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Project leader
Dr Maria Edith Burke, University of Salford
Steering group
Members of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership Research Centre, University of Salford
Project's administrative home
University of Salford
Aim
This research project aims to address leadership issues surrounding the revitalising of organisations in turbulent environments. In particular, the project aims to explore the experiences of higher education leaders who operate in those universities that can be characterised as “urban and edgy organisations”.
Objectives
Context and rationale
This project will build on original work which was concerned with defining urban and edgy organisations and which acted as a pilot survey for future work. The result of this pilot survey was recently published in the International Journal of Organisational Analysis (Burke, 2008).
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In times of constant shifting change, organisations can become “tired”. Tired in the sense of feeling that nothing is really new; that the organisation has changed so much that it is difficult to focus; and that the messages embedded in the visions are so deeply buried they are difficult to communicate clearly. These organisations are usually operating in an environment which is unstable, turbulent, and difficult to forecast, evidenced by the research carried out for the pilot study. However, organisations that identify with this analysis often try to solve difficulties by creating an image, a culture, a type of organisation which is seen as “smart and corporate”, i.e. a textbook image of success. Whilst this can be successful, there must also be consideration of an alternative that of organisations characterised by diversity and controlled chaos. This type of organisation can be labelled as urban and edgy because it thrives on change and needs to work towards unifying the culture, the outlook and the overarching vision.
This new type of organisation succeeds through acceptance, tolerance, respect, and by the creation of a strong sense of belonging. Success in this type of organisation can depend on many variables, but rests on two critical axes - the way in which knowledge is managed (shared and open), and the particular type of leadership prevalent in that organisation (empowerment and encouragement).
The aim of this project is to build on the pilot work and to address issues surrounding the revitalising of organisations in turbulent environments. Results from the pilot suggested a new identification of revitalised organisations, distinct from the standard, traditional image of organisational success. Whilst all the traditional models identified by Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) have their place, the model of universities that operate in controlled restlessness does not seem to have a close fit with any of these structures. These new “urban and edgy” organisational models thrive on change, celebrate differences and do not fit into any of the standard model categories.
What then are the specific characteristics of urban and edgy organisations? They are not labelled as such in the literature, yet the brand of “dangerous, maverick, different, unstable” organisations has always been around. Organisations are now so competitive externally, and so competitive internally for scarce resources that they are heavily reliant on the ability of leaders to empower others, to organise processes and to manage change. It is the reaction and the response which is changing, rather than the problems. As an alternative to opting for a streamlined and controlled approach organisations are choosing a more radical path. For example, an analysis of urban and edgy organisations would include the following: An organisation where the “product” is knowledge, where the organisation is well established and in a mature phase of organisational growth; where there are attempts to extend the product portfolio but rival competition for new markets; where customers are paying clients; there are signs of poor infrastructure; remuneration is low; staff have autonomy; the organisation is not just reacting to changes but also has planned responses. Often the organisation is undergoing harsh pruning; it is difficult to influence external environment; yet there is freedom which encourages creativity.
As performance depends on a variety of factors, identification of the kind of leadership relevant to the organisation would help to address some of the difficulties raised by Bolden (2008). It is the issues connected with this “new” type of leadership which will be explored and defined. In addition this project will create a model of best practice suggesting the most effective transferable leadership characteristics to be used in these types of organisations which will, through the creation of a virtual community, be of potential benefit to the whole of the higher education sector. The work will build on previous and ongoing Leadership Foundation projects such as those dealing with leadership among the Professoriate (Macfarlane, 2008) and interdisciplinary work (Blackmore, 2008). This project will help to focus strategic staff development and will help to define the leadership, governance and management of UK higher education institutions.
Proposed methodology
Intended outcomes and outputs
The project will provide a number of short term products and longer term legacies:
Benefits to project partners and the wider HE community
This work is designed to have a number of benefits for higher education:
Milestones
Month Activity
1-3 Literature review
Identification of suitable cases
Initial website established at host institution
4-6 Semi-structured interviews
Choose 3 case studies for in-depth interviews
7-9 Analysis
Build model of best practice
Preparation of Report
10-12 Conference presentations
Website fully populated
Report completed and delivered
Workshop delivered
Plans for dissemination
The project will be disseminated through the following routes:
References
Blackmore. (Forthcoming) Effective leadership of interprofessorial and interdisciplinary work. LfHE Small Development project.
Bolden, R., and Petrov, G. et al. (2008) Developing Collective Leadership in Higher Education: Final Report, LfHE, London.
Burke M (2008) From smart and corporate to urban and edgy: revitalising organisations in turbulent environments. International Journal of Organisational Analysis Vol 16 (1/2) pp50-60.
Chambers, J., Huxly, L., Sullivan, P. and Thackwray, B. (2007) Enhancing Organisational Development in English Universities, HEFCE, Bristol.
Macfarlane, B (Forthcoming) Professorial leadership: identifying, recognising and leveraging the organisational capacity of the professoriate. LfHE Small Development project.
Quinn, R. and Rohrbaugh, J. (1983) A spatial model of effective criteria: towards a competing values approach to organisational analysis. Management Science, Vol 29 no 3. pp363-77
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