Professionals and the Problem of Implementing Innovation in University

Abstract

Russian universities face the objective of reaching the international standard in the development of science and education, which requires implementation of a number of innovations. Academic staff of universities consists of highly qualified specialists, whose characteristics are believed to include open-mindedness. At the same time, researchers have observed resistance to innovation on the part of the faculty. Some researchers divide university teachers into two groups based on the fundamental self-identification parameters: (i) those identifying themselves with the organization, and (ii) those committed to the profession. It is generally believed that teachers committed to the profession are more likely to support innovation. The article argues that both types of self-identification may be a factor of either active promotion of innovations or resistance to them. Resistance to innovation may be caused not so much by faculty characteristics as by the scale and pace of change. Permanent large-scale changes destroy the environment required for professional activities, forcing the academic staff to choose between organizational and professional identity and exciting resistance to innovation in them. The innovation process confronts the university with a crucial problem of retaining professionals, since they first of all identify themselves with the professional community. The article discusses the conditions under which professionals are willing to identify themselves with the organization and to support innovation.