Department of Leadership and Strategy, Campus Slagelse Research profile and research structure

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1 The Dean s Office November 2007 Department of Leadership and Strategy, Campus Slagelse Research profile and research structure Introduction The aim of this document is to outline the research profile and the research structure to which the Department of Leadership and Strategy, University of Southern Denmark, Campus Slagelse, aspires. Deliberations regarding research profile have been prompted by a number of factors partly attributable to the merger between the former HHC Business School Centre at Slagelse and University of Southern Denmark and partly originating in the wishes and needs expressed by the academic environments. Furthermore, such deliberations have been based on principles of ensuring academic complementarity vis-à-vis the faculty s existing research environments and of supplementing other national research environments. Finally, the Department of Leadership and Strategy strongly desires to carry out research of utility, adding value to the surrounding community. As a consequence, the Department has attempted to create a profile deemed capable of attracting stakeholders in the surrounding community, thereby establishing a basis for close cooperation with businesses, organisations etc. In deciding on a a research profile, importance has been attached to creating a focused profile which also takes into account the teaching qualifications and academic interests of the Department s present staff. 1

2 2. Research profile and research themes The Department wishes to confine its profile thematically to the research field change management. In the following change management is given a broad interpretation, covering management-initiated change processes leading to new organisational forms and new forms of management aiming at improving professional practice in the form of organisational learning, innovation and efficiency. The chosen broad interpretation of change management is consistent with existing academic practice in the relevant international and national research environments. As a result, the Department expects to be able to motivate present members of staff to take up subjects within the field of change management and to attract external researchers with qualifications from the fields of organisation and leadership whose special focus has been on organisational change. The research area change management originates in American management philosophy (general management), which is predominately based on the generalist s managerial qualifications and ability to bring about normative change of organisations by planned and controlled processes. Newer theories on knowledge and innovation, as well as increasing demands for employee empowerment and participation, including the demand for situational management, challenge the hierarchical and power-based foundations for this type of management philosophy. In this connection, there is a need for research of change management based on the Scandinavian model and managerial culture with its emphasis on participation, dialogue and low power distance. Likewise, a process-oriented perspective on change strategies that embodies a knowledge perspective is comparatively fertile and unexplored territory within the current research of interest. Professionals have characterised the very term change management as an oxymoron, i.e. a term that practically incorporates its own contradiction. Because the idea of management is to apply structure to the work and render it controllable and efficient, while the nature of change is often less controllable. Research within this field constantly runs up 2

3 against this inherent contradiction and a number of derived dilemmas. Therefore researchers often distinguish between reason (knowledge, experience) and emotions. A relatively important role has been ascribed to emotions both in empirical studies and in the creation of change strategies (the leader s spontaneous reactions or gut feelings ) as well as for the implementation of those very strategies (resistance to change, lack of understanding and communication). The field is weak with respect to epistemic knowledge and has yet to incorporate the knowledge management trend otherwise characterising management theory in the last decade or so. The Department intends to conduct its research in change management at three levels: (1) A theoretical-normative level, (2) an empirical level and (3) a practical, learning level, the latter drawing on e.g. inspiration from action research. Research is aimed at generating knowledge about organisational change in practice - private businesses, NGOs and public institutions undergoing change, large as well as small. In structuring research activities, the Department will particularly focus on the following research themes: The drivers for the change and institutional strategic management. Awareness of the reasons for the change and the organisational response to such change form a key theme for research on change management. Organisational change may be changed by both internal and external drivers or a combination of the two. Introduction of new technology, financial crisis, reorganisation, new management etc. are examples of internal driving forces, whereas external driving forces may be ascribed to radical changes of political-economic, socio-cultural, technological or legal conditions emerging out of industry convergence, globalisation, mergers and organisational development programmes etc. Strategic management in complex environments requires awareness of changing opportunities in the surrounding world, organisational intelligence and preparedness, knowledge acquisition and strategic adjustment to new organisational conditions in terms 3

4 of flexibility and adaptability. The strategic balance between the strengths/weaknesses (resources and competences) of the organisation and the external threats/opportunities is of key importance to its managerial success, for which reason the sources of organisational change constitute a key research theme. Innovation and radical transformation. Research is to be carried out into strategic decisions with regard to management initiated change in terms of their formation and implementation processes as well as the strategic practices in private and public organisations. Theoretically normative (such as Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), LEAN etc.) as well as empirically descriptive approaches will form the basis for studies of change processes within the field of management and strategy, including the study of change cycles. In addition, private enterprises as well as public institutions are under constant pressure to continue developing their products and services in order to remain competitive. The key to continuous development is organisational learning as well as becoming an innovative and learning organisation, especially in terms of organising and using knowledge. Therefore, studies of innovative and organisational learning processes are also important in order to understand the possibilities of change management, since learning and organisational success are inextricably intertwined in a knowledge and innovation society. Vision and value-based management. The literature on change management focuses especially on vision as a prerequisite for rendering change meaningful and providing it with a sense of direction. In this connection, visions play a vital role for the creation of communities of meaning and for the emotional influence of the expectations of change. Where external necessity may cause a push for change ( burning platform ), a vision is required to create an internal organisational pull. Value-based beliefs, however, will also motivate or de-motivate people to work for a given goal. Values are attached to people, emotions, norms, culture and motivation. Organisations have values as their constitutive basis, whether they are made explicit or remain silently operative. Values often lie behind a goal-oriented leadership style and are 4

5 of key importance in change processes aimed at the organisation s functions, operations and employees, for which reason vision and value management also figure as a key theme in establishing a research structure. Communication and change management. Strategic management of change processes may be planned and designed, but its implementation presupposes communication with stakeholders and employees. In order for visions and strategies to be effective, they must be communicated to the staff as shared visions. Such communication needs to be convincing, reliable and trust-inspiring. Trust-inspiring is the key to successful change management. In addition, organisational change often causes cognitive and emotional uncertainty among the organisation s employees. There are many sources of resistance to change that need to be tackled. It requires vision, cultural understanding, motivation and communication to handle such matters successfully. It is of prime importance to create understanding of the necessity and desirability of the change about to be undertaken and to build alliances and networks to stakeholders. People, internal and external motivation, structure and functions will have a mutual and complex impact on each other in change and development projects. Thus, it is by way of management communication that visions, values, meaning and understanding are shared, and only then will management be feasible. Therefore, studies of trust, loyalty and management communication are also of key importance to change management research. Conflict and consensus-formation. Management-initiated strategic change processes depend on the exercise of power and are often met by corresponding counter-power reactions. Implementation of change is often dependent on negotiation at many levels of the organisation. The power perspective is often singled out in theories of change management. Change is primarily not a technical but a political issue. The interaction between power, conflict and consensus, therefore, is of key importance both to the strategic approach and to the communication required to bring about and implement change strategies. 5

6 Implementation and implementation management. Most planned strategies remain unimplemented. Sometimes because the surrounding world and conditions change rapidly and deflate their relevance. Other times because the plan had not been thought through and the strategy was changed. Or because the strategy encountered resistance or lack of understanding from those who are responsible for its implementation. The interaction between strategic intention, the organisation and its human resources creates a complex, empirical research field. Therefore the Department also intends to focus on studies of implementation, stakeholder management, strategic human resource management. Implementation is directly linked to the human resources and the consequences of change for the individual employee. 3. Research structure As part of the merger, University of Southern Denmark has reserved funds for the establishment of a research environment in Slagelse, as it follows naturally from its former status as HHC Business School Centre that no research activities have been carried out at Slagelse. For this reason a professorship in change management will be announced. The new professor will be responsible for the continuing work of establishing and taking charge of a research environment within the field of change management at the Department of Leadership and Strategy at Slagelse. Furthermore, one of the first tasks associated with the professor s responsibilities will be to ensure additional clarification and focusing of the research profile, based on the above framework. Naturally in close co-operation with the Department and the Faculty of Social Science. Within a matter of a few years the Department intends to establish a viable research environment with at least one professor, 4-5 assistant professors/associate professors and a number of PhD scholars. In addition to research in change management, the Department s research staff will also teach courses provided under the Department s present programme portfolio for the purpose of ensuring a firm basis in research for all teaching activities at Slagelse. These responsibilities will be undertaken in co-operation 6

7 with the Department s present academic staff of 18 assistant and associate professors, the majority of whom have no research responsibilities at present. A process, however, has been initiated through which a number of these will acquire the PhD degree. The Department provides teaching within the following programme portfolio: HA (BSc) Business Economics. HA Top-up programme for financial, market and marketing economists. BSc. Economics and Information Technology (International programme). BSc. Credit Datamatician (International programme). HD (Diploma in economics): Organisation, Marketing, Accounting, Financial Planning In 2007, the Department of Leadership and Business Strategy has applied to the Ministry for a licence to offer a new BSc programme in health management from September The BSc in health management will supplement the BSc programme in economics and business administration with insight into employee health, health policies and leadership of human resources viewed from a change management perspective, providing the graduates with special qualifications in terms of contributing a business economic perspective to health-related management issues. Over the next few year the Department expects to develop an MSc programme in continuation of the BSc programme in health management. Furthermore, it is expected to develop a BSc programme in Business Strategy and Leadership to be operated from SDU at Slagelse. 7