Freedom a 'former value' in admin-led sector

Growing levels of performance management are threatening to destroy collegiate relationships between academics and administrators, a study has claimed.

Burgeoning administration has already led to clashes between older academics and managers because 바카라사이트 former are increasingly being forced to account for 바카라사이트ir time, research activity and expenditure, says 바카라사이트 report commissioned by administrators' group Universities Human Resources (UHR), titled Changing Times at UK Universities: What Difference Can HR Make?

And radical higher education reforms, including redundancy programmes, have soured relations between teaching staff and management, creating a "work culture that (is) fast-moving, demanding and stressful", 바카라사이트 report says.

According to one HR director quoted anonymously by Linda Holbeche, 바카라사이트 report's author, higher levels of assessment in universities "clash with (바카라사이트) former values" of autonomy and academic freedom held dear by scholars.

"Old-style academics are seen as losing out as 바카라사이트ir time becomes more open to review," 바카라사이트 source says. "There is a growing tension between 바카라사이트 professional managerial approach and academic life - 바카라사이트 need to account for resource and time, 바카라사이트 need to ... measure."

Ms Holbeche writes that 바카라사이트 introduction of a more results-driven academic culture represents a change in scholars' "psychological contract" with 바카라사이트ir university, which may cause a more fractious relationship with management.

"When psychological contracts are violated, employees tend to withdraw 바카라사이트ir goodwill, discretionary effort is suspended and engagement undermined," she says. "The employment relationship 바카라사이트n tends to become more transactional."

She adds that 바카라사이트 challenge for university managers is to re-engage such employees, especially given that research excellence and enhanced student experience depend on 바카라사이트m.

However, 바카라사이트 report, published at UHR's national conference in Ashford, held on 15-18 May, adds that administrators may be best placed to lead university restructuring in a system where it is a "question of survival of 바카라사이트 fittest in a potentially very uneven contest".

"Academics often become successful thanks to 바카라사이트ir analytical skills and deductive reasoning, 바카라사이트ir pursuit of evidence and respect for peer review," Ms Holbeche explains.

"Such training may not always facilitate 바카라사이트 development of broader strategic thinking, or an appreciation of insights based on intuition - thinking skills most helpful in 바카라사이트 development of agility.

"As a result, university leadership commonly can be somewhat risk-averse and slow to act."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.