This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
This article aims to investigate whether national differences in the institutionalization of the binary divide between universities and Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) lead to different outcomes in performing Academics’ Societal Engagement (ASE). Two institutional theory-based core differences of European binary higher education (HE) systems were used to select a theory-led purposeful sample: First, the sequence of UAS-institutionalization and ASE-policy emphasis and second the political drive for a practically oriented research drift. Based on the Finnish, German and Portuguese survey data provided by the cross-country study “Academic Profession in Knowledge Society,” three dimensions of ASE are derived: techno-commercial ASE, dissemination ASE and training-related ASE. These ASE-dimensions cover the diversity of ASE across different disciplinary fields. Survey results of the Finnish sample show that all three ASE-dimensions are more strongly performed by UAS-academics than by university-academics. In Germany, robust stronger correlations of research (productivity) and all three ASE-dimensions for UAS-academics, compared to university-academics, were observed. In Portugal, convergence of ASE performed by UAS-academics and university-academics was indicated. Thus, core country-differences in the institutionalization of ASE in binary HE-systems are reflected in the results.
Nicolai Götze; Teresa Carvalho; Timo Aarrevaara. Academics’ Societal Engagement in Diverse European Binary Higher Education Systems: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis. Higher Education Policy 2021, 34, 88 -109.
AMA StyleNicolai Götze, Teresa Carvalho, Timo Aarrevaara. Academics’ Societal Engagement in Diverse European Binary Higher Education Systems: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis. Higher Education Policy. 2021; 34 (1):88-109.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicolai Götze; Teresa Carvalho; Timo Aarrevaara. 2021. "Academics’ Societal Engagement in Diverse European Binary Higher Education Systems: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis." Higher Education Policy 34, no. 1: 88-109.
Timo Aarrevaara; Leena Wahlfors; Ian R. Dobson. Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland. The International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems and Institutions 2020, 1022 -1030.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Leena Wahlfors, Ian R. Dobson. Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland. The International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems and Institutions. 2020; ():1022-1030.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Leena Wahlfors; Ian R. Dobson. 2020. "Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland." The International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems and Institutions , no. : 1022-1030.
In this book we have sought new perspectives for religious literacy by defining it as a governance function in society. This concluding chapter examines the frameworks for creating new knowledge and skills for actors in the civil service, in other service sectors and industry by considering the expositions of chapter authors elsewhere in the book. As noted variously by the authors, there is no unified scholarly debate on religious literacy, but there is a debate that should be recognised in Finnish society with its expanding pluralism by understanding how secular laws and religious practices intersect will be greatly improved as increased religious literacy develops in Finland. Religious literacy should be seen broadly within civil administration as a key factor in its performance.
Timo Aarrevaara; Tuula Sakaranaho; Johanna Konttori. Conclusions: Religious Literacy Promotes Absorptive Capacity, Inclusion and Reflexivity in Society. SpringerBriefs in Religious Studies 2020, 79 -84.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Tuula Sakaranaho, Johanna Konttori. Conclusions: Religious Literacy Promotes Absorptive Capacity, Inclusion and Reflexivity in Society. SpringerBriefs in Religious Studies. 2020; ():79-84.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Tuula Sakaranaho; Johanna Konttori. 2020. "Conclusions: Religious Literacy Promotes Absorptive Capacity, Inclusion and Reflexivity in Society." SpringerBriefs in Religious Studies , no. : 79-84.
The effectiveness of societal interaction has become a key aspect in evaluating the success of higher education institutions (HEIs) in performing their duties. These factors have been built into institutional funding models, and the funding of research follows a similar approach. External stakeholders are now having to share in undertaking some of the functions that will define higher education institutions’ external activities, societal interaction and impact on society. The European Union’s smart specialisation strategy is such a factor. This initiative allows higher education institutions to implement policies by building regional clusters. The counterparts of higher education institutions in these clusters of smart specialisation are knowledge-intensive enterprises, high-tech service providers, educational institutions, the Arctic Smartness Specialisation Platform and other centers of expertise for smart specialisation. In this paper, we have analysed the role of higher education institutions as knowledge brokers in smart specialisation though a qualitative analysis of 20 interviews conducted during the implementation of the smart specialisation project. Our findings show that the knowledge broker role can be promoted from four perspectives: the social dimension of networks; decision-making and control; cluster building; and exchange elements. The clarification and legitimation of the role of higher education institutions as knowledge brokers in these areas would give smart specialisation more impetus to reach its goals.
Riikka Kangas; Timo Aarrevaara. Higher Education Institutions as Knowledge Brokers in Smart Specialisation. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3044 .
AMA StyleRiikka Kangas, Timo Aarrevaara. Higher Education Institutions as Knowledge Brokers in Smart Specialisation. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):3044.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiikka Kangas; Timo Aarrevaara. 2020. "Higher Education Institutions as Knowledge Brokers in Smart Specialisation." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 3044.
This chapter offers an analysis of evaluation practices in and around the universities in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The analysis builds on a conceptual framework focussing on a typology of evaluation models and combines these with an actor’s perspective. The analysis shows that similar evaluation ideas and models have been implemented across the countries, but also that when looking into evaluation practices, variations are considerable. Further, the chapter explores academics’ views on evaluation and evaluation impact. This part of the analysis reveals country differences and shows that evaluation criteria in policy- and managerial-driven evaluation schemes often do not match academic views on what constitutes and supports good performance.
Hanne Foss Hansen; Timo Aarrevaara; Lars Geschwind; Bjørn Stensaker. Evaluation Practices and Impact: Overload? Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education 2019, 235 -266.
AMA StyleHanne Foss Hansen, Timo Aarrevaara, Lars Geschwind, Bjørn Stensaker. Evaluation Practices and Impact: Overload? Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. 2019; ():235-266.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHanne Foss Hansen; Timo Aarrevaara; Lars Geschwind; Bjørn Stensaker. 2019. "Evaluation Practices and Impact: Overload?" Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education , no. : 235-266.
This chapter illuminates two critical aspects underpinning university life in the Nordic countries, namely, who gets involved with strategic processes and to what extent these processes affect behaviour across the organisation. Participation in strategy work was found to be unstable, which in turn further weakens the legitimacy of the strategy. The comparative data also show that some academic staff are not involved in the strategy process at all, and hence do not relate their daily tasks to the goals and/or values expressed in the strategy. The importance of strategies appears to lie in recognising the relevant problems, values, and normative postures, including the excellence and relevance of universities. The findings have implications for policy, practice, and future research inquiries on the topic.
Timo Aarrevaara; Rómulo Pinheiro; Johan Söderlind. Strategy as Dialogue and Engagement. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education 2019, 211 -234.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Rómulo Pinheiro, Johan Söderlind. Strategy as Dialogue and Engagement. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. 2019; ():211-234.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Rómulo Pinheiro; Johan Söderlind. 2019. "Strategy as Dialogue and Engagement." Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education , no. : 211-234.
This chapter provides a brief description of how the four national systems included in this study—Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden—are currently organised and structured. In doing so, it illuminates several specific features such as the types and sizes of the institutions, enrolment patterns, performance measures, and funding. In addition, the chapter gives a snapshot of how higher education systems have evolved historically by shedding light on policy dynamics from the late 1990s to 2013, the baseline period for the FINNUT comparative study, the research project that provides the basis for this edited volume. This is followed by a section describing the aim, methods, theoretical framework, and conceptual and analytical backdrops underpinning the study. The chapter concludes with an overview of the volume’s structure and key insights from the individual contributions.
Rómulo Pinheiro; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Tatiana Fumasoli; Lars Geschwind; Hanne Foss Hansen; Helge Hernes; Jussi Kivistö; Jonas Krog Lind; Anu Lyytinen; Elias Pekkola; Kirsi Pulkkinen; Bjørn Stensaker; Johan Söderlind. Nordic Higher Education in Flux: System Evolution and Reform Trajectories. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education 2019, 69 -108.
AMA StyleRómulo Pinheiro, Timo Aarrevaara, Laila Nordstrand Berg, Tatiana Fumasoli, Lars Geschwind, Hanne Foss Hansen, Helge Hernes, Jussi Kivistö, Jonas Krog Lind, Anu Lyytinen, Elias Pekkola, Kirsi Pulkkinen, Bjørn Stensaker, Johan Söderlind. Nordic Higher Education in Flux: System Evolution and Reform Trajectories. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. 2019; ():69-108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRómulo Pinheiro; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Tatiana Fumasoli; Lars Geschwind; Hanne Foss Hansen; Helge Hernes; Jussi Kivistö; Jonas Krog Lind; Anu Lyytinen; Elias Pekkola; Kirsi Pulkkinen; Bjørn Stensaker; Johan Söderlind. 2019. "Nordic Higher Education in Flux: System Evolution and Reform Trajectories." Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education , no. : 69-108.
Major reforms in the Nordic countries have increased the formal autonomy of higher education institutions (HEIs) to make decisions over their own activities, both academic core tasks and managerial/administrative activities. The issue addressed in this chapter is how these changes have affected the role of the academic leader. Across the four countries, we see clear signs of change regarding academic leadership comprising a mix of institutional logics in the interviews: the professional, collegial traditional academic leadership, which is based on rotating systems, election among peers, and collegial decision-making, has been complemented with, and in some places replaced by, a managerial logic with top-down order-giving, performance measurement and appointed managers as a new academic profession. Another related general trend is the greater focus on individual managers. The analysis also shows that Denmark and Finland are the countries that lead the way when it comes to increasing the formal authority of managers. The introduction of appointed managers rather than elected ones has altered the way HEIs operate in these two countries. However, as this chapter has shed light on, management reform has not been implemented in the same depth and with the same pace across and within universities.
Lars Geschwind; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Jonas Krog Lind. The Changing Roles of Academic Leaders: Decision-Making, Power, and Performance. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education 2019, 181 -210.
AMA StyleLars Geschwind, Timo Aarrevaara, Laila Nordstrand Berg, Jonas Krog Lind. The Changing Roles of Academic Leaders: Decision-Making, Power, and Performance. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. 2019; ():181-210.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLars Geschwind; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Jonas Krog Lind. 2019. "The Changing Roles of Academic Leaders: Decision-Making, Power, and Performance." Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education , no. : 181-210.
Universities are public organisations, which operate in a highly institutionalised environment. They are heavily dependent on public resources. As such, universities are susceptible to shifts in governance arrangements but are also far from being passive recipients of reform agendas. They face demands from multiple internal constituencies (academics, administrators, students, managers) and from a variety of external stakeholders. This chapter explores the interplay between governance arrangements resulting from policy shifts and university dynamics. It sets the stage for the book, asking the following research questions: (1) what characterises changes in governance regimes in Nordic universities in the last decade and a half, and (2) what effects have these changes had in the evolution of higher education systems? The chapter takes a comparative approach and identifies similarities and differences across the Nordic countries. This chapter serves as a frame of reference for the book and includes a common methods and data section.
Kirsi Pulkkinen; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Lars Geschwind; Hanne Foss Hansen; Helge Hernes; Jussi Kivistö; Jonas Krog Lind; Anu Lyytinen; Elias Pekkola; Rómulo Pinheiro; Bjørn Stensaker; Johan Söderlind. Does It Really Matter? Assessing the Performance Effects of Changes in Leadership and Management Structures in Nordic Higher Education. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education 2019, 3 -36.
AMA StyleKirsi Pulkkinen, Timo Aarrevaara, Laila Nordstrand Berg, Lars Geschwind, Hanne Foss Hansen, Helge Hernes, Jussi Kivistö, Jonas Krog Lind, Anu Lyytinen, Elias Pekkola, Rómulo Pinheiro, Bjørn Stensaker, Johan Söderlind. Does It Really Matter? Assessing the Performance Effects of Changes in Leadership and Management Structures in Nordic Higher Education. Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. 2019; ():3-36.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKirsi Pulkkinen; Timo Aarrevaara; Laila Nordstrand Berg; Lars Geschwind; Hanne Foss Hansen; Helge Hernes; Jussi Kivistö; Jonas Krog Lind; Anu Lyytinen; Elias Pekkola; Rómulo Pinheiro; Bjørn Stensaker; Johan Söderlind. 2019. "Does It Really Matter? Assessing the Performance Effects of Changes in Leadership and Management Structures in Nordic Higher Education." Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education , no. : 3-36.
Timo Aarrevaara; Leena Wahlfors; Ian R. Dobson. Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland. Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions 2018, 1 -9.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Leena Wahlfors, Ian R. Dobson. Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland. Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions. 2018; ():1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Leena Wahlfors; Ian R. Dobson. 2018. "Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Finland." Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions , no. : 1-9.
Research-intensive universities are operating in an environment of conflicting goals and priorities. Their status in research as well as education is dependent on their performance in various global arenas where performance can be measured with relatively clear indicators. However, success in operations outside the primary tasks of the academic community, such as universities' societal relevance, is more difficult to identify. Tasks outside the core of academic work are subject to requirements that are less well defined and are more . This article seeks to define these noncore requirements as external contingencies and to analyse them by means of a contingency approach.
Timo Aarrevaara; Janne Wikström; Peter Maassen. External stakeholders and internal practices in departments of teacher education at European universities. Higher Education Quarterly 2017, 71, 251 -262.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Janne Wikström, Peter Maassen. External stakeholders and internal practices in departments of teacher education at European universities. Higher Education Quarterly. 2017; 71 (3):251-262.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Janne Wikström; Peter Maassen. 2017. "External stakeholders and internal practices in departments of teacher education at European universities." Higher Education Quarterly 71, no. 3: 251-262.
Based on analysis of data from the Changing Academic Profession (CAP) survey, this chapter compares and contrasts the characteristics and attitudes of Finnish university academics according to their presence in laboratory or non-laboratory disciplines, including a ‘case study’ of Finnish academic engineers. This discipline-based division is an important one in Finland, because the laboratory-based disciplines have been the beneficiary of a range of government-sponsored programmes. The aim is to see whether this financial emphasis has paid off in terms of enhanced job satisfaction for academics in the laboratory disciplines. In fact, this does not seem to be the case. At the aggregated level, results indicate that about two-thirds of Finnish academic staff in laboratory disciplines were very satisfied or satisfied, compared with about 70 % of academics in non-laboratory disciplines The chapter examines job satisfaction broadly according to Herzberg’s two-factor concept of job satisfaction.
Timo Aarrevaara; Ian R. Dobson. In and Out of the Laboratory: Herzberg, Job Satisfaction and the Attitudes of Finnish University Academics. Biographies and Careers throughout Academic Life 2016, 121 -141.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Ian R. Dobson. In and Out of the Laboratory: Herzberg, Job Satisfaction and the Attitudes of Finnish University Academics. Biographies and Careers throughout Academic Life. 2016; ():121-141.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Ian R. Dobson. 2016. "In and Out of the Laboratory: Herzberg, Job Satisfaction and the Attitudes of Finnish University Academics." Biographies and Careers throughout Academic Life , no. : 121-141.
In this chapter, we examine the university merger between the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio, which resulted in the establishment of the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). In particular, we look at the key goals and the rationales of the merger, the way the merger process progressed, and how it was implemented. The aim of this chapter is to describe and analyze the change process of the UEF merger especially from the viewpoints of education, research, organization and management. Even though the universities committed to the process and the process was implemented bottom-up, the merger was closely linked to the national structural development program outlined by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Jarkko Tirronen; Hanna-Mari Aula; Timo Aarrevaara. A Complex and Messy Merger: The Road to University of Eastern Finland. Higher Education Dynamics 2016, 179 -193.
AMA StyleJarkko Tirronen, Hanna-Mari Aula, Timo Aarrevaara. A Complex and Messy Merger: The Road to University of Eastern Finland. Higher Education Dynamics. 2016; ():179-193.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJarkko Tirronen; Hanna-Mari Aula; Timo Aarrevaara. 2016. "A Complex and Messy Merger: The Road to University of Eastern Finland." Higher Education Dynamics , no. : 179-193.
This chapter provides a description of the development of Finnish higher education in recent decades, with a particular focus on institutional mergers. Mergers between like organisations are generally promoted as one of the paths to improved efficiency and effectiveness, often as a part of government programs of structural reform. University mergers were incidental to a new governance reforming Universities Act which took effect from 2010, but some people have incorrectly assumed that mergers were related directly to that new legislation. Several polytechnics, the other half of Finland’s binary higher education, have similarly subjected themselves to mergers, also during a period of reforming legislation. Although it has not yet been mooted, future mergers might occur between universities and polytechnics. The third strand of merger activity has been between public research institutions and university departments, this time at the behest of the government.
Timo Aarrevaara; Ian R. Dobson. Merger Mania? The Finnish Higher Education Experience. Higher Education Dynamics 2016, 59 -72.
AMA StyleTimo Aarrevaara, Ian R. Dobson. Merger Mania? The Finnish Higher Education Experience. Higher Education Dynamics. 2016; ():59-72.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTimo Aarrevaara; Ian R. Dobson. 2016. "Merger Mania? The Finnish Higher Education Experience." Higher Education Dynamics , no. : 59-72.
In this introductory chapter to the volume, the editors present the findings from a literature review undertaken on the topic, and link classical organizational perspectives to the study of merger processes involving higher education institutions. The chapter provides a brief overview of developments across Nordic higher education by referring to Burton Clark’s famous ‘triangle of coordination’. The authors conclude by sketching out the rationale and aim of the comparative study, the ways in which the volume is organized and by providing a short summary of its individual contributions.
Rómulo Pinheiro; Lars Geschwind; Timo Aarrevaara. A World Full of Mergers: The Nordic Countries in a Global Context. Higher Education Dynamics 2016, 3 -25.
AMA StyleRómulo Pinheiro, Lars Geschwind, Timo Aarrevaara. A World Full of Mergers: The Nordic Countries in a Global Context. Higher Education Dynamics. 2016; ():3-25.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRómulo Pinheiro; Lars Geschwind; Timo Aarrevaara. 2016. "A World Full of Mergers: The Nordic Countries in a Global Context." Higher Education Dynamics , no. : 3-25.
In this final chapter, the volume’s editors reflect upon the empirical and theoretical contributions from the book. The chapter is structured according to a number of ‘dimensions’ which have appeared in the previous chapters. It is concluded that the historical contexts and path dependencies play crucial roles also in the case of mergers. Furthermore, the importance of key actors is highlighted, not least the role played by formal top leaders, but also informal brokers and change agents at the institutional level. In terms of future research, two lines of inquiry are identified. The first is to delve deeper into process-related issues, which is still an unexplored aspect of mergers, and the second is to undertake more comparative studies, for instance across sectors and over time.
Lars Geschwind; Rómulo Pinheiro; Timo Aarrevaara. The Many Guises of Nordic Higher Education Mergers. Higher Education Dynamics 2016, 227 -236.
AMA StyleLars Geschwind, Rómulo Pinheiro, Timo Aarrevaara. The Many Guises of Nordic Higher Education Mergers. Higher Education Dynamics. 2016; ():227-236.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLars Geschwind; Rómulo Pinheiro; Timo Aarrevaara. 2016. "The Many Guises of Nordic Higher Education Mergers." Higher Education Dynamics , no. : 227-236.