Using ‘managerial’ approaches in universities is consistent with maintaining academic freedom

How should universities be organised to ensure they remain competitive and financially sustainable? As Giulio Marini and Emanuela Reale write, there has been a long-standing debate over the use of so called ‘collegial’ and ‘managerial’ approaches in universities. Based on a survey of staff at 26 universities across 8 European countries, they find that both approaches can coexist as long as academics are given freedom over how they achieve stipulated goals.