Becoming an Impact-Driven University: A Socio-Technical Analysis of the Reconfiguration of Relevance During Institutional Transformation.
Saved in:
| Title: | Becoming an Impact-Driven University: A Socio-Technical Analysis of the Reconfiguration of Relevance During Institutional Transformation. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Smit, Jorrit P.1 (AUTHOR) jorritpsmit@gmail.com, Burghardt, Lisa2 (AUTHOR), van Eck, Lucy3 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy. Jun2025, Vol. 63 Issue 2, p381-407. 27p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Research personnel, *Higher education, Organizational change, Sustainable development, Semi-structured interviews |
| Abstract: | The age-old debate about the relation between science and society has, in the last two decades, materialized in novel forms at many universities. In this article, we follow the reconfiguration of relevance at one institute of higher education that aspires to become an impact-driven university. We employ a socio-technical instrumentation perspective to this institutional transformation so that we can follow how relevance is being enacted in terms of impact at different organizational levels. To grasp the links between organizational changes and the conditions for academic practices, we analyze three policy instruments in-the-making and in-use: impact narratives as novel evaluation tool, the creation of impact profiles as part of human resource policy and new data infrastructures to monitor impact on the sustainable development goals. We investigate their problematizations and imaginaries through qualitative methods, namely document analysis and semi-structured interviews with researchers at various career levels and faculties at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Through the cases, we analyze how these new impact-oriented instruments open up or close down opportunities for academic practices. Our observations show that the reconfiguration of relevance as impact implies the advancement of a strategic approach to relevance and to academic work and institutions more generally. Ultimately, the site-specific case also includes bottom-up problematizations of impact that lead us to reflect on the limitations of a policy instrument approach and stress the importance of addressing the politics of the social relations of 'relevant' scientific work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 1 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 185990812 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Becoming an Impact-Driven University: A Socio-Technical Analysis of the Reconfiguration of Relevance During Institutional Transformation. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Smit%2C+Jorrit+P%2E%22">Smit, Jorrit P.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jorritpsmit@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burghardt%2C+Lisa%22">Burghardt, Lisa</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22van+Eck%2C+Lucy%22">van Eck, Lucy</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Minerva%3A+A+Review+of+Science%2C+Learning+%26+Policy%22">Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 63 Issue 2, p381-407. 27p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+personnel%22">Research personnel</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+change%22">Organizational change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainable+development%22">Sustainable development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Semi-structured+interviews%22">Semi-structured interviews</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The age-old debate about the relation between science and society has, in the last two decades, materialized in novel forms at many universities. In this article, we follow the reconfiguration of relevance at one institute of higher education that aspires to become an impact-driven university. We employ a socio-technical instrumentation perspective to this institutional transformation so that we can follow how relevance is being enacted in terms of impact at different organizational levels. To grasp the links between organizational changes and the conditions for academic practices, we analyze three policy instruments in-the-making and in-use: impact narratives as novel evaluation tool, the creation of impact profiles as part of human resource policy and new data infrastructures to monitor impact on the sustainable development goals. We investigate their problematizations and imaginaries through qualitative methods, namely document analysis and semi-structured interviews with researchers at various career levels and faculties at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Through the cases, we analyze how these new impact-oriented instruments open up or close down opportunities for academic practices. Our observations show that the reconfiguration of relevance as impact implies the advancement of a strategic approach to relevance and to academic work and institutions more generally. Ultimately, the site-specific case also includes bottom-up problematizations of impact that lead us to reflect on the limitations of a policy instrument approach and stress the importance of addressing the politics of the social relations of 'relevant' scientific work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=185990812 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s11024-024-09557-9 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 27 StartPage: 381 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Research personnel Type: general – SubjectFull: Higher education Type: general – SubjectFull: Organizational change Type: general – SubjectFull: Sustainable development Type: general – SubjectFull: Semi-structured interviews Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Becoming an Impact-Driven University: A Socio-Technical Analysis of the Reconfiguration of Relevance During Institutional Transformation. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Smit, Jorrit P. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Burghardt, Lisa – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: van Eck, Lucy IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00264695 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 63 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Minerva: A Review of Science, Learning & Policy Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
