Abstract

New external forces have created change in management and organisational structures within Higher Education in the UK. The effects of increased commercial activities and focus together with movement away from collegial administrative structures has meant a changing educational ethos towards more corporate and profit centred management goals. The UK system, which contains both the Traditional Universities and New Universities, finds additional complexity as ‘New’ Universities were inherently more managerialist in their management in comparison to the collegial and autonomous freedoms of the ‘Traditional’ Universities. This paper discusses the different organisational structures and existing management styles of the University types alongside the various external forces that have acted as catalysts to these changes. Utilising data collected from a UK wide survey of staff members in UK Universities, findings suggest a movement towards a more managed and bureaucratic focus in both new and traditional universities with a new emphasis on financial management. Traditional universities, while still research and learning centred see a slight shift away from collegial autonomy towards a strengthening of management control and focus. Ultimately this paper hopes to provide an up-to-date insight into the different organisational structures and managements that exist in the UK’s diverse Higher Education sector.