Research Capacity Building in Action: Framing Support and Balancing Tensions Mike Wallace AIM Associate Director for Capacity Building EDAMBA Annual Meeting & General Assembly 2nd September 2008

Session Aims 1.Outline AIMs approach to building UK management research capacity, with special reference to doctoral programmes 2.Consider implications for doctoral education in your contexts 3.Explore how doctoral education can be developed effectively in your organizations

AIMs Approach to Management Research Capacity Building Research Council-funded cohorts of AIM Fellows (developing people not projects) -call for individual proposals -from academics at particular career stages -on broad pre-specified management topics -to do individual research -plus collective research-linked activities -plus offer capacity-building activities accessible to any UK researchers (management or methods topics) -support from international scholars -(Senior Fellows had doctoral students)

AIM Senior Fellows Cohort 16 individual academics at a senior career stage (all professors) Individual research on 3 management topics: -sustained innovation -promising practices -productivity and performance Collective work on these topics including: -book by all Fellows targeting managers -group report for policy-makers on each topic Group capacity-building activities (converts workshop including doing a doctoral degree) Each supervised up to five doctoral students

Aim Phase 1 Cohorts of Fellows Fellowship cohort Number of Fellows Career Stage Topic AreaSupervise doctoral students Capacity building (doctoral students) Senior16Seniorprivate sector innovation, practices, productivity Yes Public Service 11mid- career, senior public service improvement NoYes Ghoshal9mid-careerprivate and public sector practices, innovation NoYes

Aim Phase 2 Cohorts of Fellows Fellowship cohort Number of Fellows Career Stage Topic AreaSupervise doctoral students Capacity building (doctoral students) Innovation (plus 8 research projects) 6mid-careerprivate sector innovation NoYes Services6mid-careerprivate sector services NoYes Practices(call to come) mid-careerprivate sector management practices NoYes

Supporting Researchers Learning 1.Individual Fellows learning by doing research 2.Collective Fellows learning through group research-related activities on these topics, supported by international scholars 3.Others individual learning (including doctoral students) by providing capacity-building activities, include international scholars 4.Collective Fellows learning as trainers by providing capacity-building activities (Doctoral students learning supervised by AIM Senior Fellows working on their management topics)

AIM Research Training Projects Research Council-funded projects within the ESRC Researcher Development Initiative: Training management researchers as trainers -research methods teachers -doctoral student supervisors -mentors of early-career academics 2.Managing the training of management researchers as trainers -developing staff as teachers and supervisors -managing research training and doctoral programmes

Progress with AIM Research Training Projects Workshop series, offered regionally, on: -Postgraduate research methods teaching -Supervising doctoral students -Teaching Systematic literature review -Teaching critical literature review Draft e-learning materials on learning to think like an experienced management researcher Conference on managing research training Workshop on managing development of research training and supervision

Developing Doctoral Education: What Works? 1.In your experience, what support for developing doctoral education is effective? 2.What are the strengths and limitations of AIMs contribution to developing doctoral education?

The Thinking Behind AIMs Capacity Building Projects and Fellows Capacity Building Work Basis for research training proposals and oversight of Fellows capacity building proposals Developing an analysis linking: -Career stages -Roles and tasks -Development needs -Learning and learning support

Multiple Roles to Manage Research Training & Supervision Development needs for different roles: 1.Primary researcher role 2.Secondary researcher role as trainers of postgraduate and doctoral students; 3.Secondary researcher role as developers of academics 4.Managers of research training and doctoral supervision programmes 5.Deans and directors of research responsible for managing the development of research training and supervision

Source of Development NeedCareer Stage RoleTaskDoctoral student Early career ConvertMid Career Senior Researcherwrite proposals, do research, publish outcomes XXXXX Trainer of students teach methods, supervise students XXXX Developer of academics appraise and mentor colleagues XX Manager of research training and supervision manage research training, doctoral programme, staff development XX Dean / Head of School recruit & retain staff, develop research and teaching, develop staff capacity X Needs from Roles & Tasks at Career Stages

Source of Development NeedRDI Activities to meet Needs RoleTask Researcherwrite proposals do research publish outcomes Logic of enquiry e-learning materials (postgraduate and doctoral students) Trainerteach methods supervise students Workshop series on methods courses, systematic and critical literature reviewing, working with large datasets, supervising Staff developer appraise and mentor colleagues Workshop series on mentoring early-career academics Manager of research training and supervision manage research training, doctoral programme, staff development (assumed managers support, some managers attended workshop series) Dean / Head of School recruit and retain staff, develop research, teaching, staff capacity (advertised to deans / Head of Schools, they nominate participants, indicate endorsement, nominal financial contribution) AIM RDI Project – Training Researchers as Trainers

Source of Development NeedRDI Activities to meet Needs RoleTask Researcherwrite proposals do research publish outcomes Logic of enquiry e-learning extension materials (early-career researchers) Trainerteach methods supervise students Initiative to deliver workshops locally - on supervision and co-publishing, research methods training, teaching critical literature reviewing, quantitative methods Staff developer appraise and mentor colleagues Manager of research training and supervision manage research training, doctoral programme, staff development Workshops on importing new methods, managing research training and supervision, training early career researchers - proposals and publications Dean / Head of School recruit and retain staff, develop research, teaching, staff capacity Todays conference to raise awareness about managing research training and supervision, other RDI provision AIM RDI Project – Managing the Training of Researchers as Trainers

Building Management Research Capacity through Doctoral Education: Identifying Development Needs 1.In your experience, how (if at all) are the development needs identified of staff involved in providing and managing doctoral education? 2.What are the most important development needs of these staff, and why?

Support for Individual and Collective Learning 1.Understanding and practical information 2.Skills exercises with feedback 3.Integration into the job with feedback

Potential of Learning Support Activities Activities for Learning Support Extent of Learning Support IndividualCollective Practical inform- ation Skills exercises, feedback Integration into job, feedback Exchange practical information Joint skills exercises, feedback Joint integration into job, feedback Intro session / handbook X X One-off workshop, conference X XXX Workshop series XX XXX Mentoring / co- supervising X X X XXX Network X X

Modular Learning Support Sequence Preparatory Work Diagnose issues through reviewing practice, present knowledge Problematize practice, stimulate thinking, e.g. through reading Learning Support Sessions Link learners experience and knowledge to present activity Input on a new topic Plan follow-up to integrate ideas from input into practice Follow-up Work Activity to support integration into practice Prepare for next session – report back, diagnose etc

AIM RDI Learning Support Activities Activities for Learning Support Extent of Learning Support IndividualCollective Practical inform- ation Skills exercises, feedback Integration into job, feedback Exchange practical information Joint skills exercises, feedback Joint integration into job, feedback Intro session / handbook X X One-off workshop, conference X XXX Workshop series XX XXX Mentoring / co- supervising X X X XXX Network X X

Building Management Research Capacity through Doctoral Education: Meeting Development Needs through Learning Support 1.In your experience, how are staff supported in their learning who are involved in providing and managing doctoral education? 2.What are the most effective ways of supporting their learning, and why?

Balancing Tensions in Managing the Development of Doctoral Education vs 1.Planned medium term strategy vs flexible response to emerging need, interest and opportunities? vs 2.Open invitation to request development opportunities to meet self-identified needs vs link with needs identified by managers, maybe through appraisal? 3.Pick from external support vs develop school, university-level support?

vs 4.Inclusivity, covering all staff vs elitism, concentrating on key roles (e.g. managing research training programme)? vs 5.Support for all career stages vs early career stage for potentially longer-term benefit? vs 6.Superficial practical information-giving vs in- depth sustained mentoring with feedback? vs 7.Single-purpose support (for role as trainer) vs dual-purpose training (for role as trainer and as researcher)? vs 8.Individuals vs collective support?

Managing the Development of Doctoral Education 1.In your experience, what (if any) tensions affect efforts to develop doctoral education? 2.How may any tensions be coped with effectively?