2016
DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2016.1168796
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Academic sensemaking and behavioural responses – exploring how academics perceive and respond to identity threats in times of turmoil

Abstract: Reforms and changing ideas about what higher education institutions are and should be have put pressure on academic identity. The present paper explores the way academics in Danish universities make sense of their changing circumstances, and how this affects their perceptions of their organization, their leaders and of themselves. The study highlights how the formal organizations' translations of external impulses and ideas constitute a more severe threat on the perceived identity of the academic staff than th… Show more

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Cited by 51 publications
(52 citation statements)
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References 44 publications
(46 reference statements)
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“…This means that a single set of factors influencing innovation from a system or institutional standpoint cannot reflect individual motivations in undertaking innovative changes. For example, academics have different reactions to exogenous shocks within their institutionalized settings; this may influence the degree of innovation they undertake and are willing to engage in (Degn 2016). Still, even when studies address the role of academics in change processes and innovation, they tend to over emphasize structural and cultural constraints in the academic workplace that prevent academics from engaging in innovative work (O'Meara, Terosky, and Neumann 2008).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This means that a single set of factors influencing innovation from a system or institutional standpoint cannot reflect individual motivations in undertaking innovative changes. For example, academics have different reactions to exogenous shocks within their institutionalized settings; this may influence the degree of innovation they undertake and are willing to engage in (Degn 2016). Still, even when studies address the role of academics in change processes and innovation, they tend to over emphasize structural and cultural constraints in the academic workplace that prevent academics from engaging in innovative work (O'Meara, Terosky, and Neumann 2008).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…the response to the question 'Who are we as academics? ', and engender reactions to identity threats that vary from compliance and a shift towards productive research subjects to denial and focus on preferred activities and themes (Degn 2016;Huang, Pang, and Yu 2016). Since the academic profession has been traditionally endowed with the autonomy ensuing from expert knowledge (Capano 2011;Frølich 2011), many academics have been experiencing a contradiction between professionalism and managerialism (Denis, Ferlie, and Van Gestel 2015;Lewis 2014;Teelken 2015).…”
Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Research excellence has been the underlying logic of several higher education reforms across Europe in the last 20 years. Although different in their operational aspects, institutional actions share the assumption that excellence must become the main goal of universities as public institutions (Capano 2011;Frølich 2011;Lewis 2014;Degn 2016).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…There has also been a transition from the classic rotating system-where the members of the 'community of scholars' (Nybom 2007) took turns in office, elected by their colleagues-to organisations with line management-where managers, from the unit level to deans and vice-chancellors, are appointed (Haake 2004). This has transformed how we think about academic leadership in a fundamental way (Degn 2018).…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%