ID052 Institutional Self-Articulation: Identity, Aims, Values, and Behaviours

The Idea

Given a decade of radical change, including two or three cycles of growth and cuts, Covid lockdown, and a significant degree of organizational shifts (One Keele), Keele is no longer the same institution it was for much of its history. Although change is essential, this radical change, and the ways in which it has transformed the institution in fundamental ways, has not been reflected upon or articulated. As a result, and before any further changes takes place, Keele should undergo a process of institutional self-articulation to determine what it is and importantly how this translates into values and behaviours. The purpose of this process is not to pass judgement on the ways in which the university has changed, because radical change has been made inevitable by shifting social, economic, and political contexts, but rather to ensure that it is clear that the institution has clearly articulated to itself how it has changed and what this means in terms of core values and behaviours. This is essential to ensure coherence within the institution, but also to enable coherent presentation of self-identity externally. Centrally, self-articulation and the ways in which this translates into norms, values, and behaviours is important to establish motivational structures for staff. Without these structures backed by a clear sense of mission, norms, values, and a sense of appropriate behaviours, it is much more difficult for staff to achieve their objectives and contribute to the success of the University. 

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Keele has changed profoundly over a relatively short period of time and it is now no longer clear what it is, in terms of identity (what kind of university is it?), what its overall aims and values are, and the ways in which these should translate into everyday behaviours that would ensure institutional coherence. 

How We Would Implement This Idea

Use a critical–institutional reflexive methodology to survey members of staff.  

This methodological tool combines sociological theories of reflexivity, focused on the value of self-reflection, with critical institutional theory, which is concerned with understanding institutions and organisations as historical constructions emerging from particular discourses and ways of thinking and behaving that may be more or less clear and articulated. The purpose of using this tool in the context of a project concerned with self-articulation is to (a) test understandings of the institution on the ground with a view to gaining a sense of the diversity of views about aims, purpose, and culture with a view to (b) creating a unified and integrated vision of the organisation that it is then possible to translate into culture and norms of behaviour. The overall purpose of the project is integrated identity. The method for completion of the project would be the use questionnaires (comparable to the pulse survey) and focus groups (in each School and PS unit) to understand what people think Keele is and what they think it could be / should be and most importantly how these relates to everyday behaviours. The purpose of this work would be to provide of picture of the culture of the institution in its current form that could then be shaped or re-shaped by leaders to create a shared vision of what Keele is and should become. This would then enable the steering or everyday conduct and behaviour.

What Success Would Look Like

A decade of radical change and a lack of articulation of how this has transformed the institution has created an anomic organisation. Identity and value are now local and there is little agreement about the core functions of the institution As a consequence the institution is fragmented and divided. Success would be that Keele regained an institutional identity - what is Keele vis-a-vis other institutions and how does this identity translate into values (more than the search for profit) and centrally, everyday behaviours on the ground. The purpose of this project would be to survey the variety of views about what Keele is now with a view to enabling a reshaping of culture, norms, values, and objectives for the future.