Institutional Logics in Research Supervision
A later version appeared as Nordberg, D., & Rieple, A. (2012). Craft, Factory or Profession? Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2012
Westminster Business School Working Paper No. 11-4
30 Pages Posted: 27 Nov 2017
Date Written: June 2011
Abstract
According to Halse and Malfroy (2010) research supervision should be viewed as a profession. Professions have their own institutional norms, of course; explicit norms are distinguishes a profession from a craft. This paper examines the growing literature on research supervision through the lenses of a) knowledge theory, with its tacit, explicit and latent dimensions; and b) new institutional theory, with its focus on the diffusion of norms of social practices through isomophorism. It identifies three competing institutional logics: the traditional "craft" approach, an emerging "factory" mentality of targets and measurable outcomes, and a middle way: a "professional" logic. The paper concludes with a discussion of how accountability influences the legitimacy of these competing institutional logics.
Keywords: Research Supervision, Higher Education Policy, Knowledge Creation, Institutional Theory
JEL Classification: A23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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