Flexible Delivery in Business Schools: A Winning Strategy or Pandora's Box?
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Author(s)
Sappey, Jennifer
Bamber, Greg
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2007
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Public sector reform, with its emphasis on flexibility and client focus, has brought with it pressures to find efficiencies through a re-evaluation of the way in which services are delivered. In response, many universities have developed services that are flexibly delivered. Flexible delivery is lauded by some university administrators as a 'win-win' means of reducing institutional costs by servicing increasing numbers of students, and replacing labour costs with technology, all under the banner of customer responsiveness and learner needs. However, the complexity of flexible delivery as pedagogy, a marketing tool and ...
View more >Public sector reform, with its emphasis on flexibility and client focus, has brought with it pressures to find efficiencies through a re-evaluation of the way in which services are delivered. In response, many universities have developed services that are flexibly delivered. Flexible delivery is lauded by some university administrators as a 'win-win' means of reducing institutional costs by servicing increasing numbers of students, and replacing labour costs with technology, all under the banner of customer responsiveness and learner needs. However, the complexity of flexible delivery as pedagogy, a marketing tool and also a form of work organisation is rarely acknowledged. This paper explores unintended consequences of flexible delivery for the teaching and learning environment through an occupational case study of academics in Australian universities. The study draws on: interviews with academics, academic managers and industry commentators; analysis of university documents; review of government policies; and participant observation.
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View more >Public sector reform, with its emphasis on flexibility and client focus, has brought with it pressures to find efficiencies through a re-evaluation of the way in which services are delivered. In response, many universities have developed services that are flexibly delivered. Flexible delivery is lauded by some university administrators as a 'win-win' means of reducing institutional costs by servicing increasing numbers of students, and replacing labour costs with technology, all under the banner of customer responsiveness and learner needs. However, the complexity of flexible delivery as pedagogy, a marketing tool and also a form of work organisation is rarely acknowledged. This paper explores unintended consequences of flexible delivery for the teaching and learning environment through an occupational case study of academics in Australian universities. The study draws on: interviews with academics, academic managers and industry commentators; analysis of university documents; review of government policies; and participant observation.
View less >
Conference Title
Conference Proceedings 2007 : British Academy of Management
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Copyright Statement
© 2007 British Academy of Management (BAM). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Use hypertext link for access to publisher's website.