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The irresistible rise of managerial control? The case of workload allocation models in British universities

Fumasoli, T; (2022) The irresistible rise of managerial control? The case of workload allocation models in British universities. In: Sarrico, C and Rosa, MJ and Carvalho, T, (eds.) Research Handbook on Academic Careers and Managing Academics. (pp. 298-309). Edward Elgar Publishing: Cheltenham, UK. Green open access

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Abstract

This chapter investigates the role and practice of Workload Allocation Models (WAM), as managerial devices used at system and institutional level to coordinate academic work. Our data is drawn from a survey in five British institutions with 581 respondents overall. WAM appear to be widely known, understood and used, however, in the perception of academic staff, they do not reflect accurately the allocation of time to academic activities. In this sense, our analysis points to the limits of WAM to manage academic work at institutional level. Specifically, it highlights the differences in how WAM are used according to employment contracts – combined teaching and research, teaching-only, research-only and to terms of employment – open-ended and fixed-term contracts. Our findings point to the significant persistence of academic normative frameworks, in which research is considered a key activity for career prospects regardless of job descriptions. Overall, our chapter illustrates how the tensions between academic and managerial logics play out in the practice of WAM, and discusses the implications thereof at systemic, institutional and academic levels.

Type: Book chapter
Title: The irresistible rise of managerial control? The case of workload allocation models in British universities
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781839102...
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Human Resource Management, Academic work, British higher education, Workload Allocation Models, Managerial logic
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10127237
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