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Abstract:
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Traditionally academic researchers have managed themselves in self-evaluating ethos
borne systems. However, as a consequence of public policy changes, researchers have
been challenged during the last decades by increasing societal demands for efficiency,
social responsibility and wealth creation. At the same time, the public has lost confidence
in the ability of researchers to singlehandedly evaluate the quality of their research
products, leading to increased control in the shape of bureaucratic administration. Such
demands and control mechanisms seem to highly contradict the traditional image of the
independent researcher who adheres only to the norms and standards of her own
scientific community.Several social science theorists have evaluated the impact of public policy changes on the
autonomic researcher identity. It has been described how these changes call for new
strategies of research management that may balance societal requirements with scientists’
desire for freedom of research. However, these theories have all had a macro perspective
that did not include the researchers’ own perception.
Thus, based on research work practice stories, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate
in a micro perspective how research group leaders working in an externally funded
research centre at Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen University Hospital) create meaning of
their complex research work, while at the same time navigating in an increasingly
bureaucratic institutional environment, and furthermore, what implications these
narratives should have on the management of the research centre and its research
employees. This led to the following thesis question:
What stories about research add meaning to the group leaders’ research work and
which are the consequences for research management? The question was examined qualitatively in semi-structured, narrative interviews with
eight group leaders, each heading a thematic research group. The question guide was
designed to motivate the group leaders to reflect on the bearing of their research identity
and their daily research work.
The empirical material was transcribed and edited into thematic citations that were
analysed with inspiration from methods applied in recent narrative studies. The analysis
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was discussed based on three thematic concepts: 1) Research as identity; 2) trust and
control; 3) CIM/CFAS research management.Based on the discussion, the thesis concludes that the group leaders find their research
work most meaningful when they have freedom of science and the possibility to conduct
their research in a fashion that enables them to personally vouch for the quality. These
concepts of freedom and quality seem to be embedded in the group leaders’ researcher
identity, which they continuously struggle to maintain in an extremely personal formation
project. Conversely the group leaders become frustrated and demotivated as research
turns “meaningless” when their researcher identity is threatened by mistrust and controlpromoted
bureaucracy. The main task of the CIM/CFAS research management is to secure the fulfilment of the
centre’s ambitious vision to develop and disseminate evidence based physical activity as
medicine to the Danish population, by use a unique translational research model. Thus, it
is further concluded that taking into consideration the knowledge of what is meaningful to
the group leaders in their daily work, the management may, in the present structure of
divided leadership (professional/administrative), solve this task while at the same time
supporting the researchers’ identity work by use of a narrative praxis that facilitates
organisational story telling of the “freedom” and “possibilities” that exist within the wide
frame of the research centre’s translational research model.
In perspective, the findings of the present thesis point to the eligibility of investigating
research management in an employee-driven micro view and that further studies are
warranted in order to create a more valid theoretical basis. |
