Building a research culture in SUCs (Pathways to research excellence)

Raymund B. Habaradas, DBA Director, Center for Business Research and Development

Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business

De La Salle University (RVR-COB)

School administrators / research directors

Teaching, not research, is seen as the main function of our school.

Faculty members are not motivated because of their heavy teaching load.

Faculty members see research simply as a means to earn an advanced degree or to get tenure.

Research is not a way of life in our school. There is a ‘lack of research culture’ in our school.

Faculty members lack confidence to do research.

Faculty members are not interested to do research.

Organizational culture

“…customary and traditional way of thinking and doing things, which is shared to a greater or lesser degree by all its members, and which new members must learn, and at least partially accept, in order to be accepted into service in the firm.”

- Elliott Jacques (1952)

Organizational culture

• Organizational culture can be thought of as the glue that holds an organization together through a sharing of patterns of meaning. The culture focuses on the values, beliefs, and expectations that members come to share.

- Caren Siehl & Joanne Martin (1984)

Sony’s founder said:

• If it were possible to establish conditions where persons could become united with a firm spirit of teamwork and exercise to their heart’s desire their technological capacity … then such an organization could bring untold pleasure and untold benefits … Those of like minds have naturally come together to embark on these ideals.

• - Masaru Ibuka, founder of Sony

Module 1 - What is an organization? 5

Sony’s goals

Purposes of incorporation Management guidelines

• To establish a place of work where engineers can feel the joy of technological innovation, be aware of their mission to society, and work to their heart’s content

• To pursue dynamic activities in technology and production for the reconstruction of Japan and the elevation of the nation’s culture

• To apply advanced technology to the life of the general public

• We shall eliminate any unfair profit-seeking, persistently emphasize substantial and essential work, and not merely pursue growth

• We shall welcome technical difficulties and focus on highly sophisticated technical products that have great usefulness in society, regardless of quantity involved

• We shall place our main emphasis on ability, performance, and personal character so that each individual can show the best in ability and skill

Module 1 - What is an organization? 6

Sony Pioneer Spirit

• Sony is a pioneer and never intends to follow others. Through progress, Sony wants to serve the whole world. It shall always be a seeker of the unknown…. Sony has a principle of respecting and encouraging one’s ability… and always tries to bring out the best in a person. This is the vital force of Sony.

• - Akio Morita, former Sony CEO

Module 1 - What is an organization? 7

Sony’s early innovations

First magnetic tape recorder in Japan (1950) First all-transistor radio (1955) First pocket-sized radio (1957) First home-use videotape recorder (1964) Sony Walkman (1979)

Module 1 - What is an organization? 8

Organizational culture

• The pattern of basic assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered, or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, and that have worked well enough to be considered valid, and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to these problems.

- Edgar Schein (1985)

Schein’s model

Assumptions Taken for granted;

invisible

Values Greater level of

awareness

Artifacts Visible but often undecipherable

Levels of culture Functions of organizational culture

• Internal integration. To integrate members so that they know how to relate to one another

• External adaptation. To help the organization adapt to the external environment

Cultural elements

• Artifacts – the visible, tangible, and audible remains of behavior grounded in cultural norms, values, and assumptions

• Norms – the unwritten rules that allow members of a culture to know what is expected of them in a wide variety of situations

• Values – social principles, goals, and standards held within a culture to have intrinsic worth

• Assumptions – represent what members believe to be reality and thereby influence what they perceive and how they think and feel

Activity: Does your school have a culture supportive of research?

• Move to the left or to the right of the room, depending on how you assess the organizational culture of your school (as reflected on statements that will be flashed onscreen).

• If called by the facilitator, mention your name and your school, and be prepared to briefly explain your choice.

Move to left Move to the right

For faculty members in our school, teaching is more important than research.

For faculty members in our school, teaching and research are given equal importance.

Values: Teaching excellence, research excellence

Move to left Move to the right

A university’s primary role is to produce graduates that will be able to find jobs and be productive members of society.

A university’s primary role is to produce new knowledge that will influence policy and practice, and improve the quality of life.

Assumptions about the role of a university in society

Move to left Move to the right

In our school, faculty members do research only if they get some compensation for it, or to get promoted

In our school, faculty members do research for the intellectual challenge and the recognition

Values: Money, career advancement, intellectual challenge, recognition

Move to left Move to the right

Our school gives incentives only for outstanding teaching performance, not for research.

Our school has recognition ceremonies for faculty members who publish or do research.

Rewards and incentive systems, as well as rites and ceremonies are examples of artifacts

Artifacts of organizational culture

Physical

manifestations

Behavioral

manifestations

Verbal

manifestations

Art / design / logo

Buildings / décor

Dress / appearance

Material objects

Physical layout

Ceremonies /

rituals

Communication

patterns

Traditions /

customs

Rewards /

punishments

Anecdotes / jokes

Jargon / names /

nicknames

Explanations

Stories / myths /

history

Heroes / villains

Metaphors

Key organizational dimensions

Goals and strategy

Organizational technology

Organization structure

Organizational culture

Refers to the tools, techniques, and actions used to transform inputs into outputs

Define the purpose and competitive techniques that set it apart from other organizations Underlying set of key values,

beliefs, understandings, and norms shared by employees

Internal characteristics of the organization (e.g. formalization, specialization, centralization, and hierarchy of authority)

Adapted from Daft, R. (2007). Understanding

the theory and design of organizations.

Research@DLSU: 1960s

Year Developments

1961 to 1967 • Research during the Br. C. Richard’s tenure as President of De La Salle College (DLSC) took the form of ‘brainstorming’ for ways to make the Department of Education’s requirements for school curricula more relevant.

• Research was applied in the development of education and the learning process (e.g. grade school textbook entitled Carlos and Rita, written by Br. Fidelis O’Neill and the grade school faculty).

• Br. J. Lucian inaugurated studies in guidance and counseling in the Philippines, consisting of cases in basic investigation, the preparation of guidelines, and the compilation of a guidance counselor handbook.

Source: Maraan (1982), as cited in Maraan, Tolentino & Billena (2003)

Research@DLSU: 1960s

Year Developments

1967 Br. H. Gabriel Connon was elected President of De La Salle College. The research function of the College began to take shape. DLSC encouraged the production of suitable teaching materials for undergraduate education.

1968 to 1969 The Guidance Office administered a battery of admission tests, with a view to their possible updating or revision. On-going studies on failures among the freshmen, on remedial classes, and correlation studies became regular features of the research agenda of the said office.

Source: Maraan (1982), as cited in Maraan, Tolentino & Billena (2003)

Research@DLSU: Early 1970s

Year Developments

1971 Br. Andrew Gonzalez became Academic Vice President, and continued incorporating research into the De La Salle system of higher learning. He later recounted: “In those days, what was missing in higher education was research. We paid lip service to research… So we decided, as part of policy decisions, that [xxx] we had to make research an integral part of our system” (Maraan, et. al., 2003)

1974-1975 The Office of the VP for Development and Research was established in order to “meet the need for a full-time man at the top management level to stimulate both academic research and institutional research; direct long-range development plans and fund-raising efforts; and maintain liaison with the outside agencies funding specific operations and projects” (President’s Report 1974-1975)

Research@DLSU: Early 1970s

Year Developments

1974-1975 The Office for Development and Research undertook numerous activities that led to the following: • Establishment of the College Research Council as an

interdisciplinary screening committee for research proposals

• Development of procedures for the submission and evaluation of projects

• Establishment of departmental publications to serve as a vehicle for the publication of research

1975 The Research Council screened research proposals and provided small grants to approved proposals from the school’s budgetary item for research. Few applications were received; some of the grant money were unused.

Source: Maraan, Tolentino & Billena (2003)

Research@DLSU: Late 1970s

Year Developments

1976-1977 Research Council was deluged with applications, funding for all of which had become insufficient. In addition, the University received funding from outside agencies for several projects of national significance. DLSU funded seminars on research so as to increase the number of faculty actively involved in research.

1977 Br. Andrew focused on a five-year orientation “to channel the energies and creativity of the faculty to add to our store of knowledge about the Philippines and Philippine realities so as to indigenize knowledge and contribute to a ‘relevant’… education.”

Source: Abut-Tanaw, August 1977 and Maraan (1982), as cited in Maraan, Tolentino & Billena (2003)

Research@DLSU: Late 1970s

Year Developments

1979 • Various offices and centers were restructured into the Integrated Research Center (IRC), which aimed to provide University funding and support services for faculty research and to facilitate research and consulting activities of the faculty.

• Four offices were created under the IRC: (a) Research and Publications Office, (b) Industrial Development Office, (c) Materials Development Office, and (d) International Research Projects Office.

• IRC also introduced the following programs: (a) Visiting Research Fellows Program and (b) Overload-Equivalent for Research Program.

Source: Maraan, Tolentino & Billena (2003)

Research@DLSU: Early 1980s

Year Developments

1980-1981 Activities meant to establish outside contacts: • Updating of Center’s current mailing list, and sending

out brochures on the IRC • Meeting with representatives of associations,

foundation groups, etc. • Setting up mechanisms and procedures for getting

books published for wider readership Activities meant to strengthen Center’s internal base: • Hosting of seminar series on research, textbook

writing, consultation / seminar-teaching techniques, and the initiation of publication projects

• Determining faculty capabilities and facilities available for outside use through surveys

Research@DLSU: Early 1980s

Year Developments

1981-1982 IRC refined its thrusts • For internally-funded research, the thrust was research

in the instructional service of the University • For externally-funded research, the thrusts were policy

studies related to problems of development, and studies on poverty and social equity (e.g. employment creation, appropriate technology, energy, population, and environment)

1983-1984 The IRC was renamed the DLSU Research Center

1984-1985 Shift in the research-orientation of DLSU Research Center from basic, diagnostic researches to more action-oriented strategies. Offices under the Center included the following: (a) External Research Office, (b) University Research Office, and (c) Research Dissemination Office.

Research@DLSU: Late 1980s

Year Developments

1985-1987 Several changes in the leadership of the DLSU Research Center.

1987 The Research Dissemination Office (RDO) became the DLSU Press, which published trade books, textbooks, monographs, occasional papers, scholarly journals, research reports, and professorial chair lectures.

Rest of the decade

Restructuring was done with the primary aim of deepening the ‘culture of research’ on the campus, to further develop the research capabilities and expertise of the individual colleges and departments in the University, and to encourage autonomy and self-reliance among colleges with respect to research endeavors (Lamberte, 1991).

Research@DLSU: 1990s

Year Developments

1990s • Research activities on campus increased tremendously both in terms of volume and diversity.

• Research decentralization led to the establishment of full-blown research unit for every college, where all researches could be channelled, concentrated and coordinated.

• The University Research Office became the University Research Coordination Office (URCO), which still exists today; while the External Research Office became the Social Development Research Center (SDRC), which is now under the College of Liberal Arts. Other research units under individual colleges were created since then.

Research@DLSU today

• Social Development Research Center

• Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center

• Jessie Robredo Institute of Governance

• Advanced Research Institute for Informatics, Computing and Networking

• Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research

• Lasallian Institute for Development and Educational Research

• Center for Business Research and Development

• Angelo King Institute

• Yuchengco Center

• Center for Natural Sciences and Ecological Research

• Br. Alfred Shields, FSC Marine Station

Research@DLSU today

Research outputs No.

Articles in ISI-listed journals 73

Articles in other refereed journals 129

Books 12

Chapter in an edited book 12

Papers presented in international conferences 89

Papers presented in national conferences 122

Papers in conference proceedings 200

Source: Research @ De La Salle University - Annual Report for AY 2010-2011

Research@DLSU today

• DLSU is ranked 2nd in the Philippines in terms of citations of faculty publications in international journals

• Total internally-funded research (IFR) expenditures for AY 2010 - 2011: P152 million+

• Total externally-funded research (EFR) expenditures for AY 2010 - 2011 : P69 million+

Key organizational dimensions

Goals and strategy

Organizational technology

Organization structure

Organizational culture

Refers to the tools, techniques, and actions used to transform inputs into outputs

Define the purpose and competitive techniques that set it apart from other organizations Underlying set of key values,

beliefs, understandings, and norms shared by employees

Internal characteristics of the organization (e.g. formalization, specialization, centralization, and hierarchy of authority)

Adapted from Daft, R. (2007). Understanding

the theory and design of organizations.

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Strategy: Research in support of instruction Structure: Research done by individual units

Strategy: Research is part of institutional strategy; establishment of research policies and guidelines; enhance research capability of faculty Structure: Top level support; creation of offices that support research activities Strategy: Seek external

funding for research that address poverty, social equity; engage external stakeholders Structure: Centralized research center, but with offices that handle specialized functions

Strategy: Continue providing internal funds for faculty research; seek external funding for priority research areas Structure: Decentralized structure; each college with its own research center or institute

DLSU’s path

Workshop

• Work in groups of seven or eight. Participants from the same school should be in the same group. Choose a group facilitator.

• Group members must provide a brief overview of the ‘research situation’ in their respective schools. After this initial sharing, the group must choose one school it would like to examine further.

Workshop

• The group must envision possible “research pathways” for the chosen school, using the key organizational dimensions as a guide. “What must the school adopt in terms of goals and strategy, structure, and technology in order to create an organizational culture that supports research?”

• Illustrate your group’s proposed “research pathways” on the Manila paper provided.

• Assign a representative to explain your group’s output to the plenary.

Building a research culture in SUCs (Pathways to research excellence)

Raymund B. Habaradas, DBA Director, Center for Business Research and Development

Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business

De La Salle University (RVR-COB)