Advances in Sciences and Humanities

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Organizing in the Shadow of Academic Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence

Received: May 27, 2020    Accepted: Jun. 11, 2020    Published: Jun. 28, 2020
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Abstract

Drawing on an empirical case study conducted in a Belgian University [1], this article proposes a framework to analyze how academic organizations are both structuring and structured by academics’ strategies. First, it accounts for three major logics of action – Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence – percolating three organizational dimensions – namely managerial discourses, formal and parallel structures [2]. Moreover, this paper proposes that these organizational dimensions constitute three different and always temporary states that are constantly being shaped by three phases of organizing processes – namely translation, inscription, enactment [6]. Second, drawing on Gherardi et al.’s metaphor of “shadow organizing” [3], the article identifies some ideal-typical strategies developed by academics: sober stowing away, selecting the local candidate, and invisible caring. The identification of these strategies opens up to discussing how academics are (pretending to) playing and applying the rules of the game, while also disengaging from them. In doing so, academics contribute to preserving and reinforcing the managerial discourse and the formal structure of their organization.

DOI 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13
Published in Advances in Sciences and Humanities ( Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2020 )
Page(s) 70-81
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Academic Strategies, Shadow Organizing, Excellence, Entrepreneurship, Omnipresence

References
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  • APA Style

    Farah Dubois-Shaik, Christophe Dubois. (2020). Organizing in the Shadow of Academic Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 6(2), 70-81. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13

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    ACS Style

    Farah Dubois-Shaik; Christophe Dubois. Organizing in the Shadow of Academic Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2020, 6(2), 70-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13

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    AMA Style

    Farah Dubois-Shaik, Christophe Dubois. Organizing in the Shadow of Academic Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence. Adv Sci Humanit. 2020;6(2):70-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13,
      author = {Farah Dubois-Shaik and Christophe Dubois},
      title = {Organizing in the Shadow of Academic Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence},
      journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
      volume = {6},
      number = {2},
      pages = {70-81},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20200602.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20200602.13},
      abstract = {Drawing on an empirical case study conducted in a Belgian University [1], this article proposes a framework to analyze how academic organizations are both structuring and structured by academics’ strategies. First, it accounts for three major logics of action – Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence – percolating three organizational dimensions – namely managerial discourses, formal and parallel structures [2]. Moreover, this paper proposes that these organizational dimensions constitute three different and always temporary states that are constantly being shaped by three phases of organizing processes – namely translation, inscription, enactment [6]. Second, drawing on Gherardi et al.’s metaphor of “shadow organizing” [3], the article identifies some ideal-typical strategies developed by academics: sober stowing away, selecting the local candidate, and invisible caring. The identification of these strategies opens up to discussing how academics are (pretending to) playing and applying the rules of the game, while also disengaging from them. In doing so, academics contribute to preserving and reinforcing the managerial discourse and the formal structure of their organization.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    AB  - Drawing on an empirical case study conducted in a Belgian University [1], this article proposes a framework to analyze how academic organizations are both structuring and structured by academics’ strategies. First, it accounts for three major logics of action – Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Omnipresence – percolating three organizational dimensions – namely managerial discourses, formal and parallel structures [2]. Moreover, this paper proposes that these organizational dimensions constitute three different and always temporary states that are constantly being shaped by three phases of organizing processes – namely translation, inscription, enactment [6]. Second, drawing on Gherardi et al.’s metaphor of “shadow organizing” [3], the article identifies some ideal-typical strategies developed by academics: sober stowing away, selecting the local candidate, and invisible caring. The identification of these strategies opens up to discussing how academics are (pretending to) playing and applying the rules of the game, while also disengaging from them. In doing so, academics contribute to preserving and reinforcing the managerial discourse and the formal structure of their organization.
    VL  - 6
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Author Information
  • Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

  • Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

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