The presentation is based on the results of the research project "Knowledge transfer from Higher Education Research into Higher Education Management" (TransForM), financed by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). It focuses on a nationwide online survey of 1.432 Higher Education Managers to generate valid information about the use of research findings for their work. The survey sample includes Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and Teaching, Research and Transfer as well as Research Managers, Transfer Managers and Program Managers from public Higher Education Institutions in Germany. The main thesis is that specific results of Higher Education Research could help Higher Education Managers to improve their practice and foster the professionalisation of the field (WR 2014).

Therefore the survey asks inter alia, which themes and which transfer channels are particularly relevant for their work and how knowledge transfer from Higher Education Research could be improved. Special attention is given to transfer channels such as publications, conferences, and social media, with a total of ten analysed sub-channels. The results of the transfer channels are complemented with an examination of specific research topics from the fields of study and teaching, research, transfer, and higher education management. The presentation combines results of the online survey described above with the findings of a comprehensive analysis of 2.400 documents containing results from Higher Education Research (Nickel & Reum 2024). This allows the identification of significant transfer barriers and approaches to improve transfer measures.

In the context of the TransForM project, knowledge transfer is not understood as a one-way transfer process, but as an exchange process (Wilkesmann & Wilkesmann 2019). The term used thus follows the current discussion about the development away from a linear and towards a relational transfer model (Schmiedl 2022). Accordingly, transfer takes place in a relationship space between research and practice, in which knowledge production arises through communication processes as an interweaving of disciplinary theory and practice-based expertise (Voorberg, Beckers & Tummers 2015). TransForM deals with a specific form of system-immanent knowledge transfer, meaning Higher Education Researchers and Managers are part of the same societal subsystem (Luhmann 1990), albeit in different roles. The term higher education management in this project is broadly construed to include both the executive and middle levels not only in administrative but also in scientific domains (Blümel 2016; Banscherus et al. 2017).

Bibliography

Complete Bibliography in attached document.

Recent trends show a shift towards the professionalization of higher education institutions (HEIs), with more academics stepping into management roles due to expanding responsibilities and evolving governance structures (Middlehurst, 2004; Macfarlane, 2011; Boitier & Rivière, 2016). Many of these 'academic managers' enter leadership with no or only limited management training, while externally appointed managers often lack familiarity with HEI values and context (Preston & Price, 2012; Dawson et al., 2020). This gap in competencies underscores research findings that leadership within HEIs demands unique skills, especially for roles with substantial institutional responsibilities (Spendlove, 2007).

This study evaluates the backgrounds and perceptions of senior leaders at HEIs concerning the relevance of general management competencies for effective HEI management – both today and in the future. Our research aims to focus on several key aspects:

• The educational and professional backgrounds of senior leaders at Swiss HEIs.
• The gaps in preparation encountered by these leaders.
• The importance of a set of management competencies for their current roles and future expectations on how this importance changes.
• The significance of institutional challenges today and their anticipated shifts over the next 5-10 years.

Based on a novel analytical framework developed through a comprehensive literature review and expert consultations, we categorize essential management competencies into six domains: leadership, acting in a political environment, acting with a business sense, shaping organizational change, strategic thinking and acting, and engaging effectively in academic environment.

Our methodology includes an online survey conducted in Spring 2024, targeting 488 senior leaders across various types of Swiss HEIs, including cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education, federal institutes of technology (ETH), and associated research institutes. With a 64% response rate, our data comprehensively reflects the leadership landscape across all types of Swiss HEIs. Our findings allow us to draw an evidence-based picture of the current and future leadership situation at Swiss HEIs and to gain empirical insights into the potential for improvement regarding the coverage of general management competencies. More general, the study helps us understand the professionalization dynamics in HEIs and identify critical competencies required for an effective HEI management.

References

Boitier, M., & Rivière, A. (2016). Management control systems, vectors of a managerial logic: institutional change and conflicts of logics at university. Accounting Auditing Control, 22(3), 47-79.

Dawson, D., Hepworth, J., Bugaian, L., & Williams, S. (2020). The drivers of Higher Education leadership competence: a study of Moldovan HEI’s. Studies in Higher Education, 45(6), 1217-1232.

Macfarlane, B. (2011). The morphing of academic practice: Unbundling and the rise of the para‐academic. Higher Education Quarterly, 65(1), 59-73.

Middlehurst, R. (2004). Changing internal governance: A discussion of leadership roles and management structures in UK universities. Higher Education Quarterly, 58(4), 258-279.

Preston, D., & Price, D. (2012). ‘I see it as a phase: I don't see it as the future’: academics as managers in a United Kingdom university. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(4), 409-419.

Spendlove, M. (2007). Competencies for effective leadership in higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(5), 407-417.