Thesis (D. Phil.(Marketing and Management Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Mergers are a fact of life in the private sector and are increasingly becoming a factor in the public sector. Organisations seek to merge in order to survive or grow by accruing benefits of scale, better or cheaper access to resources or by overcoming barriers to entry into existing or new markets. Financial shocks can play a part in increasing merger activity (Andrade et al., 2001; Harford, 2004) and the tertiary education sector in Scotland has witnessed a number of mergers in the last two decades, the most recent of which have been at least in part driven by the need to reduce public expenditure. This study considered the guidance afforded to tertiary education institutions in Scotland and highlighted the paucity of support offered in the important area of bringing human resources (of potentially disparate organisations) together in a merger situation. The cultures of organisations were a primary focus, since they are the embodiment of the assumptions, values and behaviours which form the ‘soul' of an organisation. The study acknowledged the prevalence of financial and legal due diligence in the pre-merger phase, arguing that there should also be an explicit consideration of 'cultural due diligence' (CDD). An exploratory case study method was used to examine whether cultural aspects were investigated in a particular merger involving two Scottish colleges. A number of respondents, drawn from the governance, executive, management and supervisory strata were interviewed in order to ascertain the level to which cultural issues had been addressed at the pre- and post-merger stages. The research identified some activity pertaining to culture identification in the pre-merger stage but found little evidence that values and behaviours had been a specific focus, thereby suggesting that detailed cultural issues were not a priority at that stage in the process. The post-merger phase was characterised by a breakdown in interaction between the college executive and the remainder of the organisation precisely at a time where increased leadership and communications and the rebuilding of trust were called for. Based on the research findings, CDD is explicitly defined and a set of principles to guide the conduct of a CDD exercise are offered as a contribution to existing practice. Enhancements to the existing merger guidance are made relating to CDD, continuous monitoring of progress towards a new culture by both governors and the executive and the selection and profile of leaders in a merger. Finally, a number of suggestions for future research are made in support of the premise that organisational culture and CDD in particular are important elements of any merger.

The United Kingdom Higher Education sector is undergoing a prolonged period of turbulence in its external environments. This is causing universities to seek to develop entrepreneurial activities to support the diversification of their traditional income streams, whilst also widening their societal and economic contribution at the Government's request. The researcher has worked within this field for twenty years and has witnessed perceived tensions and barriers that have emerged as university organizational cultures have been required to adapt to meet these new challenges. The purpose of this research is to explore perceptions of entrepreneurship and organizational culture within this context. The research has been undertaken using a social constructionist ontology and interpretivist epistemology, utilizing two complementary qualitative research methods to draw out an understanding of the key issues perceived by twelve participants within a single study organization. Thematic analysis has been utilized to explore the research data drawn from the semi-structured interviews and participant diagrams. The research has identified five key themes that are perceived by participants to be antecedents for entrepreneurship: time; resources; support; leadership & management; and a supportive culture. Analysis has further suggested that some antecedents to entrepreneurship are themselves precursors for others, with a matrix developed herein to outline these interactions. Participants have highlighted that all of the perceived antecedents to entrepreneurship may be considered to be elements of organizational culture, with a belief expressed that these may be amended over time to become more supportive of entrepreneurship. It has further been reported that a university has many, not a single, organizational culture with local cultures being perceived to be generally more supportive than those associated with larger organizational units. In light of this research and its findings, contributions are made to knowledge and practice, with specific recommendations also made to the study organization around these issues.

There has been acceptance for some time of the importance of the role of the academic Head of Department (HoD) to the successful delivery of a Higher Education Institution’s (HEI) vision and strategy. It has been argued that due to the increased pace of change in English Higher Education in the last few years, with a trebling of fees and regulatory change, a recent Higher Education and Research Act (2017), and the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework, that there is even more need for effective HoDs. There has also been acceptance for some time that the training and support provided for those taking on the HoD role has been limited. The focus of this research study is how academic HoDs in post-1992 English HEIs are supported to undertake their role, taking into account both how decisions are made and their academic identity. This study adopted an interpretive approach – in line with social constructivism – exploring the perceptions, feeling, and beliefs of HoDs. 14 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with HoDs in two post-1992 English HEIs to obtain their views on how decisions are taken either in a managerial or collegial manner, how their identity forms part of the support they draw upon, and the informal and formal networks and support mechanisms they utilise. A further seven semi-structured interviews were undertaken with senior managers to triangulate the data from HoDs. The data was analysed using template analysis and the key themes were identified. The findings suggest firstly that HoDs prefer a decision-making environment that utlises a ‘soft’ form of managerialism or collaborative and collegial culture in which decisions are made. This form of ‘soft’ managerialism, it is argued, allows for the development of informal support mechanisms. Secondly, the study found that HoDs were unable to maintain their research whilst being in the role (and this was a frustration to them), but they found their disciplinary networks and identity important in undertaking the role of HoD. Finally, the study established that the informal forms of support accessed by HoDs, either within or outside their institution, were of most value in allowing them to successfully undertake their role. The time and space to network and reflect with others on the common challenges they all faced provided the support that was of greatest value to HoDs. Although the findings from this study cannot be generalised they could be of value to HEIs and human resources managers, as well as designers of HoD leadership programmes in taking into account how best to support the development of informal support networks for HoDs.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in general, and universities in the UK in particular, are complex organisations, each characterised by a distinctive ethos, particular history, mission, size, and shape, being highly autonomous, yet bound together by the identical challenges of massification, the emergence of greater accountability imposed by the government, sharp financial cuts, a greater emphasis on student satisfaction, globalisation, the knowledge economy, marketisation and advances in information and communications technologies. Some scholars contend that strategic management of Knowledge and the knowledge asse ts of a university can provide the competitive advantage that universities need, as well as provide a solution to address some of these challenges, providing many potential benefits to each area of Higher Education. However, have HEIs adopted Knowledge Management on an institutional level to enhance its competitive advantage? What are the perceptions and practices of Knowledge Management within the HEI context; what are the contributing factors that hinder or promote the use of Knowledge Management within the Higher Education context? A cursory literature review could not answer these questions and hence , this sequential, quantitative-qualitative, mixed-methodology, multi-site case study,investigated these questions within the context of the United Kingdom Higher Education universities. The research, presented in two phases, with the first phase providing an overview of the state of Knowledge Management within the UK universities, and the second phase presenting the findings of an in-depth multi-site case study, conducted using Grounded Theory as a methodology, suggests that Knowledge Management tools and techniques were beginning to be used on an institutional level as a management tool within the Higher Education context in the UK; however, it was not being used extensively, and was implemented in pockets, with emphasis on Information Management more than Knowledge Management, and not generally in a systemic way. The research further suggests that the contributing factors that had an influence on Knowledge Management not being used extensively within this context were varying, and included: the characteristics of universities and the nature of academic work, and the perceptions of Knowledge and Knowledge Management within this context. Despite this, a number were beginning to implement Knowledge Management systemically across the university. The research, and this thesis, presents a substantive theory for Knowledge Management in Higher Education, and has contributed to the field of Knowledge Management and Higher Education by identifying the current practices and perceptions of Knowledge Management within the context of Higher Education in the UK, and the factors that hinder its use within this context

One of the by-products of the establishment of the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan is the introduction of an incentive regime for the faculty. The existence of explicit incentives is a usual feature of the corporate sector, as it sits well with the commercial enterprise model. Simply pulling out features of the commercial enterprise model and trying to fit it into the formal education system, without any sound bedding and preparatory grounds, could not be accepted by sanity to get suitable outcomes. The purpose of the study is to introduce the concept of moral hazard in a moderated-mediation framework of incentives, organizational justice perception, and reward expectancy to answer the research questions. To achieve the intended purpose, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews from 19 top level management personnel of the chosen higher education institutions; using purposive sampling. NVivo 9 was used for analysis of the qualitative data. A detailed set of descriptive and inferential codes were generated, which were later braided into sub-themes and themes. Using the analytic strategies of pattern matching and cross-case analysis, a wide range of perceived moral hazards present in the faculty were revealed, along with the main determinants of this problem. The qualitative analysis also helped in the proper positioning of the constructs in the theoretical framework, as well as the operationalisation of the latent constructs used in the survey. Quantitative data collection followed the qualitative phase - using a survey. The proposed relationships in the theoretical framework were tested with a sample of 311 academics; using simple random sampling, via causal models and Structural Equation Modelling, and found that incentives might boost the apparent performance, but not necessarily the intended performance. The effect of incentives on the moral hazard tendency of employees has been confirmed by the results of both qualitative and quantitative data. The incentive problem surfaced up as one of the sub-themes in the perceived determinants of moral hazard. Moreover, the quantitative results confirm that disposition towards incentives has a direct, an indirect, and a conditional indirect effect on the employee tendency towards moral hazard. Examining the conditional indirect effect of incentives on moral hazard tendency serves the purpose of "critical realism", which looks beyond the occurrence of events by analysing the underlying causal mechanism of the problem of moral hazard in multitasking professionals. The results have important implications for managers, academicians, and policy makers for mitigating adverse behaviour in the employees, through proper use of incentives.

Managing Higher Education Institutions, during periods of change and transformation, can be daunting; and calls for good leadership principles within these institutions. Unfortunately, there are no particular leadership principles by which Higher Education Institutions can effectively be managed. Servant leadership might possibly bridge this gap. Hence, this study seeks to develop and thus, present a leadership theory for the effective administration of Higher Education Institutions. Informed by an interpretivist philosophical paradigm, the study adopted grounded theory research design to purposively collect data among twenty-five leaders in nine Higher Education Institutions in England and Scotland through a semi-structured, but well-adjusted interview schedule. The data was transcribed verbatim, coded to identify core categories, and further analysed using NVivo 10, first and second order modified Prasad (1993) concept card. Based on work motivation and Upper Echelon theories, the study provides empirical evidences that the leadership narrative in Higher Education Institutions is inconsistent, yet quite fascinating. Five leadership orientations— assertive, defensive, subjective, positional and systemic, as well as five leadership practices— diversity, professionalism, open door policy, creative thinking and servant leadership principles, were identified from the data. A total of eleven servant leadership principles were found, which are accountability, awareness, communication, empathy, exemplary leading, fore-sight/vision, integrity/honesty, mentoring/pastoral care, Personal and Professional Development (PPD), self-sacrificing, and trust/humility. While most of the principles are similar to those identified from previous studies, Personal and Professional Development is quite significant to this study. Participants also suggested three leadership taxonomies— blended, collegial and contextual leadership approaches, needed for the effective management of Higher Education Institutions. However, contrary to previous research findings, collegial leadership was the most preferred among the three approaches. Beyond extending and advancing research on servant leadership and Higher Education Institutions, this study presents the Leading Manager Theory to demonstrate the complexity of managing the institutions. It uniquely combines two different theories to gain contextual knowledge and understanding of servant leadership. The study has theoretical, practical and societal implications.

The overall objective of the research" outlined in this document was to analyse the practice of time management operations by the heads of academic departments in Libyan universities. This was accomplished through attention to four sub-aims: firstly, the extent to which time management operations are practiced by heads of academic departments in Libyan universities according to the specific fields, of planning, organising and controlling time; secondly, to determine which principles of time management are most commonly used by heads of departments; thirdly, to define which factors, both internal and external, have impacted on the practice of time management by Libyan heads of academic departments; and, finally, to determine whether there are any significant differences in time management practice as a result of key variables, including managerial experience, specialization, qualifications, gender and the number of universities heads of department are working in. The data was collected through the use of two main tools, a self-administered questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire was designed to employ a likert scale, and was piloted before final administration in order to ensure validity and reliability. The questionnaire was distributed by hand to 331 heads of academic departments in Libyan universities and the response rate was 309 - - completed questionnaires out of 331 administered. The semi-structured interviews lasted for about one hour in each case and involved 15 heads of academic departments. The two tools were employed in order to gain the strengths of each and so to provide a greater understanding of the topic under investigation, to complement each other and to enrich the research findings. The gathered data was translated from raw material into usable information to be ready for statistical analysis and the 309 received questionnaire forms were analyzed through implementation of descriptive statistics using SPSS software. The semi- structured interviews were analyzed through textual analysis by reading and -re- reading the interview content. The content was subsequently analysed carefully to gain an understanding of the key themes and in order to identify commonalities and differences. The researcher the organised the material by dividing the data into groups of themes under the main key issues. Quotations have been used in order to exemplify the thoughts of the respondents about the issues discussed. The analysis of data revealed that time management operations are not practiced well by heads of academic department in Libyan universities. However, control over time is practiced better than time planning and time organizing and control over time interruptions is the principle that is most commonly used by the heads of academic department. With regard to time wasters, heads of academic department affirmed through their answers that external factors such as poor channels of communication between the department chair and faculty, hesitation in decision making due to lack of clear wanted information, unexpected visitors and the overall instability of Libyan universities' management. as a managerial factor are the most important factors that impede the practice of time management, surprising, no differences in the practice of time management were found according to the managerial experience, specialization, qualifications, gender or number of universities individuals were working at. The researcher believes that these findings may aid in developing _ university administration in Libya in particular and in developing societies in general through discovering the main shortcomings and problems which are faced by heads of academic departments. The researcher thus makes key recommendations for practical procedures which may be adopted to ameliorate the problems faced by heads of department in managing their time. It is suggested that consideration should be given to' reconsidering the current articles of governance relating to the . duties heads of the academic department and to the processes used in the selection of the heads of academic department in Libya. It is also suggested that training and development courses for the professional and managerial growth of department heads in Libyan universities should be established.

This research explores the development of a framework appropriate to evaluate the readiness of a university to engage with knowledge management. Many universities are evolving from traditional bureaucratic, hierarchical structures to become more flexible, adaptable, commercially viable and competitive and knowledge management is becoming increasingly important in this respect. An over view of knowledge management clarifies what the concept is, and a critical review of current frameworks and models identifies gaps and weaknesses specifically in relation to empirical testing, theoretical underpinning and a holistic approach. This framework addresses those gaps and weaknesses and draws on organisational management, strategy, structure and culture, and systems thinking to ensure a holistic approach. These key elements provide the basis upon which a knowledge management framework is developed. A Soft Systems Methodological approach with a critical dimension is used to underpin this research because enquiry into organisational problem situations is complex and unstructured, based on human activity and social systems. The framework is innovative and offers contributions to knowledge because it: - is a new development within the domain of knowledge management. (it is intended to help evaluate the readiness of universities to engage in knowledge management); - provides a new application of critical systems thinking (critical systems thinking is applied to knowledge management); - uses a new synthesis (it was developed using a synthesis of soft systems principles, knowledge management concepts, and organisational theory); - enables organisations to consider their situations in new ways (by enabling self-critique of KM readiness); - offers new insights into the domain of knowledge management by means of the comprehensive and substantial literature review that helped its development.

This aim of this study is to understand the professional identity of careers advisers in UK universities, at a time of unprecedented interest in employability across the sector following an increase in undergraduate tuition fees in England. The research question is “What is the professional identity of careers advisers in higher education in the ‘new’ employability climate? Opportunities and challenges for careers service leaders and managers.” Here, professional identity is defined as ‘the experience and self-understanding of those fulfilling a particular occupational role’. The study is qualitative, using the methodological approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The areas of literature that have been reviewed relate to the nature and development of the professions and the development of individual and collective professional identity. The history of the careers adviser role within the UK education system also provides context. Data was collected in summer 2012 through interviews with 21 careers advisers from 14 universities across England, Wales and Scotland using a stratified sample based on league table data. This study makes a contribution to knowledge by suggesting a professional identity for careers advisers which is Undefined, Parochial, Unrecognised and Unconfident yet Dedicated, and by making recommendations for leaders and managers, and careers advisers themselves, to consider in their approaches to staff development, (self-) advocacy and connection with broader institutional priorities. Such approaches do not conflict with a primary purpose of ‘helping students’ and can serve to strengthen the impact and influence of careers advisers as experts who address the increasingly critical employability agenda.