Organizational Strategies Innovation and Implications of American University Interdisciplinary Research

EASTERN ACADEMIC FORUM
Organizational Strategies Innovation and Implications of American
University Interdisciplinary Research
WANG Jinzhou
School of Politics and Law, Yangtze University, China, 434023
[email protected]
Abstract: Interdisciplinary research along with scientific development has undergone a purely academic
activity to a planned system design process. Combined with analysis on success stories of American
University interdisciplinary organizational strategy and innovative research, can drawn following
conclusions: a high-yield, high-efficiency multi-disciplinary research organizations get support and
promote by university central management system, and establish a matrix management structure with
academic faculties tissue system, and form internal operation of organizational systems with
characterized of paradigm to integrate discipline and teamwork knowledge production, the network
service management; these research results can provide useful reference and inspiration for our
University interdisciplinary research.
Keywords: American university, Interdisciplinary, Research organization, Innovation
1 Introduction
For the concept of interdisciplinary system, Klein (Julie Thomposon Klein) believes that the
“interdisciplinary” refers to a series of academic activities that exchange interdisciplinary, cooperative
solving problem and maintaining independent division to communication between the discipline. For
respective disciplines delineated their boundaries, keeping the split condition, Boettcher (Tony Becher)
strongly advocated the implementation of interdisciplinary strategies to cut across traditional boundaries
of the division, and ultimately the unity of knowledge [1]. Modern interdisciplinary System in the field of
American higher education development began in the 1920s. 1930s and 1940s, regional studies and
American studies are considered a sign of interdisciplinary research arise. 1990 Thompson (Klein Julie
Thompson) wrote “Interdisciplinary: History, Theory and Practice” is one of the most representative
works [2]. The mid-1990s, Newell (William H. Newell) thought that incorporated interdisciplinary into
research and education system can effectively promote knowledge innovation [3]. Geiger (Roger L.
Geiger) from the perspective of the limitations of department organization, explained the development
of knowledge require the research on interdisciplinary organization, and proposed proposition that
establish “organized research units” (Organized Research Units, ORUs) in the university [4]. Domestic
scholars also conducted in-depth research on American University Interdisciplinary Organization. Geng
Yiqun from the perspective of institutional innovation, and analyzed the promote the role, which
interdisciplinary research center to the innovative development of U.S. research universities [5]; Chen
Siyu, who believed that American colleges and universities about the important experience of
interdisciplinary research programs highlighted in three aspects: the financial support, resources guide,
and facilities equipped [6]; Liu Fanben explored the organization strategy that American research
university to promote interdisciplinary research [7]; Zhang Wei, who through a combination of multiple
case forms, detailing the interdisciplinary strategies, organizational policies, organizational structure and
practice characteristics of the American research universities [8]; these results provide a wealth of
theoretical basis for the research on United States universities to build interdisciplinary research
organization. Literature on how to build a successful university interdisciplinary research organization,
but has not been discussed in depth theory and practice summary. This article system analysis on the
successful experience of American university builds in the form of interdisciplinary research
organizations, and makes a few draw inspirations worthy of our university.
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2 The Organizational Strategy That Interdisciplinary Research in American
Universities
University to promote interdisciplinary research, construct an interdisciplinary research organization,
need to break department boundaries, discipline barriers. Across the faculties border is quite difficult,
conflicts between centralized management and their school’s academic units between autonomy may be
an eternal problem. Our study success stories of the American University interdisciplinary research
organization strategy, to analyze the key issue that “How to build an effective system of interdisciplinary
research organization,” summed up a few organizational strategies.
2.1 Centralized management at the school level
Creation and operation of an interdisciplinary research organization involved in research and
management departments and other relevant functional departments, such as the university graduate
school, and how these departments coordinate? How to set up and assigned to encourage
interdisciplinary research seed fund? How to promote various academic institutions (traditional
departments, interdisciplinary center) cooperation, integration of resources? These efforts may have to
break the boundaries of traditional sectors, in many cases need centralized management at the school
level. Duke University in the United States for decades has been actively promoting interdisciplinary
research and teaching, setting up a special interdisciplinary academic positions and vice provost’s office
in 1998, to the unified leadership of the school’s disciplinary academic activities (Most American
universities’ provost is the highest leader of the school’s academic affairs, the vice provost positions or
responsibilities in fact equivalent to the post of vice president of our University). Vice Provost manage
and allocate the seed capital, supervision and evaluation of the formation of cross-disciplinary centers
and institutes to promote interdisciplinary academic activities related arrangements. The office helps to
improve the management of interdisciplinary centers and organizations, discuss how to improve
administrative support interdisciplinary academic affairs, administrative affairs staffing various
interdisciplinary centers to share experiences and learn from each other. In addition, the Vice Provost
also accepts advice and recommendations on management issues from academic director of the
interdisciplinary center. In addition to these works, the office has a specific task, which is to support the
school to make reforms in university policies, operations and procedures to facilitate cooperation
Interdepartmental.
2.2 Take a matrix organizational model
In this organizational model, interdisciplinary scientific research organization and a joint faculty
appointment traditional school professor. How to calculate the teachers’ personal achievement that
tenured by faculties and Interdisciplinary Center is a problem. Universities, in general, tend to estimates
professor workload by interdisciplinary research center, estimates teaching workload by faculty; then
their recurrence paid accordingly. This way looks simply, but has a lot of conflict. Firstly, from the
nature of the activities of teaching and research, it is not contradictory for individual scholars, which is
both an intellectual activity, but in time of conflict, scholars could not have foreseen that his wisdom
sparks appear, and she or he does not want their ideas to be interrupted because of teaching. Teachers
involved in the dual functions often confused, reduced motivation. Secondly, which means that teachers
have good dual appointment coordination, talent is a double face it, both good teaching and well
engaged in scientific research, and can quickly switch roles, but such person is a relative minority.
Thirdly, for the organization and management, these two functions are contradictory. Interdisciplinary
centers and departments may have to compete for professors often time.
The university administration was busy translating the teaching and research to performance, every year
and month. Research management and teaching management position to compete with each other for
resources. In order to deal with the contradictions of the two departments, school leaders should
regularly hold numerous meetings. In recent years, the quickly development American Georgia
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Electronic Design Center (Georgia Electronic Design Center, hereinafter referred to as GEDC) settled
down at Georgia Tech, the school of Electrical and Computer Engineering (School of Electrical and
Computer Engineering, here in after referred to as SECE) is its main partners in fact, in addition to five
State University is its research partners [9]. Thus, professor GEDC is simultaneously employed in SECE,
while not employed by the other faculties, can be partially avoided human resource allocation problem.
This matrix organization model, in fact there is always achieved a dominant party, of course, usually is
research. The end result is interdisciplinary center is strong, and the traditional faculty research
weakening or even disappear completely, eventually leading to the collapse of the matrix structure,
research and teaching functions of the University is separation, the University will likely split into two
institutions: educational institutions specializing in teaching and research institutions specializing in the
research.
2.3 Extended development strategies
Many universities in the implementation of interdisciplinary research strategies may consider
interdisciplinary research with traditional parallel development. Thus, they do not take an
interdisciplinary research (center) all or part of the research work of faculty research function to replace
the traditional strategy, instead of using epitaxial extended interdisciplinary development strategy,
namely the existing organizational unit is not in whole or in part coverage, and an increase in peripheral
piece, such as specialized interdisciplinary academic full-time faculty positions increased or additional
degree of independence ranging interdisciplinary research centers.
For example, the University of Berkeley in 2002 had designed for increased interdisciplinary academic
activities, professor job, employed professors engage in appropriate interdisciplinary research and
teaching work in accordance with the agreement. Such as not to touch the core of the traditional
extended development has its own rationale, first, avoids the personnel disputes; Second, forcing new
interdisciplinary center to seek external funding, which will not affect the original school activities,
especially the least vulnerable undergraduate education. The way that Generated academic faculties
centers out the traditional can be subdivided into two ways. One is new, for example, was founded in
2003 in New York State University at Albany College of Nano Science and Engineering (hereinafter
referred to CNSE) is an interdisciplinary research center established around nanotechnology and is the
first university in the world within the establishment of a separate Nano Science and Technology. [10]
CNSE’s Professor not also employed in other departments of the university avoided the human resource
allocation problem. Another new approach is a newcomer, such as the United States oldest college of
engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (hereinafter referred to as RPI) Biotechnology Center
(Biotech Center) was established in 2005 after asking “old man” can enter a large project, new the
biotechnology-related direct access to teachers.
2.4 The complex cooperation network
Massive Interdisciplinary Center in domestic and foreign universities are generally not affiliated to a
certain faculties, even in the organization often have to cross the boundaries of the school. They have
more sources of funding, or that is jointly established by universities, government, business, etc., need to
be responsible to the university, outside organizations. They are generally university-based, do not fully
belong to the university, has a large autonomy. They are just located at university. It is “at” but not “of”.
For example, the main partner of GEDC is SECE; it also has partnerships with other academic
institutions in the state, and to maintain a close working relationship with the other research institute in
school. It has 50 member companies (such as Cisco, Motorola, Samsung and other world-class
communications equipment manufacturers), supported by the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and
federal government departments (the Department of Defense, NASA, etc.). GEDC be responsible for the
Georgia Institute of technology, also responsible for the GRA. Again, CNSE in fact semi-detached in
New York State University at Albany, reporting directly to the university president and the New York
State Office of Science and Technology and the Department of Academic Research (NYSTAR), did not
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pass the university’s provost. CNSE have 250 partners, including IBM, GE, AMD and other world-class
companies. Renowned universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT researchers participated in several
research institutes under the leadership of CNSE established. CNSE is the first in the 2007 ranking of
the world’s nanotechnology research institutions.
3 The Inspiration for the Development of Interdisciplinary Research Universities
From a view of the practical situations of China University, the development of interdisciplinary
research is ascendant and difficult. From an interdisciplinary research group, interdisciplinary program,
or to rely on various types of Laboratory faculties affiliated, to an independent interdisciplinary
university research institutions (the center), irrespective of the University Interdisciplinary Research
Organization is loose still tight, implementing virtual body or entity, a considerable part of the
interdisciplinary research system is not satisfactory. There are different degrees problems of the effective
functioning of the organization, the implementation of performance improvement, development and
other issues of sustainability. Learn from the successful experience of interdisciplinary research
conducted by the University of the United States, on the implementation of interdisciplinary research in
domestic university made the following suggestions.
3.1 Clear interdisciplinary research strategies on national and university level
Based on dynamic Organizations and academic governance structure, make reform on the management
system and operation mechanism of Higher Education. The Ministry of Education should promote
traditional university academic disciplines differentiation interdisciplinary organizational model to
model the evolution of university academic organization. The overall fit of the University of progressive
incremental change model, should adopt the model matrix university academic organizations, local
innovation and change the pattern should match the dynamic, non-academic organizations should adopt
the model of border-style university. Encourage more academic organizational structure and academic
innovation policies to promote interdisciplinary research, eliminate the constraints of the
interdisciplinary education and the academic research in a variety of obstacles, through long-term core
support and investment to ensure that interdisciplinary education and research directly appropriate
balance between the participants, stakeholders, etc. between the inputs, contributions and benefits.
3.2 Give interdisciplinary research full attention, to seek external focus on interdisciplinary
research
On the one hand, the university can get government support and expand the variety of ways with
industry, business cooperation, expanding interdisciplinary research sources of funding; on the other
hand, government departments, academia and other advocates called for the establishment of an
interdisciplinary Society interdisciplinary Advisory Committee and other academic management or
advisory organization, advocated the establishment, setting norms and interdisciplinary professional
personnel training projects, continue to nurture and expand interdisciplinary research survival and
development space.
3.3 University should conduct interdisciplinary research on a full range of support and guidance
Firstly, on the supply of resources, such as the establishment of a seed fund interdisciplinary research
projects funded, through scientific selection and evaluation mechanisms to promote interdisciplinary
research started, hatching and supporting, for a forward-looking, promising interdisciplinary research
projects to give a positive concerned with the continued support, providing jobs and experimental sites,
and allows a longer interdisciplinary research cycle. Secondly, on the organizational structure, establish
Institute of Science and Technology, inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary expert committee to
coordinate departments from the school level interdisciplinary research co-ordination and co-ordination,
while giving interdisciplinary research institution with a relatively independent entity status, given a
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certain human, financial, and material self-management right. The third is to encourage and guide the
internal interdisciplinary research institutes and gradually construct discipline integration, collective
awareness, knowledge production and network service management model of teamwork and improve
people’s participation in the collective sense, a sense of belonging and body awareness, sense of
responsibility, efforts to achieve inter-disciplinary research institute internal benign operation.
3.4 University should make adequate assessment and consideration on complexity and difficulties
of interdisciplinary research
In the institutional mechanisms designed not only to reflect the special nature of interdisciplinary
research itself activity, but also to be able to provide internal power, continues to attract or motivate
teachers and students to actively participate in interdisciplinary research and learning. In the personal
system, establishes the mechanism of the rational flowing for people in and out, employs all employees,
determine the position’s quantity and not the persons, employ the full-time faculty and part-time faculty.
In the evaluation of the system, to reform the single discipline commonly used method of peer review
methods, establish evaluation committee by a multidisciplinary experts, and establish full
communication, multi-level understanding and evaluation mechanisms to assess, and establish
long-period interdisciplinary research to research reasonable the “double counting” method of
performance evaluation methods, combine the qualitative and quantitative evaluation. In the financial
institutional, interdisciplinary research institutes to implement separate budget system, unified financial
account, consistent use, and further improve relevant aspects of financial management and regulations to
improve the flexibility and efficiency of financial management. Institutional culture in enrollment, to
actively seek the establishment of interdisciplinary degree programs, reform and regulate the
interdisciplinary training model, from school enrollment, training objectives, training in all aspects of
aspects, curriculum and teaching and research to effectively improve students’ interest in learning
interdisciplinary effectively enhance students’ ability to integrate disciplines.
3.5 Promote and cultivate good interactive environment of academic freedom, academic exchange
and trust and harmonious innovation culture
Through various forms of academic conferences, seminars, clubs and so on, through the network, and
promote resource sharing information between universities to facilitate internal departments, universities,
and between universities and other research institutions, companies and social organizations knowledge
sharing, knowledge transfer provides an excellent environment and atmosphere.
4 Conclusion
University faced with various organizations plight in the course of promoting interdisciplinary research.
Development of interdisciplinary research requires more centralized management, but there is a
contradiction between this model and the traditional college academic management (collegiate mode), to
prevent excessive executive powers to suppress academic power. Under the combined effect of
academic resources and competitive market interdisciplinary research project features a large, academic
resources may be over-concentrated to a few research areas, how to avoid some of the future
development of the University of vulnerable subjects of great significance is placed out leadership
challenges in front of the university. More ground for interdisciplinary research in social practice or
industry practice, the university culture but also how to maintain the tradition of innovation in the
business culture of the collision? Certainly, the most difficult and most core is how to handle conflicts
which between research team cooperative effort and individual effort. University to deal with these
contradictions, it is needed to carry out organizational and institutional policy innovation.
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Author in Brief:
Mr. Wang Jingzhou
Work unit: School of Politics and Law, Yangtze University, Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, China
Age: 48
Position: Dean, Professor
Major: Business Management
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 13797271809
Post code: 434023
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