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Unravelling the Tangle of Bureaucracy at Russian Universities: Administrative Profiles

https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2024-33-11-56-72

Abstract

   Drawing on the analysis of staff restructuring in universities around the world, the article stresses the growing share of non-academic staff, in particular highly qualified middle and senior administrative staff.

   The purpose of the article is to analyze how a combination of different categories of administrative staff is represented in universities according to their functions.

   Based on the cluster analysis of the Monitoring of education markets and organizations (N = 92), three groups of universities were identified according to administrative profiles: enterprising, educational and infrastructural. The first cluster is characterized by a high proportion of administrative staff engaged in general management, research, financial issues and information and communication technologies. The second cluster has a high proportion of staff engaged in providing educational activities. The third cluster is characterized by a high proportion of personnel engaged in the maintenance and operation of infrastructure and buildings. Universities with an infrastructural administrative profile are characterized by the presence of a larger area of educational and laboratory facilities per student, however, universities in the sample do not differ in terms of scientific, educational and financial activities.

About the Authors

T. A. Akuneeva
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation

Tatiana A. Akuneeva, Research Intern

Institute of Education; Laboratory for Universities Development

101000; 16 Potapovsky lane, bld. 10; Moscow



D. P. Platonova
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation

Daria P. Platonova, Senior Research Fellow

Institute of Education; Laboratory for Universities Development

101000; 16 Potapovsky lane, bld. 10; Moscow



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ISSN 0869-3617 (Print)
ISSN 2072-0459 (Online)