The Organisation of academic work and university administration: A qualitative study from Greece. Dimitrios Mattheou University of Athens

Transcription

1 The Organisation of academic work and university administration: A qualitative study from Greece Dimitrios Mattheou University of Athens Anna Saiti Harokopio University

2 The purpose of this study is: To investigate, through case study, the extent to which management theory and its implementation are being integrated into Greek universities and whether or not they play a formative role To derive recommendations on university management so that universities can function more like adaptive and entrepreneurial organisations Greek Higher Education Higher education in Greece (Universities and Technological Institutions) is exclusively provided by public institutions. According to the Greek institution, higher education is under the legal entities of public law and all university-level institutions are self-governing.

3 Methodology 1. Case Studies 2. Interviews with administrative staff of the universities were obtained for supplementary information.

4 1 st Case Study Announcement and appointing of an academic post Legislative Framework:Law No 1268 / Research Hypothesis: Suppose that an academic university department wishes to announce and to fill an academic teaching/research post.

5 Research Question 1: What is the current procedure?. Decision is sent for approval to the ministry of education and then to the ministry of finance Publication of the announcement in the government gazette and in the newspapers Application forms and submission together with all the documentation necessary for their application, to the secretariat of the department An advisory committee of three members of the department of the same or a closely related field of knowledge has to be formed by a decision of the general council of the department. (a time limit of 15 days)

6 The committee submits a specific documentary report to the general council of the department within forty days after its appointment and is disseminated to the candidates who may submit a memorandum regarding the report. The general council of the department meets under the head of the department in common session with the electorate. (ten days from the submission of the introductory report)

7 The decision and the minutes are sent to the competent minister for approval The minutes of the procedures for the election of a member of the department are published annually in a special volume under the responsibility of the corresponding department and are accessible to everyone.

8 Research Question 2: What is necessary in order to develop the relevant wisdom or to lessen the gap between the reality and wisdom? It seems straight forward and that procedure is carried out by the university itself, but the procedures are rather complicated since they involve activities in two ministries: the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.

9 Evaluation of the case report: Although university institutions are completely selfgoverned organizations, the institutions of university education do not actually manage their business as they wish.

10 2 nd Case Study: Announcement and appointing of management staff Legislative Framework: In the Greek universities the determination of the demand forecasted for the recruitment and selection of the university administrative staff depends entirely on the organizational chart.

11 Research Hypothesis: Suppose that there is a case of an administrative university staff recruitment and selection. Research Question 1: What is the current procedure? The needs of the administrative workforce have been determined by the university and approved by the Ministry of Education, the selection process begins with the announcement of the vacancies in newspapers and in other media, and those interested in the post fill in an application form and submit it, together with all the necessary legal documents, to the Higher Council Selection Staff known as ASEP.

12 Research Question 2: What is necessary in order to develop the relevant wisdom or to lessen the gap between the reality and wisdom? Given that universities have the power to determine their management staffing needs, clearly the decision to grant such a recruitment and selection should be a task for the university.

13 Evaluation of the case report: The involvement of ASEP and the Ministry of Education in the recruitment and selection of university administrative staff is more an extension of the bureaucratic procedure rather than a substantive involvement to facilitate the process.

14 IMHE / OECD Conference Paris 2005 Conclusions From the above case studies it is evident that: Administration system in Greece strongly follows a model of State supervision and that there are no boundaries between proper delegation of authority and responsibility at university level. No time management Only legislation can improve the efficiency of the Greek university system. Over-emphasis of the legal aspects of the announcement of a vacancy and less interest in the principle objective of an advertisement. Focus mainly on the administrative mechanisms themselves and not on the qualitative development of the universities

15 Recommendations 1. A move towards a more entrepreneurial management would result in the more efficient use of increasingly scarce resources and thus improve the efficiency and quality of universities. 2. Since there is a clear link between the devolution of administrative power, good time management and managerial efficiency, the Greek education system should move forward more quickly to a greater devolution of administrative power.

16 Recommendations 3. Approval procedures should be shortened and new administrative methods should be designed. 4. Rational devolution of management power and tasks among the university departments, as well as the powers of decision-making to specific councils for the implementation of higher educational policy, is bound to make a positive contribution to university efficiency.