Synopses & Reviews
Today, higher education and research institutions are confronted with variable and sometimes contradictory demands from state, industry and society. They have to face growing volatility in education policy, and a research paradigm that sees an accelerating rate of knowledge growth as well as the internationalization of the knowledge process itself. It is vital that academics and policymakers stay abreast of the impact that policy changes have on education and research in tertiary institutions. Based on a sector-specific theory model for the governance of research organizations, this book outlines evidence of the effects of the so-called 'new public management reforms' in the German university and public research sector. The volume aims to shed some light on the differences between the disciplines in input, throughput, profiles of output and the typical conditions of knowledge production, disparities that are currently little understood and are thus not reflected in government policy as ministers implement new governance forms in the research system. It analyzes in detail these new forms, and demonstrates how they affect knowledge production and research performance from the level of research group up to that of the system itself. The authors focus on a set of disciplines that represent the breadth of research divisions in major universities: natural science fields oriented to basic research (astrophysics), two application-oriented fields from the natural sciences (nanoscience and biotechnology), a social science field (economics) and a humanity field (medieval history).
Review
Aus den Rezensionen: "Dieses neue Buch ... enthält Beitrage zu der Frage wie Sich die Reformen im Wissenschaftssystem insbesondere das New Public Management auf die Forschung in Universitaten und außeruniversitaten Forschungseinrichtungen auswirken. ... Die erhobenen Daten sind in einem umfangreichen Anhang dokumentiert. Das Buch widmet sich neben den neuen Steuerungsformen auch den rechtlichen und politischen Rahmen bedingungen sowie Instrumenten der Ausbildung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlern. ... Die neuen Governanceformen werden im Detail analysiert ..." (in: Beiträge zur Hochschuforschung, 2010, Vol. 32, Issue 3, S. 103)
Review
The Governance of universities and the effects of new public management are important topics that have given rise to a rich body of work. This book has two unique features. It mobilises the German situation to show how productive the notion of "governance pattern" can be to account for the architecture of the various external and internal, old and new governance mechanisms at play. This enables to focus on the central argument of the book, that is "the evidence of huge differences among disciplinary fields with respect to their conditions and requirements for knowledge production". The book takes different disciplines to study how these are affected differently by 'on size fits all' institutional changes. They initiate a rich path both for science policy studies and for university-focused organisational research. Philippe Laredo Université Paris-Est and University of Manchester This well-timed, informative and interesting book enriches the current discussions on the governance of research in and out of Germany. It belongs into the hands of those who are in positions of responsibility in universities, research institutions and research policy. The book does not mark the end of the discussions but shows the state of the art of the governance research in Germany in an encouraging way. Moreover, it marks an important reference point for how to continue this discussion also internationally. Reinhard Grunwald Former Secretary General of the German Research Foundation Executive Managing Director of the Center for Science & Research Management
Synopsis
2007b: 115 ff.; Jansen 2007c: 236 ff.). "Governance patterns" here means a chain of interconnected mechanisms which can be observed empirically. "Governance p- terns" can be roughly de?ned as "complex regulatory structures coordinating the actions of interdependent actors." Governance patterns can relate to hierarchical as well as to lateral coordination mechanisms. Enforcement can be based on law, p- fessional norms or informal and implicit norms or customs. Moreover, the regulatory structures or individual mechanisms inside them can be established and sanctioned by public as well as by private actors. There is in fact not necessarily an actor in charge of controlling outcomes as for instance in market competition. In the next section, I will introduce the reader to the changing role of the state in science policy. The third section presents the governance model for the p- lic research sector which was developed by the research group and underlies the 1 contributions in this anthology. The ?nal section gives an overview of the papers.
Synopsis
This book outlines evidence of the effects of 'new public management reforms' in the German university and public research sector, covering interplay between levels of governance from the research group through the organization to the state and national level.
Table of Contents
Table of FiguresTable IndexPreface and AcknowledgementsGovernance of Research, Interdisciplinary Differences and Performance '" An Introduction to the Research Programme and the ContributionsDorothea JansenPart 1: Effects of Science Law and Science Policy on PerformanceChapter 1 New Public Management in Science and Incentive-compatible Resource-allocation based on IndicatorsTorben Schubert and Ulrich SchmochChapter 2 Disciplinary Differences from a Legal PerspectiveRoland Broemel, Arne Pilniok, Simon Sieweke, and Hans-Heinrich TrutePart 2: New Governance of Research and Effects on PerformancChapter 3 Is Nanoscience a Mode 2 Field? Disciplinary Differences in Modes of Knowledge ProductionDorothea Jansen, Regina von Grtz, and Richard HeidlerChapter 4 Effects of New Governance on Research in the Humanities - The Example of Medieval HistoryBarbara M. Kehm and Liudvika Leiyt—Part 3: New Governance of PhD Education and Effects on PerformanceChapter 5 The Performance of German Research Training Groups in Different Disciplinary Fields - An Empirical AssessmentBirgit Unger, Kerstin Pull, and Uschi Backes-GellnerChapter 6 Success and Failure of PhD Programmes: An Empirical Study of the Interplay between Interests, Resources, and OrganisationPeter Schneider, Nicole Thaller, and Dieter SadowskiSummary and Conclusions Dorothea JansenAppendixDisciplinary Differences in four Research Fields: the Cases of Astrophysics, Nanoscience &'"technology, Medical Biotechnology, and EconomicsIntroductionRegina von Grtz and Richard HeidlerAppendix A The Research Field of AstrophysicsRichard Heidler, Regina von Grtz, and Karola BarnekowAppendix B The Research Field of Nanoscience &-technologyThomas HeinzeAppendix C The Research Field of Medical BiotechnologyJürgen Enders and Ulrich SchmochAppendix D The Research Field of EconomicsTorben SchubertIndexAbout the Authors