Narcissus Revisited: The Values of Management Academics and their RoleinBusiness School Strategies in the UK and Canada^*

Abstract

The myth of Narcissus provides an appropriate metaphor for the continuing debate over the relationship between academics, business and other stakeholders; most recently expressed in terms of Mode 1 and Mode 2 knowledge and academic entrepreneurialism. Both myth and debate are based partly on conflicts over identity. However, surprisingly little empirical work has been conducted on the identity of management academics. A step towards this is made here by exploring the role of embedded and enduring values as a primary element of academic identity in business schools. Contextualized in the Mode/entrepreneuralism debate, a layered metaphor of academic organization is adopted, in which values are located among deep-set constructs and a comparative and longitudinal perspective employed. A value-ranking instrument is devised, applied and retested over five years in two business schools in Britain and Canada. This reveals values that are widely held by management academics and those that are more pervasive in each institution. Understanding such values helps provide insight into the strategic role of academic identity, grounded in ontological and epistemological frameworks.

A Model of Management Academics' Intentions to Influence Values

“…In 20 in-depth interviews with doctoral students in a science and engineering department of a U.S. Research I university, Mendoza (2007) finds extensive evidence of academic entrepreneurship in the socialization of doctoral students. Applying qualitative and quantitative methods to management academics in Canada and the United Kingdom, Stiles (2004) also finds that when they come in conflict with academic values, such as scientific standards and criteria (Altbach, 2001), practical values that reflect the business world dominate in the effort to balance various academic (e.g., department and scientific community) and nonacademic (e.g., students, businesses) group interests.…”

Culture of HE in FE – exclave or enclave?

“…This is almost identical to what Smith (2007) wrote in regard to FE (see above), so it would seem from this that HE is also becoming a victim of the Government's 'Narcisstical' (Stiles 2004) view of corporate culture, that is, the foci is towards quantifiable results, efficiency, commercialism, and competitive markets (Meek 1988;Nagy and Burch 2009). To this end, if a person "...can recognise the qualities of a space," (Blair 2009), then that person is likely to be affected by that space.…”

“…Interestingly, none of them referred to their own gowns and regalia that they wear to their own institution's graduation ceremonies. This then offers some support to the earlier discussion of adopting aspects of one culture to fit in with the needs of the adopting institution, and the subsequent dangers of practicing this, as outlined by Meek (1988), or the 'Narcissistical' view as outlined by Stiles (2004). Others perceived that there was collegiality in HE, in that lecturers in HE were asked to teach on programmes, and not told what they had to teach, like they are in FE.…”

“…It would appear that some of the participants may actually be forming 'enclaves' -basically, where they are surrounded by territories of similar cultures, but the characteristics are different. That is, they see themselves different to their colleagues and as such may have fallen under the 'Narcisstical' reflection of the 'Oxbridge' model (Stiles 2004), and wish to appear as part of this group, or at least on a similar level. One could suggest that certain FE institutions may have also fallen under this spell, with the formation of the '157 group', which could be likened to the 'Russell Group' of universities that are perceived to be research led, and the elite institutions within HE.…”

“…Currently, many new universities (old polytechnics), tend to be seen as teaching universities (Knights 2006), but it needs to be said that many do carry out research. Therefore it could one could say that some of these new universities may wish to emulate those universities who are members of the Russell group, and with this in mind, might have fallen under the 'Narcisstical' spell of the Oxbridge model (Stiles 2004). The fact remains, that any institution that takes the mantle of 'university' should undertake research, as this is the very core of what a university is about, that is, seeking out new knowledge, and disseminating that knowledge to both peers, students, and the commercial sector.…”