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through effective and efficient administrative systems and the high quality staff tomanage them.It is generally preferable to recruit professional managers with expertise andinterest in the research enterprise. Without overstating the point, understandingthe nature and purpose of research, and appreciating the diverse ways academicsgo about doing research, not to mention their work motives and values, is anadvantage. Research managers with these perspectives and outlooks are betterequipped to respond to local, national and international policy changes, fundingand collaborative opportunities, and general trends in research and innovation.They will have a clearer sense of priorities in supporting improvements inresearch performance.Create highly responsive research management processes and systemsThe influence of the executive leader on research performance extends to everycontact point between the university research and development office, and thefaculties, centres and researchers. In the initial phase of implementing the changeagenda the executive leader should aim to take the research management processesand systems rapidly to a new level, with roles and functions explicitly derived fromand supporting the vision and coordinating goals.“For new universities it’s important that thecommercialisation office and consultingpolicies actually support researchproductivity rather than distract from itand this gets back to deciding what’s themain game for the university. Consultingcan distract from the core purposes of theuniversity. This can be managed throughperformance planning and the reviewprocess as well as a good consulting policy.”The exercise in reframing or renewingresearch management will requiresome radical action to stimulate andsupport the culture change. Thisoften includes reducing the numberof people intervening in the researchprocess and ensuring the effectivenessand efficiency of research policies andprocedures and the electronic systemsthat support their implementation.It takes considerable time and resources to change the attitudes and behaviours ofunderperforming management staff and systems. Successful executive leaders ofresearch take a direct interest in reshaping the ethos from a negative service cultureand aim to remove systemic obstacles and impediments to research performance.It is not unusual in cases where the research profile of a university has declined62 A handbook for executive leadership of research development
markedly to find core staff —at critical points of contact for researchers —who havelost sight of the purpose of the university and their role in supporting the researchagenda and the work of researchers.Whole of university transformation of research orientation and performance canonly occur if university, faculty and research centre management systems and thequality of service are closely aligned. The executive leader should ensure that facultyand research centre processes and systems are uniformly responsive and outcomesfocused.Make performance data systems a priorityThe strategic use of high quality and timely data to monitor the impact of capacitybuilding stands out as an indicator of the successful transformation of lowperforminguniversities. Highly successful executive leaders of research are typicallypragmatic and outcomes focused in assessing how well the university is performing.They limit data generation to that which directly informs progress and assists inmanaging the performance of faculties and research centres, which in turn shouldbe able to access accurate data on demand. They also focus on building strongperformance-data management systems integrated across the research activities,with all systems speaking to each other and users fully trained in the managementand application of the data.The attention given to the collection, analysis and application of performancedata has significant returns. The executive leader will ensure that the data is readilyaccessible and presented in a form that enables research leaders at all levels tomake regular and useful assessments of performance against benchmark institutions,competitors and national trends. It should be used for multiple purposes, includingboosting income by capturing more information about research activity, achievingstrong alignment with the shifting focus of funding sources, and allowing timely andmeaningful comparisons with benchmark institutions.The data should also be used to great effect with stakeholders and grant agencies inshowcasing information about research outcomes to demonstrate to the governmentthe value of the work they fund, and it should facilitate data sharing agreements withpartner universities and others.Focus 3 — Expanding research capacity63
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A HANDBOOK FORExecutiveleadershipof
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A publication of the Centre for Lea
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ForewordDuring a period of signific
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AcknowledgmentsThis handbook was co
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IntroductionThis handbook is a sour
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Executive leadership of researchA c
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The principles and elements are app
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Page 21 and 22: • clear goals that serve a coordi
Page 23 and 24: 2. Leadership, management and acade
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Page 27 and 28: Table 1. HR strategies to grow rese
Page 29 and 30: incentives to undertake research (i
Page 31 and 32: Principles and elements25
Page 33 and 34: Principle 1. Create a compelling vi
Page 35 and 36: concrete and tangible form that fit
Page 37 and 38: Compile a vision statement that exc
Page 39 and 40: Principle 2. Provide clear coordina
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Page 43 and 44: REVITALISING PRODUCTIVITYDeakin Uni
Page 45 and 46: Principle 3. Create a competitive e
Page 47 and 48: across disciplines. This is particu
Page 49 and 50: the initial period of adjustment an
Page 51 and 52: Principle 4. Devolve leadership of
Page 53 and 54: The continuity of the leadership gr
Page 55 and 56: Recognise and reward research leade
Page 57 and 58: CREATING A CULTURE WHERE EVERYONE T
Page 59 and 60: Principle 5. Build on current stren
Page 61 and 62: A core task of the executive leader
Page 63 and 64: The executive leader needs to help
Page 65 and 66: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS WITHSTRATEGI
Page 67: Principle 6. Invest in research inf
Page 71 and 72: Focus 3 — Expanding research capa
Page 73 and 74: Principle 7. Focus appointment and
Page 75 and 76: establishes precedents that confirm
Page 77 and 78: BECOMING A SELECTIVELY RESEARCH-INT
Page 79 and 80: Principle 8. Invest in early career
Page 81 and 82: central support for building resear
Page 83 and 84: BUILDING ON STRENGTHSUniversity of
Page 85 and 86: Principle 9. Provide direction for
Page 87 and 88: strategy that meets best practice s
Page 89 and 90: is that they are there to help stud
Page 91 and 92: Principle 10. Strengthen the alignm
Page 93 and 94: and practices have often evolved ov
Page 95 and 96: There are a number of practical thi
Page 97 and 98: Kenna, R. & Berche, B. (2011). Crit
Page 99: About the authorsCraig McInnis is a
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