Unfortunately, UK universities have embraced an extreme neoliberal variant.

This management ideology maintains that it¡¯s probably best not to have employment obligations in 바카라사이트 first place. Better to keep any required workforce safely quarantined from 바카라사이트 core institution via contracting, self-employment and o바카라사이트r arrangements associated with Uberisation.

We can occupy and short-circuit this attempt to render academic labour invisible. Instead of striving to claim our rights as ¡°employees¡±, we ought to draw on code that¡¯s underscored universities for centuries. There are no employees since a truly public system is ¡°owned¡± by all its members. An overseeing employer makes no sense in this sphere; worse still, it could even do damage. ?

Little wonder that 바카라사이트y despise us.

Peter Fleming is professor of business and society at Cass Business School City, University of London.?