FROM COMPANIES
TO UNIVERSITIES
Possible Bridges,
and possible Questions
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
2
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
3
1.
STRATEGY
4
STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES
COMPETITIVE
PRESSURE
Company strategy
should be carefully
outlined,
well-known throughout
the organization
and shared by all.
Everyone needs to
know where the
company
is going, without which
5the feeling is that
Clarity is of the
essence:
WHAT without the
HOW
is not a strategy,
it's wishful thinking.
Allocation of resources
is of course a huge
part
of this.
Strategy must show
the relative position
where we stand, the
one where we want to
be
and what we can offer
and how we should
offer it in order to gain
a competitive
advantage.
CHANGES IN CUSTOMER STRATEGY ADJUSTED
DEMANDS
TO SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
Companies need to have a well defined
Companies need to be up to their
approach to the market, to know their
responsibilities regarding environmen
customers and to know how to dealprotection, employees' needs
with a scenario where consumers‘ and community support, beyond
routines are permanently evolving. the responsibility towards
the shareholders.
6
ARE THERE STRATEGIES IN UNIVERSITIES?
DO THEY KNOW WHERE THEY WANT
TO GO AND HOW THEY ENVISAGE THE WAY
AND THE MEANS TO GET THERE?
Do they know their market well and how to approach it?
Investment in R&D by companies
was in 2009 0.8% of the Portuguese GDP
Universities invested 0.6%
of the Portuguese GDP
7
According to OECD's 2007 Technology
and Industry Scoreboard, Portugal ranked
in 4th place regarding average growth
in corporate R&D investment (1995-2005)
Source: INE/ MCTES
ARE UNIVERSITIES PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR
MARKET AND DO THEY DEVELOP ACTIVE STRATEGIES
OF LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS OF ATTRACTING
STUDENTS?
DO THEY LOOK FOR NEW MEANS OF FUNDRAISING?
ARE THEY MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF SERVICES
THEY ARE QUALIFIED TO PROVIDE, NOTABLY
THOSE RELATING TO CONSULTANCY?
ARE UNIVERSITIES PREPARED TO FACE
A PROFOUND ECONOMIC CRISIS?
IS THERE A STRATEGY TO COPE WITH THIS?
ARE THERE PLAN Bs?
8
ARE UNIVERSITIES COMMITTED TO AN EFFECTIVE
APPROACH TO THE CORPORATE WORLD
AND TO A WIDER AND PROFITABLE
SPREAD OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE?
9
DO UNIVERSITIES KNOW THEIR CRITICAL COMPETE
WHAT THEY KNOW HOW TO DO BETTER THAN OTHE
WHAT THEIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES ARE?
IF SO, DO THEY BUILD ON THOSE COMPETENCIES
AND THAT KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO GROW
AND GAIN COMPETITIVE POSITIONS?
10
ARE UNIVERSITIES AVAILABLE TO ALIGN THEIR
INTERESTS WITH THOSE OF THEIR STUDENTS?
ARE THEY PREPARED TO CONTRACT
WITH STUDENTS ON THE BASIS OF THE OUTCOME,
ACCEPTING TO RECEIVE PAYMENT DUE FOR
THE EDUCATION PROVIDED AS A PERCENTAGE
OF THE EARNINGS RECEIVED IN THEIR PROFESSION
CAREERS, THEREBY ADOPTING
A RISK-SHARING MODEL?
11
There were 78,609 university degrees
attributed in 2010
Only around 5.5% of those people found
a job with the help of employment centres
There are no published indicators
assessing the number of students that found a job
in their activity area
Source: MCTES/ IEFP/ MTSS
12
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
13
2.
STRUCTUR
E
14
INDUSTRY STRUCTURE AND
COMPANY POSITION
Companies should analyse their Industry position
and evaluate if it’s optimal.
Changes in sub optimal structures should be considered
(including restructuring and consolidation)
15
THE COMPANY/TEAM’S
DIVISIONS
We need to know our structure well in order to keep
it permanently oiled-up, flexible and efficient.
No exaggerated bureaucracy between departments
is tolerable.
Interdependence must be fostered.
16
WE NEED TO ACCESS THE HIERARCHY,
TO KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE TOO MANY BOSSES
AND TOO FEW LEADERS, AND WHETHER
THE POWER STRUCTURE IS CLEAR ENOUGH
According to the OECD (idem), "If Portuguese higher education is to progress
and to vie with its international competitors changing this negative culture of lack
of leadership must be a priority"
17
COORDINATION OF THE VARIOUS
DEPARTMENTS
Departments are not islands and they should share
information among themselves.
Companies should promote interchange and accumulation
of knowledge across the organization and internal forums
aimed at sharing experiences and best practices.
18
LINES OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT
COMMUNICATION
Without an honest line of formal communication
within the company, whereby essential facts are shared,
no team spirit may emerge.
The same applies to a healthy work environment
regarding peers, subordinates and superiors.
19
DO ALL UNIVERSITIES SERIOUSLY TAKE PROACTIVE
MEASURES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
AND DO THEY USE SOPHISTICATED AND RATIONAL
MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, WHERE APPROPRIATE
DO THEY HAVE GOOD LINES OF COMUNICATION
BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS?
DO UNIVERSITIES FOSTER KNOWLEDGE BANKS AND
TRANSVERSAL BODIES TO FACILITATE
INTER DEPARTMENTAL COMUNICATION?
20
ARE THERE TOO MANY UNIVERSITIES, INSTITUTES
AND DEGREES IN PORTUGAL? IF SO, DO THEY LOOK FO
CONSOLIDATION OPPORTUNITIES? DO THEY APPROACH
OTHER IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THIS? ARE THEY SATISFIE
MAINTAINING THEIR SMALL CIRCLES OF TERRITORIAL A
SOCIAL INFLUENCE? HAVE UNIVERSITIES DESIGNED A P
TO REFORM THE MAP OF DEGREES AVAILABLE IN PORTU
WITH THE AIM TO ADAPT IT TO GLOBALIZATION, TO THE
PORTUGUESE CONTEXT AND TO THE NEEDS OF SOCIET
Only 7.2% of university students are taking a science,According to the OECD (idem), "The conclusion drawn
maths or computer-related degree in 2011
is that the higher education institutions are less engage
with national needs, are less creative, responsive,
entrepreneurial and innovative and less transparent
Source: GPEARI/ MCTES
in their decision-making than is required and expected
by the country at large"
21
There are 149 institutions in Portugal
that attribute university - level degrees
66 universities and 83 institutes
(politécnicos)
There are 39 universities in Australia,
28 in Belgium, 23 in The Netherlands,
17 in Sweden and 46 in Finland
22
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
23
3.
SYSTEMS
24
SYSTEMS THAT RUN THE ORGANIZATION
A company is also made up of routines and processes:
financial, HR, legal, etc.
They need to be aligned with strategy and with the pursuit
of efficiency and they need to be balanced
with the key objectives.
25
CONTROLS AND HOW THEY ARE MONITORED
AND EVALUATED
Companies need to know and have easy access
to key-people and information regarding problematic points,
persons or processes.
Key objectives should be monitored on a regular basis.
26
DO UNIVERSITIES HAVE ADEQUATE SYSTEMS IN THE
MANAGEMENT AREAS?
DO THEY USE BALANCE SCORECARDS TO MONITOR
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS?
27
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
28
4.
SHARED
VALUES
29
THE CORE VALUES
The DNA of a company must be known:
this provides sense of direction, team spirit and avoids
fundamental misunderstandings.
Good companies publish and explain their values
across the whole organization.
30
PROMOTIONS BASED ON MERIT
AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE WORKING FORCE
Companies have to deploy recruitment, evaluation, payment
and promotion systems that foster diversity and guarantee career
progression based on merit.
Failing to do this will open the door to recruitment and promotions
based on non-transparent criteria.
31
DO UNIVERSITIES ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR
SERENDIPITY?
Knowledge should be transversal:
all disciplines should inform the others, share
experiences and destroy rigid boundaries.
This is the way to foster innovation within
the university and to create the right conditions
for new branches of knowledge to flourish.
32
IS THE OLD 19TH CENTURY THEORY THAT CONDEMN
"UTILITARIANISM" APPLIED TO SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGE STILL ALIVE?
ARE UNIVERSITIES MORE OPEN TO APPLIED
INVESTIGATION AND TO THE TRANSFER
OF KNOWLEDGE TO SOCIETY?
33
WHAT IS THE TEAM CULTURE AT UNIVERSITIES?
ARE THEY INDEPENDENT
FROM ESTABLISHED POWERS?
ARE THEY DEPENDENT OF GOVERNMENTS?
HOW DO THEY FOSTER COLABORATION
AND TRUST BETWEEN PEERS?
34
HOW STRONG ARE UNIVERSITY VALUES?
DO THEY EXIST AT ALL?
Values can only continue to be values if they stand the test of reality.
DO PEOPLE KNOW, SHARE AND BELIEVE THEM?
DO EMPLOYEES HAVE SIMILAR VALUES OF THEIR O
ARE PEOPLE CYNICAL TOWARDS THEM?
ARE THEY CREDIBLE?
HAVE THEY BEEN EXTENSIVELY AND THOROUGHLY
DISCUSSED?
35
IS THERE A CODE OF CONDUCT
OR A SPECIFIC ETHICS MANUAL
THAT UNIVERSITIES FEEL COMMITTED TO?
36
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
37
5.
STYLE
38
LEADERSHIP STYLE
IN COMPANIES
The leadership style needs
to be adapted to the strategy
of the company.
Good company boards are composed
of diversified directors, including
independent personalities
with the function, among others,
of challenging the leadership
style and results.
39
HOW EFFECTIVE IS LEADERSHIP AT
UNIVERSITIES?
ARE UNIVERSITIES BEING LEAD WITH
ADEQUATE STYLES?
IS THERE ROOM, IF NEEDED, TO MORE
ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE IN
UNIVERSITIES?
ARE UNIVERSITIES’ GOVERNING BODIES
SUFFICIENTLY DIVERSE AND INDEPENDENT?
DO THEY EFFECTIVELY EVALUATE AND
40
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
41
6.
STAFF
42
POSITIONS AND SPECIALIZATIONS
REPRESENTED WITHIN THE TEAM.
THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES
Companies have to monitor these issues constantly.
This has profound implications regarding people’s mobility.
43
POSITIONS TO BE FILLED
Know your people: everyone knows very little
but you can find knowledge about everything somewhere.
Talent and competencies need to be monitored and trained.
Geographical mobility must be fostered.
44
DO UNIVERSTITIES HAVE A CLEAR IDENTIFICATION
OF THEIR STAFF AND OF THE PARTICULAR
COMPETENCIES THEY POSSESS?
DO UNIVERSITIES PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARREER PA
INCLUDING TRAINING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM?
DO UNIVERSITIES PROVIDE TRAINING IN SOFT SKILL
BEHAVIOURAL AREAS, INNOVATION, COMMUNICATIO
COMPETENCIES OR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AT
45
ARE UNIVERSITIES COMMITTED TO ENSURE
THAT NO PROGRESS TAKES PLACES IN ANYONE'S
CAREER FOR ANY REASON DIFFERENT
FROM INDIVIDUAL WORTH?
WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE FACT
THAT SO MANY SIMILAR FAMILY NAMES
ARE OBSERVED IN MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC WO
IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS
AND ACROSS DIFFERENT FACULTIES?
46
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF MOBILITY OF UNIVERSITIES‘
HUMAN RESOURCES (MAINLY AMONG TEACHERS),
BETWEEN DIFFERENT FACULTIES, BETWEEN
UNIVERSITIES IN PORTUGAL AND REGARDING
OTHER GEOGRAPHIES?
Portuguese data show that the inbreeding
rate at the two largest engineering schools
in Portugal is 80-90%
Source: MCTES
47
According to the OECD (idem), regarding universities
in Portugal, "The consequences of serious inbreeding c
be damaging for the productivity and effectiveness
of the system. Inbreeding does not facilitate structural
changes or new approaches to scientific research
and education"
STRUCTURE
STRATEGY
SYSTEMS
SHARED
VALUES
SKILLS
STYLE
STAFF
48
7.
SKILLS
49
THE STRONGEST
SKILLS REPRESENTED
WITHIN THE
COMPANY/TEAM
SKILL GAPS
Assessment of skills
and performance must
be systematic,
durable and fair.
Talent pool must
be monitored.
50
THE ABILITY
TO DO THE JOB
Training and education Key factors are
is of paramount
assessment, training,
importance.
coaching and mobility.
It allows companies
Lack of these means
to permanently adapt ill preparation
its people to its needs for the globalized world.
and to the evolving
context.
DO UNIVERSITIES CARRY OUT SYSTEMATIC
ASSESSMENT PROCESSES OF THEIR HUMAN
RESOURCES?
DO THEY KNOW THEIR PERSONS WELL?
DO THEY EXTRACT MEANINGFUL CONSEQUENCES
(BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE) OF THESE RESULTS
51
DO UNIVERSITIES PROMOTE AND PUT IN PLACE
FORUMS TO EXCHANGE KNOWLEDGE
WITH OTHER UNIVERSITIES,
AND WITH ORGANISATIONS OF SOCIETY,
AS THEY DO (AT LEAST THEY SHOULD)
WITH FACULTIES WITHIN THE SAME UNIVERSITY?
52
“WE BELIEVE THE LIMITS
OF THE HUMAN CONDITION PREVENT
ANYONE FROM HAVING THE ABSOLU
TRUTH. THAT’S THE WHOLE IDEA
OF THE UNIVERSITY, ISN’T IT?”
Bill Clinton