Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-l4dxg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-09T22:31:16.380Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hunting the Snark or Leading with Purpose? Managing the Enterprise University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

David Poole  and
Bob Robertson
David Poole
Affiliation:
School of Management, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC NSW 1797, Australia Phone: 02 9852 4133, Fax: 02 9852 4185, Email: [email protected]
Bob Robertson
Affiliation:
Executive Director and Vice-President, University Enterprises, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia Phone: 02 9514 8070, Fax:, 02 9514 8066, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In Lewis Carroll's classic poem, ‘The Hunting of the Snark’, there is little understanding about what a ‘Snark’ actually might be. There is similar disagreement about the ways in which contemporary universities should be led and managed, and few writers move beyond broad generalisations for action. This is particularly truc for writers analysing higher education from the perspectives of sociological analyses (eg. Meek & Wood 1997) political economy, and institutional theory perspectivcs (eg. Marginson & Considine 2000). Building on recent research by Poole (2000, 2001a), the paper charts current understandings of university governance and leadership, identifies research gaps, and begins to explore how apparently dichotomous managerial choices may be reconciled by university leaders confronting the complexities of managing the enterprise university.

      To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with care
      To pursue it with forks and hope
      To threaten its life with a railway-share
      To charm it with smiles and soap!
      For the Snark's a peculiar creature that won't
      Be caught in a commonplace way.
      Do all that you know, and try all that you don't:
      Not a chance must be wasted today!
      (Carroll 1973)

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , January 2003 , pp. 8 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Amaral, AMeek, VL & Larsen, IM 2003, The higher education managerial revolution?, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anon., 2002a, ‘Monash South African campus in frame’. Campus Review, 7–13 08, p. 3.Google Scholar
Anon., 2002b, ‘Beijing links’, Campus Review, 20–26 02, p. 10.Google Scholar
Anon., 2003, ‘Insearch acclaim’. Campus Review, 12–19 02, p. 54.Google Scholar
Argyris, C 1999, On organisational learning, 2nd edn, Blackwell Business, Maiden.Google Scholar
Artmowitz, S & Giroux, HA 2000, ‘The corporate university and the politics of education’, The Educational Forum, vol. 64, pp. 332–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
AUQA 2003a Report of an audit of the University of Newcastle, Australian Universities Quality Agency, Melbourne – accessed at http://www.auqa.cdu.auGoogle Scholar
AUQA 2003b, Report of an audit of Swinburne University of Technology, Australian Universities Quality Agency, Melbourne -accessed at http://www.auqa.cdu.auGoogle Scholar
Back, K, Davis, D & Olsen, A 1996, Internationalisation and higher education: Goals and strategies AGPS, Canberra.Google Scholar
Brown, S & Eisenhardt, K 1998, Competing on the edge – strategy as structured chaos, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.Google Scholar
Blackford, R 1999, ‘Don't panic: the universities and their troubles’, Quadrant, 01-February, pp. 11–17.Google Scholar
Braun, D & Merrien, F-X 1999, Towards a new model of governance for universities?, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.Google Scholar
Buckell, J 2002, ‘Software fix came with $11 million price tag’. The Australian, 20 11, p. 32.Google Scholar
Carroll, L 1973, The hunting of the snark. Penguin, Hammondsworth.Google Scholar
Chong, F 2002, ‘China keeps market lead’. The Australian, 27 11, p. 26.Google Scholar
Clark, BR 1998, Creating entrepreneurial universities: Organizational pathways of transformation, IAU Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Clark, BR 2001, ‘The entrepreneurial university: new foundations for collcgiality, autonomy, and achievement’, Higher Education Management, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 9–24.Google Scholar
Coaldrake, P & Stedman, L 1998, On the brink: Australia's universities confronting their future. University of Queensland Press, St.Lucia.Google Scholar
Cohen, MD & March, JG 1974, Leadership and ambiguity: The American college president, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.Google Scholar
Collins, J 2001, Universities in crisis: report into the capacity of public universities to meet Australia's higher education needs, The Senate, Canberra.Google Scholar
Collins, J & Porras, J 1997, Built to last, 3rd edn, Random House, London.Google Scholar
Contractor, A 2002a, ‘Unis rake in the results of casting their nets overseas’, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 11, p. 7.Google Scholar
Contractor, A 2002b, ‘Hard-up uni forced to ask for a $3.5 million cash lifeline’, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 12, p. 6.Google Scholar
Coutu, DL 2002, ‘The anxiety of learning’, Harvard Business Review, 03, pp. 100–106.Google Scholar
Davis, D, Olsen, A & Bohm, A 2000, Transnational education providers, partners and policy, IDP Education Australia, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Davies, JL 2001, ‘The emergence of entrepreneurial cultures in European universities’, Higher Education Management, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 25–43.Google Scholar
Dearlove, J 2002, ‘A continuing role for academics: the governance of UK universities in the post-Dearing era’, Higher Education Quarterly, vol. 56, no. 3, 07, pp. 257–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DEETYA 1995, Higher Education Management Review, AGPS, Canberra.Google Scholar
DEST (2002) Meeting the Challenges – The Governance and Management of Universities, Department of Education, Science and Technology, Canberra.Google Scholar
Duke, C 2002, ‘Staying engaged’, Campus Review, 12 2002 – January 2003, pp. 21–22.Google Scholar
Edwards, M 2003, ‘Academic take on corporate experience’, The Australian, 19 02, p. 29.Google Scholar
Elson-Green, J 2002, ‘Former Canberra VC optimistic for higher ed sector’, Campus Review, 6-12 02, p. 1.Google Scholar
Gettler, L 2003, ‘Why chief executives fail’. Management Today, 05, pp. 10–11.Google Scholar
Gilbert, A 2001, Letter to the editor, Campus Review, 31 October - 6 11, p. 2.Google Scholar
Grigg, T 1994, ‘Adopting an entrepreneurial approach in universities’, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, vol. 11, pp. 273–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hampden-Turner, C 1990, Charting the corporate mind, Blackwell Business, Oxford.Google Scholar
Handy, C 1994, The age of paradox, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.Google Scholar
Hesselbein, F, Goldsmith, M, & Bcckhard, R (eds) 1997. The organization of the future, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Hoff, KS 1999, ‘Leaders and managers: essential skills required within higher education’. Higher Education, vol. 38, pp. 311–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, S 2002, ‘Universities would do better to strike out alone’, The Times, 6 11, p. 20.Google Scholar
Kinnear, P (ed.) 2001, The idea of a university – enterprise or academy?, Proceedings of a conference organised by Manning Clark House and The Australia Institute, The Australia Institute, Canberra.Google Scholar
Madden, J 2002, ‘$4m loss hits Dcakin in its Prime’, The Australian, 1 05, p. 25.Google Scholar
Manne, R 1999, ‘Hallowed halls no longer’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 06, p. 15.Google Scholar
March, J 1999, The pursuit of organisational intelligence, Blackwell Business, Maiden.Google Scholar
Marginson, S & Considine, M 2000, The enterprise university, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Marginson, S 2002, ‘The phenomenal rise of international degrees down under’, Change, 05/June, pp. 34–43.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2001, ‘Riding the wave of change’. Campus Review, 7-13 11, p. 8.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2002a, ‘Melbourne Private must restructure or cease calling itself a uni, says Vic govt’, Campus Review, 16-22 10, p. 3.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2002b, ‘Ghosts from the past will forever haunt Robinson’, Campus Review, 17–23 07, p. 2.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2002c, ‘A new kind of university?’, Campus Review, 16–22 10, p. 3.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2002d, ‘U21 appoint first chief to virtual uni despite having no courses or students’, Campus Review, 14-20 08, p. 4.Google Scholar
Maslen, G 2003, ‘Looking ahead at RMIT’, Campus Review, 29 01 - 4 February, pp. 4–5.Google Scholar
Meek, VL 1995, ‘Introduction: regulatory frameworks, market competition and the governance and management of higher education’, Australian Universities' Review, vol. 1, pp. 3–10.Google Scholar
Meek, VL & Wood, FQ 1997, Higher Education Governance and Management: An Australian Study, Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra.Google Scholar
Mignot-Gérard, S 2003, ‘“Leadership’ and “governance” in the analysis of university organisations: Two concepts in need of de-construction’. Higher Education Management Policy, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 135–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, D 1993, ‘The architecture of simplicity’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 116–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mintzberg, H & Waters, JA 1982, ‘Tracking strategy in an entrepreneurial firm’, Academy of Management Journal, vol.25, no.3, pp. 465–499.Google Scholar
Mintzberg, H & Quinn, J 1988 The strategy process: Contexts, concepts and cases. Prentice Hall, New York.Google Scholar
Mintzberg, H & Westley, F 2001, ‘It's not what you think’, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring, pp. 89–93.Google Scholar
Moodie, G 2003, ‘Old values back in rebalance’, The Australian, 19 02, p. 29.Google ScholarPubMed
Myton, D 2001, ‘The Brown version’, Campus Review, 29 08 - 4 September, pp. 4–5.Google Scholar
Myton, D 2002a, ‘Overseas boom to drive knowledge economy’, Campus Review, 9-15 10, p. 1.Google Scholar
Myton, D 2002b, ‘Doing the business’, Campus Review, 16-22 10, p. 4.Google Scholar
Myton, D 2002c, ‘Hume with a view’, Campus Review, 31 07-6 08, p. 4.Google Scholar
Myton, D 2003a, ‘Bitter picture of Australian university life’, Campus Review, 22-28 01, pp. 1–2.Google Scholar
Myton, D 2003b, ‘Grim and bear it’. Campus Review, 22-28 01, pp. 8–9.Google Scholar
Poole, D 2000, The strategic management of international entrepreneurial activities at Australian universities, unpublished PhD thesis, School of Management, University of Technology, Sydney.Google Scholar
Poole, D 2001a, ‘Strategically managing entrepreneurialism: the Australian university experience’. Higher Education Quarterly, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 306–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poole, D 2001b, ‘What's behind international success?’, Campus Review, 15-21 11, p. 10.Google Scholar
Rees, S & Rodley, G (eds) 1995, The human costs of managerialiam, Pluto Press, Leichardt.Google Scholar
Reid, I 1996, Higher education or education for hire?, Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton.Google Scholar
Rhoades, G & Sporn, B 2002, ‘New models of management and shifting modes and costs of production: Europe and the United States’, Tertiary Education and Management, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 3–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schuller, T (ed.) 1995, The changing university? SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Schuster, JH, Smith, DG, Corak, KA, & Yamada, MM 1994, Strategic governance, Oryx Press, New York.Google Scholar
Slaughter, S & Leslie, LL 1997, Academic capitalism, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Stacey, R 1992, Managing the unknowable – strategic boundaries between order and chaos in organizations, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Stroh, P & Miller, WW 1994, ‘Learning to thrive on paradox’, Training and Development, 09, pp. 28–39.Google Scholar
Tierney, J 2003, The great university reform debate – information pack, Office of Senator John Tierney, Newcastle.Google Scholar
Tight, M 2000, ‘The higher education management literature: an analysis and critique’, Paper presented at the 22nd EAIR Forum, Berlin, 6-9 09.Google Scholar
UTS 2002, ‘Meeting the challenges: The governance and management of universities’ Response from the University of Technology, Sydney (http://www.backingaustraliasfuture.gov.au/submissions/issues_sub/issucs3.htm)Google Scholar
Way, N 2002, ‘Education: Offshore, off course’. Business Review Weekly, 17 09.Google Scholar
Weick, K 1976, ‘Educational organizations as loosely coupled systems’. Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 21, pp. 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar