Higher Education Administration in a Dynamic System

Abstract

Organizational Characteristics of Universities There are nine attributes that characterize bureaucratic university. These are: (1) high micro-specialization, (2) a focus on creating and disseminating knowledge, (3) organizing around academic disciplines, (4) a provost or academic vice president who is in command, (5) highly ordered and structured management layers, (6) rational and deductive decision making (while this is typical process, decision making is also politicized and small grievances can play a disproportionately high role in outcomes, as can jealousy and envy regarding recognition and rewards), (7) measurements that are precise, quantitative and increasingly monetized, (while that is believed, in fact, measurements are imprecise and, at best, provide accuracy), (8) control systems that are formal, and (9) policies and procedures that are highly codified and detailed. In short, universities are epitome of industrial organizational complex. As an aside it is interesting that as universities have become more like scientifically managed industrial enterprises of 19th and 20th century emerging model in many free enterprise organizations is to become more like common university of pre 20th century: more focused on informal controls, knowledge, creativity, and intangible assets. Imagine an alternate universe in which a university is viewed as a complex, dynamic system. This alternate university is self-organizing, adaptive and fluid, and operates on a few rules instantiated at different levels of scale. In this university we recognize emergent order that comes as a result of interdependence of elements in system, not as a result of imposition of control and authority. Schwartz and Ogilvy describe this as a change from the rule by one to several urules by some. (1) This university is controlled by feedback loops and morphogenesis. Through these processes, new, unpredicted and unpredictable forms emerge through interaction of various interdependent, interacting parts. The new form is constrained by parts, but not determined by them. In alternate university, patterns are more important than predictability. We understand that patterns that emerge on one occasion do not tell us in any important way which patterns might emerge on next occasion, which means that causality takes on a different meaning. In a complex, dynamic university such as one we are imagining, causal relations are so vast and interrelated that it is impossible to untangle them in any useful way. And, if we were able to do so in one situation, there is no reason to believe that knowledge gained would be useful in other situations. In complex dynamic systems, where small scale intertwines with large, the act of playing game has a way of changing rules. (2) This image contrasts with bureaucratic university in which most of us work. Purpose The basic function of university is creation and dissemination of knowledge. This translates into how most faculty are evaluated annually, earn tenure and promotions and receive most prestigious awards such as endowed chairs and national prizes. In our alternate university basic function is transformation of people and society. Research and teaching are means to these ends. Only to extent that research and teaching helps to transform faculty member, student and society is organization truly making a difference. Perhaps most highly specialized of all individuals are found in universities. Just like race horses, as you breed in specialization (the ability to run a one mile race with great performance) you drive out general adaptability (the race horse is not good for much else). When most important asset of university is faculty and they individually and collectively are most specialized of human species, their organization will share same problem of lack of general adaptability. …