TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN

Transcription

1 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 1 targe actio tsand nplan TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES

2 2 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN

3 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 3 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. RESEARCH 6 3. TEACHING DIALOGUE WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY LANGUAGE POLICY THE DEPARTMENT S VALUES 19

4 4 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN INTRODUCTION The (BS) was established on 1 June 2004 through a merger of the Department of Accounting, the Department of Finance and the Department of Management Science and Logistics. From 1 May 2005 to 1 March 2009, the Informatics Group was also a part of the Department. After the establishment of the Department, much focus was given to the development of the Targets and Action Plan, which was adopted by the Department in January More specifically, since 2005, we have worked with the following tasks: The organisation of the Department, including establishing research groups, appointing programme coordinators, establishing a joint PhD environment, converting the tasks of the secretaries into specialist functions, establishing a joint database of the Department s external lecturers and establishing the BS Inline intranet members recruited internationally has grown from two in 2005 to sixteen at the end of 2009 A targeted effort to achieve more and better publications in recognised international peer-reviewed journals The implementation of a number of workshops and courses on Academic Writing with the objective of improving the international publishability of the Department s researchers in the most prestigious journals The establishment of CORAL (the Centre for Operations Research Applications in Logistics) as research center in Logistics/ SCM and ARC (Accounting Research Centre) as research center in Accounting. The initiation of research school activities in the field of accounting with selected Scandinavian universities Systematically filling vacant positions, which has increased the number of new faculty members, and at the same time the number of staff

5 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 5 The reformation of our range of BSc courses, which, among other things, has resulted in a new structure with academic progression and coherence, modernisation of the course on Introduction to Management Science, where the company is also viewed from a supply chain point of view, integration of IT and the PC exam The revision of our MSc study programmes, including a reorganisation of courses to be taught in English and a complete alteration of our MSc in Auditing programme with regard to structure and implementation, designing the programme to make it attractive to part-time students as well; our MSc in Management Accounting and Controlling and in Logistics/SCM are also new and improved Developing a systematic process for applying for external funding, resulting in a significant increase in the amount of external funding received The majority of the targets we formulated in 2005 have been achieved, which means that it is now time for a new Targets and Action Plan. The aim of this memorandum is to describe the Targets and Action Plan for the Department of Business Studies (BS) for the coming three years ( ). The basis for this Targets and Action Plan is that we at BS need to continue to be a good workplace for ourselves as employees while continuing to supply products in the form of research and teaching as well as dialogue with the world around us, where quality is emphasised higher than quantity. Only by continuing this high standard of academic and scientific excellence can these targets be achieved. This Targets and Action Plan is consistent with the overall strategy of Aarhus University and of the Aarhus School of Business (ASB). At the same time, the Targets and Action plan takes into account the institutional changes that take place in the university community. The most important of these are the Danish University Sector s key figures for research, the implementation of a bibliometric standard for research quality, proposals for the distribution of basic funding on the basis of quality criteria and, especially, the new Ministerial Order on the Grading Scale and Other Forms of Assessment of University Education (grading scale order), which requires competence descriptions for all of our study programmes.

6 6 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN RESEARCH In the ASB Strategy , Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University (ASB) has emphasised a desire to produce excellent research that is recognised and visible in the international research community, that is relevant and disseminated to companies, organisations and society and that forms a basis for a high level of academic excellence for our study programmes. Over the next three years, BS will make a positive contribution to strengthening ASB s profile as a recognised international research institution. TARGETS AND INITIATIVES 2.1. RESEARCH PRODUCTION In the previous Targets and Action Plan, the Department had no quantitative targets for research production, as the initial interest was to focus on the maturing process that was needed to make the Department s researchers aware that their research must be international and aimed at the best peer-reviewed journals. With the establishment of the CORAL and ARC centres, a quantitative target was set of 2.0 and 2.5 articles per research man-year, respectively. It is therefore natural to formulate an overall target for the Department s research production. target: 2.0 articles must be published per research man-year in 2010, 2.5 articles in 2011 and 2.5 articles in 2012 in international journals included in the bibliometric model. target: At least 30% of the papers published in international journals of the bibliometric model must be published within the level 2 category. This objective applies to the Department as a whole. For each employee, the consequence is that they are expected to publish at least 4 articles in international journals of the bibliometric model during a period of 4 years and to aim at publishing their articles in the level 2 category journals of the bibliometric model INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON RESEARCH A key priority area is to ensure that as many of the Department s researchers as possible are able to publish their research internationally, i.e. in the form of publications in international peer-reviewed journals and at recognised international peer-reviewed conferences.

7 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 7 target: All staff with research obligations should, at least once a year, contribute a research paper to a recognised international peer-reviewed conference within the relevant field of research. To ensure that ASB becomes a recognised international research institution, it is important for staff at BS to participate in international research collaboration in addition to research dissemination in the form of international publications and conference lectures. This collaboration may be in the form of research projects and co-authorships, membership in professional organisations and in international research councils, refereeing journals, participation in assessment committees regarding PhD and scientific/academic positions, membership on programme committees at conferences etc. target: Scientific/academic staff members with research obligations must participate actively in international research collaboration. A possibility to achieve a strong international profile of ASB and the Department of Business Studies is for employees at BS to arrange big international research conferences. Thus, ASB hosted the European EARNet conference within auditing in target: Every 4th year, BS will host an international research conference within one of the Department s research areas. Specifically, we will host the EFMA conference in Finance in 2010 at ASB THE PHD PROGRAMME AND RESEARCH SCHOOLS To further strengthen the Department s international research profile and to ensure future recruitment of permanent staff, the Department needs to increase its focus on the PhD programme with a view to recruit PhD students and make an active contribution in creating a good PhD programme for our students. The Department currently has fifteen PhD students, of which one is an industrial PhD student. target: To maintain a high population of PhD students. target: To have a growing number of PhD students with a view to contribute to the ASB strategy to increase the number of PhD students. This growth should be achieved through an increase in external funding. This target should be seen in the light of the Department s initiatives to achieve more and greater external funding, cf. section 2.5.

8 8 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN It is important that the Department can offer competent supervision at the highest international level to its PhD students. This is a prerequisite for our PhD students to be able to complete their studies within the normal duration of study. The establishment of and participation in research schools is important to the Department. The aim of research schools is primarily to systematise the range of PhD courses in order to ensure a uniform high level of the courses that the PhD students must follow during their studies. The Department also needs to focus on attracting leading international researchers within various disciplines with a view to offer PhD courses within the Department and under the auspices of research schools. Within Finance, the Department has participated for several years in the Danish Doctoral School of Finance, and recently, networks of research schools have been established within Accounting with the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen, and the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. In the field of Logistics, PhD courses are regularly offered by CORAL s own members as well as by visiting professors from international universities. target: Participation in research school collaboration must be maintained and our PhD students should always have access to relevant PhD courses at the highest academic level as part of their PhD studies. More specifically, each of the Department s three research groups will offer or participate in supplying at least two PhD courses per year. The Department makes a conscious effort to offer new flexible opportunities to PhD students. We were the first department at ASB to have completed a 4+4 PhD student (2007), and presently we have enrolled three 4+4 PhD student. Along these same lines, we have increased our focus on marketing the research internship scheme, and in 2007 we established the first Master Class in Logistics/SCM. target: The focus on PhD student recruitment will be maintained through, among other things, intensive marketing of the research internship scheme under the MSc in Business Administration programme and by establishing Master Classes.

9 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES VISITING PROFESSOR PROGRAMME For several years, we have had a great number of visiting professors at BS. In avarage, we have 1 visiting professor a week and the visits vary from 1-2 days up to a year. The purposes of these visits are, amongst other things, participation in research seminars, workshops, teaching, organizing PhD courses or actual mentor visits. In this way, we currently have two visiting professors, who serve as mentors and have entered into contracts of 3 years. target: The great number of visiting professors at BS will be maintained through external funding and with a view to create a dynamic research environment with innovative thinking EXTERNAL FUNDING Recently, there has been an increased focus on the universities obtaining more external funding in addition to student full-time equivalents (FTE) and research grants, and competition for public funding will grow keener in coming years. The Department therefore aims to motivate all research staff to systematically and broadly apply for research funding from private and public-sector institutions and foundations, either individually or as research groups. The Department will make the necessary resources available to assist research staff with their applications etc. External funding is broadly defined in this context to include Research Council funding, The Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF), private foundations, etc. target: External funding will have a high priority in the future with a view to obtain more and larger external grants. Consequently, at the yearly appraisal and development interview (MUS) all staff members with research obligations will be requested to apply for or to participate in applying for external research funding at least every second year. target: Obtain new external funding of 5 million DKK in 2010, 7.5 million DKK in 2011 and 10 million DKK in 2012.

10 10 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN SUSTAINABLE GROWTH THROUGH INNOVATION It is the wish of the Department to contribute to ASB s target area of establishing an interdisciplinary theme within sustainable growth through innovation. The Department will participate and contribute to the theme to the extent where the research of the Department is relevant to the theme. target: Participate and contribute to an interdisciplinary theme of sustainable growth through innovation. More specifically, the Department wishes to contribute with research projects within routing and CO2 as well as sustainable investment RESEARCH PORTFOLIO In connection with the annual appraisal and development interview (MUS), all staff members with research obligations prepare a Research Portfolio describing, among other things, research projects that have been completed, are in progress and are being considered. This Research Portfolio forms the basis for setting the individual researcher s own benchmark for his or her research. target: The research efforts of every staff member will be compared with an individual benchmark (set once a year) based on that employee s Research Portfolio, which will form the basis for any redistribution of departmental tasks. Such redistribution will also be based on the staff member s Teaching Portfolio among other things.

11 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES RECRUITMENT During the first four years after the establishment of the Department, a large number of vacant positions have been successfully filled. Consequently, the current job framework is almost fully utilised. target: As a general rule, the job framework should be fully utilised and vacant positions should be advertised regularly. For all new appointments an international focus in the research will be required. As such, all PhD theses should be written in English and consist of self-contained articles, and the focus in connection with appointments of assistant professorships and postdoctoral positions will be on research potential. When appointing permanent positions at the levels of associate professor and full professor, the emphasis will be on whether the applicant can document a high research effort at an international level, has experience with research management, has a positive record with regard to obtaining external funding and has excellent teaching qualifications. target: Permanent scientific/ academic positions will be advertised internationally and they should be made as broad as possible in order to attract the best researchers. However, professorships with special responsibilities (MSO professorships) will be advertised with focus on the special responsibilities that come with the position. Internationally recognised researchers must be represented on the assessment committees.

12 12 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN TEACHING In ASB s Strategy it is a wish to offer and develop desirable and vocational full-time and part-time study programmes at a high level both nationally and internationally. It is a priority at ASB to increase the quality of our programmes rather than increasing the number of students. This will be achieved by securing a high level og full-time academic staff and thereby also the research basis. Furthermore, it will be achieved by implementing screening procedures for new students. A staff member with research obligation must, as a general rule, teach the equivalent of one to three courses of 10 to 15 ECTS points and regularly supervise approximately six to ten thesis projects. In addition, there are exams and ad hoc teaching activities, which can be difficult to plan. The total teaching norm is currently 610 working hours. It is the responsibility of each staff member to ensure that he or she does not take on further teaching obligations. TARGETS AND INITIATIVES 3.1. TEACHING ACTIVITY The Department s teaching activities seek to be research-based, academically up-to-date and structurally and organisationally modern, incorporating IT and modern teaching and evaluation methods. The Department will continually evaluate the study programmes offered and improve and adjust them to suit the demands and wishes of society and of prospective employers. target: An employee should not be teaching substantially beyond the teaching norm, which is currently 610 (1,220) working hours, which is meant to protect the employees research time. The rule that a maximum of 100 hours can be transferred to the subsequent educational year remains.

13 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES REVISION OF EXISTING STUDY PROGRAMMES The Department wants to ensure that our study programmes are always up-to-date, reflecting the latest research and academically relevant in relation to the demands from employers. target: Our study programmes and courses will be evaluated regularly to ensure that they always reflect an academic standard that is in line with comparable study programmes, both nationally and internationally, and that they meet the demands of prospective employers. More specifically, at least once a year, the programme coordinators will meet with the Employer Advisory Board for each of our MSc programmes to ensure a dialogue about the development of our programmes. target: Conduct continuous quality control of our MSc and Graduate Diploma programmes and our BSc courses with a view to ensure that the programmes are unconditionally accredited at any given time. More specifically, at least once a year the academic environment will examine the content and the combination of subjects in the programmes A HIGH LEVEL OF FULL-TIME STAFF ASB wants to secure the quality of its study programmes through, among others, an objective for full-time staff to cover a certain level of all teaching activities. Thus, the objective is for full-time staff to cover 70 pct of our MSc programmes and 50 pct of our BSc courses. target: Ensure that full-time staff covers a minimum of 70 pct of our MSc programmes and a minimum of 50 pct of our BSc courses NEW STUDY PROGRAMMES ASB has just completed a comprehensive reform of the BSc programmes. The Department has had a substantial impact on the reorganization of existing courses as well as on the changes in the BSc structure. Furthermore, the Department wishes to prioritize elective courses at the BSc level, because they contribute to the recruitment of students for our MSc programmes. target: To offer an attractive package of at least two elective BSc courses (corresponding to min. 10 ECTS points) within each of the Department s three disciplines.

14 14 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN Among the new initiatives, the Department will begin developing a Master in Finance, with focus on financial management. We believe that there is a market for a supplementary training Master-level programme geared towards the financial sector. For supplementary training of employees, this sector spends twice as much as the average of other sectors. target: To develop and offer a Master in Finance. As a contribution to ASB s focus on an interdisciplinary theme of sustainable growth through innovation, the Department has allocated fixed resources to the development of a full-time MBA in Sustainability. target: Contribute to the development of and teaching in a fulltime MBA in Sustainability EXTERNAL LECTURERS The Department has a fairly large teaching load. Almost half of all MSc students in business administration at ASB and 2/3 of all Graduate Diploma 2nd part students are enrolled in our study programmes. Thus, it is obvious that BS needs to use many external lecturers. In 2008, external lecturers taught a combined total of more than 22,500 hours at BS, and by the end of 2009 we have a staff of external lecturers totalling 69. Quality assurance of these external lecturers presents a huge challenge, and it is a demand in connection with accreditation. The Department seeks to ensure a high quality of our external lecturers through a variety of initiatives. One way is to only appoint lecturers with a MSc degree and with relevant work experience in relation to the courses they are to teach. We also conduct regular student evaluations, and are in continuous dialogue with the lecturers regarding the type of work they want to do for us. Furthermore, we organise annual meetings for the respective programmes, where the external lecturers are kept up-to-date about current changes in the educational sector, grading scale etc. target: External lecturers will be of high quality and they should feel closely affiliated with the Department. To this end, we will continue to invite them to participate in annual meetings for the respective programmes. We will also send out newsletters, which will inform about the current situation at ASB and BS as well as relevant educational matters.

15 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES IT-SUPPORTED TEACHING The Department s aim is for the courses to reflect the world we live in. This means that, to the extent that it is relevant, we will continue to develop the integration of IT and computers, which we have in almost all of our programmes. At the same time, the Department will modernise the evaluation methods for the individual courses of study to ensure that our evaluation methods are sound and reflect the reality our students will meet when they start their professional careers. Written and oral exams may be appropriate for some courses of study, but in some cases project-related exam forms, possibly incorporating IT-related tools, are more appropriate. target: To work with alternative teaching and examination models with a view to achieve the optimum combination of academic learning and flexibility, taking into account the technical possibilities that are available. When ASB s resource allocation system is launched, we generally expect to have more teaching and educational leeway, including greater flexibility with regard to alternative methods of evaluation TEACHING PORTFOLIO To ensure that the Department s lecturers are constantly up-to-date on the latest developments in education and teaching, the Department will generally support and motivate lecturers to participate in educational competence development on a regular basis. The Teaching Portfolio, which all lecturers prepare today in connection with their employee appraisal and development interview, creates an excellent basis for a discussion of the individual employee s teaching situation. target: To focus on current needs for teaching and educational development in connection with the annual individual employee appraisal and development interview EXECUTIVE EDUCATION At ASB, the individual lecturer has the opportunity to undertake teaching activities in the area of executive education under the auspices of ASB Executive, i.e. the Graduate Diploma and Master programmes. However, to ensure that the Department can meet ASB s objective to have full-time staff cover a high level of all teaching activities, the general rule is that the teaching activities at ASB Executive cannot be included in the normal teaching obligation.

16 16 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN target: Teaching at ASB Executive should also be research-based and academically and scientifically up-to-date. In order to meet the objective that full-time staff should cover a certain percentage of all teaching activities at the BSc, MSc and PhD programmes, an employee s normal teaching obligation can only be used to cover ASB Executive activities after special agreement with the Head of Department. However, the interested members of the Department s teaching staff are more than welcome to teach ASB Executive courses outside their normal teaching obligations. Because teaching ASB Executive courses would be considered a leisure-time activity, ASB can offer to pay lecturers in cash in addition to their normal salary. However, ASB stipulates a maximum of 500 working hours, and it is important that this maximum limit be upheld to safeguard the staff member s research.

17 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 4. DIALOGUE WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY 17 At BS we give high priority to research dissemination not only through research publications, but also in relation to the Danish society. The Department has a dynamic website where current activities at the Department are described. We also encourage members of faculty to participate in the public debate. target: Internationally published research which may be specifically interesting for the Danish business community will be offered in the form of short articles in Danish to Danish journals with a view to have BS and ASB recognized as a serious research institution in Denmark. target: BS faculty contributes to and participates in the public debate involving relevant business fields. target: BS will continue to arrange workshops on topical business related problems; these workshops may be attended by both academia and members of the business community.

18 18 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN LANGUAGE POLICY According to ASB s language policy, Danish is the primary language and English is the secondary language. This means that ASB is managed and administered in Danish, but that ASB is obliged to communicate in both Danish and English to staff and students. Because the Department wishes to continue to recruit staff internationally, it is necessary to ensure that the administrative tasks that need to be performed by permanent scientific and academic staff members can also be performed by permanent staff of a different nationality than Danish. target: International staff members appointed in permanent positions at the level of associate professor or full professor should - within a reasonable period of time - acquire Danish skills sufficient to enable them to perform administrative tasks at the Department on equal terms with staff who have Danish as their native language. More specifically, this means that junior staff members recruited internationally must be given the opportunity to attend courses in Danish during their period of temporary employment so that they can ultimately read and understand Danish well enough to obtain a permanent position. target: All internationally recruited staff members will have the opportunity to participate in Danish courses with the objective of being able to read and understand Danish.

19 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 6. THE DEPARTMENT S VALUES 19 The Aarhus University Strategy expresses a desire for a professional and coherent, user-friendly and efficient administration that underpins the University s objectives and activities. This also means that the management must be open, visible and motivational. At BS, we want to uphold the value-based management form that has been practiced over the past four years. The managerial basis at BS is Freedom with responsibilities. The values we wish to emphasise are: Mutual commitment to criticise and praise. Personal and professional respect for others, as long as this is consistent with our common values. Our professional and personal competences will be developed and utilised in the best possible manner. We work together as a team. Our common objective is to teach students (not my/your students). Work hard and make demands of the team. Obligation/right to give and receive help. Receptive to colleagues suggestions for change. The basic is to have strong faith in the individual employee, who is delegated responsibilities and powers, and the employee s actions are expected to be characterised by common sense and financial accountability based on common values. The employee is also expected to take responsibility and to show initiative. target: In cooperation with the programme coordinators, the individual lecturer must take responsibility for drawing up a Teaching Portfolio that reflects the lecturer s own interests as well as the needs and priorities of the Department.

20 20 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN Employee satisfaction is vital for the smooth running of the Department with regard to the tasks that need to be performed. target: As we seek to cater for the strengths and weaknesses of the individual employee as well as his or her career plans, tasks and individual goals, the BS personnel policy facilitates differentiation. In practice, we provide possibilities for individual distribution between research, teaching activities and dissemination. target: New staff members are recruited through a transparent process, where all existing members of the relevant research group are invited to attend research seminars and guest lectures given by applicants and are involved in the subsequent decision on whether the applicant in question is to be appointed. target: Sabbaticals are to be used for extraordinary research contributions. Therefore, a staff member will usually be granted sabbatical, irrespective of whether he or she has fulfilled the rule that sabbatical can only be granted every ninth semester always provided that there is a concrete plan for a research stay entailing an extraordinary research contribution. The deciding factor is that we believe that the sabbatical will contribute to an extraordinary research performance that will boost the research at the Department and for the staff member in question. By prior agreement with the Head of Department a faculty member may plan one additional sabbatical semester (possibly in continuation of the regular sabbatical semester) by accumulating teaching prior to the extraordinary sabbatical to ensure that his or her teaching obligations are fulfilled.

21 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 21 target: To maintain flexible workplaces for all staff groups, including home workstations. target: The administrative support for teaching and research should be constantly improved such that researchers and lecturers have to spend as little time as possible on administrative tasks, which are often performed better by the secretarial group. target: To continue to have annual employee appraisal and development interviews six months after the staff member s birth date, with a view to ensure the greatest possible employee satisfaction and competence development.

22 22 TARGETS AND ACTION PLAN AU DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES AARHUS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AARHUS UNIVERSITY

23 DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES 23

24 DEPAR SIN TMENT ESSST OFBU UDIES DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS STUDIES AARHUS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AARHUS UNIVERSITY FUGLESANGS ALLÉ 4 DK-8210 ÅRHUS V