The Changing Profile of the Educator : selecting management principles for tomorrow's university

Faced with disturbing demographic trends and economic uncertainty, university administrators in industrialized democracies are resorting to strategies that are arousing controversy in the academic world. The very spirit in which institutes of learning are run has been affected, with serious implications for the professional figure of the educator. Paradoxically, at a time when management theorists in the vanguard of research are re-discovering the need for a deeper sense of form, mission and values in business theory and practice, some educational administrators are embracing reductionist approaches to cost- efficiency reminiscent of the early exercises in 'scientific management'. Symptoms of unrest and decreased motivation are endemic and serious appraisal is needed of the longer term effects of recent policy on the morale, performance and retention of teaching staff. A clarification of principles is an essential first step before measures that may appear immediately beneficial create further negative effects on the institutional identity and sense of mission of the university itself. Much can be learned from business management experience but the transferability of certain chosen strategies has not always been critically evaluated. The stakeholder model of organization appears far better suited to the long term needs of the academic institution than others currently favored in early attempts at rationalization, but needs closer conceptual analysis. While writers on business ethics have, for some time, raised questions on the social responsibilities and moral conduct of corporations, it has been assumed that universities in some sense led by example and had no need for such self-examination. In an evolved society, university administrators, since they also use public funds, have a particular responsibility to promote certain principles and provide a model of labor relations and social organization to the community at large.

経営論集 = Management journal

AA11522987

13462059

2

53

69

2001-08-25

英語

紀要論文

紀要論文

publisher