Hybridity in Nordic Higher Education

Elias Pekkola,Lars Geschwind,Romulo Pinheiro,Taru Siekkinen,Teresa Carvalho,Kirsi Pulkkinen

doi:10.1080/01900692.2021.2012190

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article builds on the concept of nested hybridity. It emphasizes professional practices and organizational design in studying hybridity of steering and management of professional public service organization. The article compares public sector dynamics in higher education in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The data consists of surveys and interviews on performance management in Nordic universities. Previous studies on hybridity of professional work and public organizations define hybridity as a multidimensional concept that occurs at different levels of social practices. While the multifaceted nature of hybridity is clear, demarcating between levels of hybridity and theoretical approaches remains complex. Based on our empirical findings, no clear top-down or bottom-up causality chains are identified. We question whether hybridity is nested as the levels of hybridity are intervened and connected, but not all levels have implications for all other levels.

Highlights

In the last two decades, the role of the public higher educa tion (HE) systems has become increasingly complex and multifaceted by the influence of increasing external demands for societal relevance, effectiveness and accountability (Hazelkorn et al 2018)
In many national systems there are tensions arising from the interplay between the logic of managerialism and New Public Management (NPM) and that of professional values centered on autonomy and the public good (Bleiklie et al, 2017; Hüther & Krücken, 2016; Marginson, 2011)
The research question being addressed is: What can be said about the competing logics of Nordic public universities on differ ent levels of hybridity? The quantitative and qualitative datasets are drawn from an in-depth comparative study (2015–2017) on the effects of performance management in Nordic universities (Pinheiro et al, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

In the last two decades, the role of the public higher educa tion (HE) systems has become increasingly complex and multifaceted by the influence of increasing external demands for societal relevance, effectiveness and accountability (Hazelkorn et al 2018). In this article we use the term nested to illustrate the different levels of hybrid logics in value formulation in HE namely; academic work, professional practices, organizational processes, and national HE policy. As Geschwind et al (2019) reported, the inter view data showed mixed feelings regarding this manage rialist trend in all the Nordic countries due to a constant interplay between the logics of managerialism and col legiality In all these countries, the interviewees identi fied the emergence of new para-academic positions (positions that require PhD education and academic work competencies but are part of administrative struc tures and evaluation schemes) as a clear signal of chan ging meso-level professional boundaries and practices. Acknowledgement from university, faculty and unit-management 3,4 102 1,1 3,4 99 1,2 3,7 32 0,9 3,4 233 1,1 > .05

Acknowledgement from students

Findings

Conclusion