Effects of Changes in Leadership and Management Structures in Nordic Higher Education, 2016

There is a general assumption amongst policy makers and university managers that reforms in the internal management and leadership structures of universities positively contribute to increasing performance. Yet, few studies have so far shed light on this relationship, despite the continuing external calls for internal reform and "modernization" of Nordic universities. This study (2014-2017) investigated the performance effects - in both teaching and research - of changes in leadership and managerial structures of public universities across four Nordic countries: Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden. The study is comparative in nature and focused on three key aspects: (i) drivers, e.g. governmental mandated reforms; (ii) actors, both within universities and at the system level; and (iii) effects, both direct and indirect. The study aimed at providing clarity on the link between internal change and performance within public universities, as well as shed light on the consequences (including unintended ones) associated with the modernization of Nordic higher education. The research problem driving the inquiry was the following: To what extent are changes in leadership and management structures related to shifts in teaching and research performance in public universities across the Nordic countries in the last decade?

政策制定者与高校管理者普遍持有一项共识：高校内部管理与领导架构改革对提升办学绩效具有积极作用。然而，尽管外部持续呼吁北欧高校推进内部改革与‘现代化’，目前却鲜有研究阐明二者间的关联。本研究（2014-2017年）针对挪威、芬兰、丹麦、瑞典四个北欧国家的公立高校，探究了其领导与管理架构变革在教学与科研两方面产生的绩效影响。本研究属于比较研究范畴，聚焦三大核心维度：其一为改革动因，例如政府强制推行的改革；其二为参与主体，涵盖高校内部与系统层面两类；其三为影响效果，包括直接影响与间接影响。本研究旨在厘清公立高校内部变革与办学绩效之间的关联，同时阐明北欧高等教育现代化进程所伴随的各类后果（含非预期后果）。本研究的核心驱动问题为：近十年来，北欧各国公立高校的领导与管理架构变革，在多大程度上与教学及科研绩效的变化存在关联？