The Neoliberal University in Ireland: Institutional Bullying by Another Name?

Abstract

New managerialism and the pervasive neoliberalisation of universities is by now a well-established phenomenon. Commentaries explore the political and economic drivers and effects of neoliberal ideology, and critique the impact on higher education and academic work. The impact on the health and well-being of academic staff has had less attention, and it is to that we turn in this paper. Much academic interest in neoliberalism stems from the UK, Australia and the United States. We draw particularly on studies of public Irish universities, where neoliberalism, now well entrenched, but something of a late-comer to the new public management party, is making its presence felt. This conceptual paper explores the concept of neoliberalism in higher education, arguing that the policies and practices of new public management as exercised in universities are a form of bullying; what we term institutional bullying. The authors are researchers of workplace culture, workplace bullying and incivility. Irish universities are increasingly challenged in delivering the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles of decent work, i.e., dignity, equity, fair income and safe working conditions. They have become exposed in terms of gender imbalance in senior positions, precariat workforce, excessive workload and diminishing levels of control. Irish universities are suffering in terms of both the health and well-being of staff and organisational vibrancy. The authors conclude by cautioning against potential neoliberal intensification as universities grapple with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews neoliberalism in higher education and concludes with insight as to how the current pandemic could act as a necessary catalyst to stem the tide and ‘call out’ bullying at the institutional level.

Managerial Discourse as Neutralizer? The Influence of the Concealment of Social Categories on the Experience of Workplace Bullying in Research Organizations

“…(Morrish, 2017: 147, 148 -based on Davies andPetersen, 2005: 85) Although "academic careers differ from country to country in both form and content, 4 " the evolutions brought on by neoliberalism resulted in several general tendencies affecting conditions of work and employment in academia worldwide, notably: precarious employment with increased use of temporary staff, fiercer competition among workers for permanent positions and/or funds, search for cost-efficiency, and threats on academic freedom (Petersen and Davies, 2010;Monte and Rémi-Giraud, 2013;Collective, 2014;Morrish, 2017;Gray et al, 2018;ILO, 2018;Duclos and Fjeld, 2019…). These trends have inter alia been documented in the countries where we conducted our fieldwork: Ireland (e.g., Holborow, 2013;Holborow and O'Sullivan, 2017;Hodgins and McNamara, 2021), France (e.g., Gaulejac, 2012;Noûs, 2020) and Chile (e.g., Campos-Martinez and Guerrero Morales, 2016;Foladori and Guerrero, 2017;Guerrero, Foladori, and Silva de los Rios, 2019;Guerrero, Gárate Chateu et al, 2019).…”

“…During the past decades, research organizations and higher education institutions have been increasingly confronted with two paradoxical trends documented in research conducted in several fields (mainly education sciences, sociology, psychology, sociolinguistics): on the one hand, they are urged to take part in worldwide competitions symbolized by international rankings systems 3 ; on the other hand, they face states' budgetary disengagement and a targeted distribution of resources (Noûs 2020;Hodgins and McNamara, 2021). These trends are accompanied by management practices inspired by the corporate sector (such as the New Public Management reforms that introduced and institutionalized market values in the public sector), embedded in various tools and discursive practices that receive a growing interest since the early 2000s, and even more so since the 2010s.…”

“…Worplace bullying is not limited to interpersonal acts, but can encompass "institutional bullying," that imposes "oppressive or damaging conditions on the individuals in the organization" and "is characterized by on-going, persistent unreasonable demands on staff and lack of care for the impact of these processes on welfare and well-being" (Hodgins and McNamara, 2021). In addition to contributing to the alteration of the working environment (that is often associated with increased levels of interpersonal bullying), institutional bullying can have direct detrimental effects on the individuals.…”

Editorial: Ireland’s Online Learning Call

“…Job security is an associated issue. Precarity is a feature of academic work in Higher Education in Ireland (Hodgins & Mannix-McNamara, 2021) as anywhere else and this has been called out for educational technology/learning design as a profession in the UK for example (Browne & Beetham, 2010). More research into the experience and place of learning designers in Ireland is needed.…”

Ubuntu Politics of Process: An Alternative Conflict Management Culture in Universities

“…The world of higher education is rife with internal and external conflicts. Examples of these conflicts include clashes between university authorities and students, staff unions and university authorities, as well as disputes between students and other students or between staff members themselves, and even institutional bullying (Akpotu et al, 2008;Arikewuyo, 2009;Hodgins & Mannix-McNamara, 2021;Ihuarulam, 2015;Kumari & Fernando, 2022;Yidana, 2022). These conflicts arise due to unethical politics of process, including anti-people management mechanisms, issues related to power dynamics, disciplinary policies, access to resources, or differences in ideological perspectives.…”