Notificación de denuncias

The institutionalised administrative and academic processes of the university contrasted with the rules governing the behaviour of actors in the private sector. This difference influenced the extent to which the PPP could adopt new systems and processes that would facilitate innovation. The realities of the different systems of administration appeared to be challenging to private sector actors. Directors noted the extent to which institutionalisation of systems and processes within the University presented challenges to the PPP. Gerran Business School was the postgraduate department of the Faculty of Social Sciences and within the structure of Green University, the programmes were offered under“… the aegis of the School for Graduate Studies and Research in order to

protect its academic integrity” (#2 Pub/Priv, KOA, Gerran). Tensions between

academic integrity and real world application of knowledge were evident. This was described by one respondent who indicated “It’s a graduate degree; it’s something

where you must be adding value. When I employ some who has an Undergrad, it just tells me that you know how to learn. When I employ someone who has a Graduate Degree, I expect you to come into my shop now to add value” (#1 Priv Director,

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Table 16: Institutionalised Administrative and Academic Processes

Public “…as in any participating system, had some limitation, how do you put academics and business people to work together? Business people are accustomed to taking a decision and it is implemented immediately … So I think both sides had to learn…” (#1 Pub KOA, Gerran) “The university bureaucracy could be onerous, I hate saying so but it is the truth… The university is the ultimate democracy. We rule by committee. For a business school, you want a business school to operate better like a business, otherwise I mean, you want it in fact to be a business, to be a corporation in many respects.” (#1 Pub/Director, Gerran)

Private “I started to say to them, ‘Why aren’t you speaking to the Law School about programs in business and law? How do you resolve disputes in a country that doesn’t have a good track record with the resolution of disputes, and that they cost!” (#3 Priv Director, Gerran)

6.2.4.4 ‘Pure’ Versus ‘Applied’ Research

The University seemed to focus on ‘pure’ versus ‘applied’ research. The long tradition of the established practice of scholarship within the University and the limited transfer of scholarship to practice, especially in the business setting resulted in a stark divide between ‘academic’ and ‘practice’ knowledge. The division was even more evident when one respondent demonstrated the challenge to accommodate a public-private actor, possessing doctoral qualifications and several years of university experience, within the conceptualisation of ‘academic’ indicating: “But I don’t know if he’s an

academic, he’s a senior manager” (#2 Pub Director, Gerran). The conceptualisation of

‘academic’ in this case derived from engagement in the practices of curriculum and ‘pure’ research with the associated publications as opposed to management. This is demonstrative of the gap between the activities of academics and practitioners which, to be bridged in the university system, requires the management of academic activity where the display of managerial competencies is underpinned by experience gained from engagement in teaching and research (Breakwell and Tytherleigh, 2008). Respondents’ views are in Table 17.

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Table 17: Effects of Institutionalisation of ‘Pure’ versus ‘Applied’ Research

Public “…it’s what we do as academics. Some academics really philosophically and consciously retreat from the decision making process. They say ‘I’ll give you the results and give you the data, you make the decision.” (#3 Pub Director, Gerran)

“I mean I have a student who runs a business that goes out and gives advice to people and …end up saving them millions of dollars …In a sense she is an academic, except, that is, she don’t write paper!” (#3 Pub Director, Gerran)

Private “…research to what end? I know in academia, you are awarded for research but is it something that you can apply?” (#1 Priv KOA, Gerran)

Despite the nomenclature and classifications, public actors appeared to hold respect for people in the private and public sectors whose actions produced results for the firm and country. Public actors appeared to value the need for relevance of research to the business sector and the need for appropriate mechanisms for dissemination. The fact that the public-private actors did not make this point suggested their appreciation for both research forms and perhaps an understanding of how they relate to each other. The importance of research and the way it was conducted by faculty was discussed at a Board of Directors meeting held while the researcher was present at the site for data gathering. One private respondent recalled this event and indicated that:

“You understand, as private sector. Yeah you’re doing research but what is that research adding value to: the private sector, the development of this country, the region? And again, we are reminded by the academia you can’t force people. They choose their research. I said okay ... So you see I have to learn.” (#1 Priv Director, Gerran)

In this comment, the private actor appeared to be positioned as a passive recipient and suggested acceptance of the fact that it was necessary to learn how academia functions, but not to challenge it. This is a point for further examination of practice within PPP arrangements to determine if there was unquestioned acceptance of the way in which academia functioned and, therefore, the need for the PPP to function within those parameters. Again, in this comment, the development agenda at all levels was the concern, rather than only business or private success.

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