Hybrid roles, converging knowledge needs for graduates' careers? : an insight into academic and administrational perspectives

Pavlin, Samo (author), Deželan, Tomaž (author), Teichler, Ulrich (author)

In the paper we first present relevant discourse about higher education, the labour market and graduates' 'employability'. Second, we discuss general changes in the work of academics and administrators, and problematize the characteristics and particularities of their hybridization. Building on this, we generate a holistic conceptual and research model that questions how the external 'employability' societal and policy drivers are related to a wide range of work in academia (e.g. curricular developments, management and reaccreditations, university-business cooperation, public relations, career success evidence, etc.). Finally, we map and identify these areas further and explore differences and similarities among academic, administrational and hybrid jobs. The analysis is based on mixed methods research - an open-ended survey on the profiles of 234 higher education institutions from 20, mainly European, countries, and on 37 expert interviews. The results indicate differences in the priorities of individuals playing different roles within higher education institutions. Contrary to the administrators, who favoured more practically-oriented topics related to training and career-related issues, and the persons in hybrid roles - often called higher education professionals or similarly - who favoured accreditation, quality assurance and higher education management issues, the academics appear to have the most balanced portfolio of priorities, as will be shown below. Moreover, we can identify the omnipresent urgency to be responsive to labour market needs, the increasing adjustment of academic work to bureaucratically infused assessment as well as the ostensible polarization between research and teaching.

• Language: English
• Keywords: diplomanti
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2014
• Number of pages: Str. 383-396
• Numbering: Letn. 24, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-74663
• UDC: 378.01:331.5.021(4)
• ISSN on article: 1408-5348
• COBISS.SI-ID: 33121117
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Annales. anali za istrske in mediteranske študije, Series historia et sociologia
• Shortened title: Ann, Ser. hist. sociol.
• Publisher: Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Znanstveno raziskovalno središče Republike Slovenije, = Centro di ricerche scientifiche della Repubblica di Slovenia, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Univerza na Primorskem, Znanstvenoraziskovalno središče, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, = Societá storica del Litorale, Inštitut IRRIS za raziskave, razvoj in strategije družbe, kulture in okolja, = Istituto IRRIS di ricerca, sviluppo e strategie della societa, cultura e ambiente
• ISSN: 1408-5348
• COBISS.SI-ID: 71952128

Secondary language

• Language: Italian

Abstract

V članku najprej predstavljamo relevantni diskurz o visokem šolstvu, trgu dela in zaposljivosti diplomantov. Nadalje razpravljamo o splošnih spremembah v delu akademikov in administratorjev ter problematiziramo značilnosti in posebnosti hibridizacije njihovega dela. Na tej podlagi gradimo celosten konceptualni in raziskovalni model, ki prevprašuje, kako zunanji družbeni in javnopolitični pritiski po zaposljivosti vplivajo na razpon del znotraj akademske sfere. Naposled tudi identificiramo in podrobneje raziščemo podrobnosti in razlike v delu akademikov, administratorjev ter njihovih hibridov. Analiza je osnovana na večmetodskem pristopu - odprtem anketnem vprašalniku o profilih 234 visokošolskih ustanov iz 20 evropskih držav ter na 37 intervjujih s strokovnjaki. Rezultati kažejo razlike med prioritetami različnih nosilcev vlog znotraj visokega šolstva. V nasprotju z administratorji, ki preferirajo bolj praktično orientirane tematike, ki so povezane z usposabljanjem in karierami diplomantov, ter hibridnimi vlogami, ki preferirajo akreditacije, zagotavljanje kakovosti in z menedžmentom povezane ravni v visokem šolstvu, akademski delavci kažejo najbolj uravnotežene portfelje prioritet. Še več, identificirali smo vsepovsod prisotno nujo po odzivnosti potrebam s področja trga dela, vse intenzivnejše prilagajanje akademskega dela birokratiziranim postopkom ocenjevanja ter vidno polarizacijo med raziskovanjem ter poučevanjem.