Text: Milja Helin, Pictures: Johanna Viljakainen
“We are now moving from the preparatory phase of many years to the actual change phase. In that sense, these are exciting times”, says Matti Pursula, Rector of the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK). Careful preparations for the new Aalto University and change management have been going on for years at TKK.
From the beginning of next year, three different universities – the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Management (HSE) and the University School of Art and Design (TaIK) – will be united into the new Aalto University.
“The representatives of all three universities are involved in the change organization, and there has been a good spirit of seeking new ideas,” Pursula says.
“Perhaps the biggest challenge is to have the personnel and students fully involved in the reform rather than having each and every one defending his or her own interests. At TKK, the students have also been for the change and received it well.”
According to Pursula, the academic community also needs management and a clear leadership responsibility has to be assumed. He makes a distinction between strategic line management and setting common goals on one hand and academic management on the other. “It does not diminish the academic freedom at all — quite the opposite. Traditionally, the university has dealt with these matters in the same bodies. This will change with the new Aalto University model. Some professors may feel that they are losing some of their power, although the administrative bureaucracy is at the same time reduced,” he points out.
Academic leadership — a punishment taken in turns?
In Pursula’s opinion, both the weakness and the strength of academic leadership are based on expertise in one’s particular field. Traditionally, the professors have been in charge, and the heads of departments have been elected in a collegial process.
“Leadership may also have been seen as a punishment taken in turns where everyone is in charge of common affairs for three years at a time. This is of course
In a way, professional management has been absent in the academic community, and management has been seen as looking after the unit’s interests.
“Traditionally, the manager–employee relationships have also been rather undefined. In the past, when a researcher was recruited, it was not always clear who his or her manager was,” Pursula says.
Regarding the size of the new Aalto University, Pursula says that TKK will be its largest unit, about two-thirds of the new university.
”We have experience of a large organization and even of one with plenty of external funding. The good things about TKK include its efficient financial management, a forerunner in state administration. We may still have challenges in improving well-being at work, communications and PR as well as in internationalization,” he says.
Not a restructuring project but a development project
Major change always has fears of the personnel associated with it.
”We have been trying to put peoples’ minds at rest because no-one will be made redundant and the terms and conditions of employment will largely remain unchanged. This is not a restructuring project but a development project,” Pursula emphasizes.
“Of course there may be new challenges in everyone’s duties, civil service posts become ordinary employment contracts and some job descriptions may change.
Preparations have also been underway for more than eighteen months regarding education.
”Close cooperation in HR development and competence between these three universities – TKK, HSE and TaIK – was initiated in good time. To this end, the Change Support Project of the Aalto University was also established,” says Kaija Meriläinen, Training Manager at TKK.
Joint HR development
Joint training sessions and managerial training have been organized and training sessions opened for other parties.
“It has been seen as positive and enriching. This is an example of networking where we learn to know each other and the culture of other establishments. Everyone has managerial duties in common, and feedback has been really positive,” Meriläinen says.
“The latest mentoring group of personnel was also cross-scientific, and we have had coaching groups and language training sessions. Networks are created gradually, and they are also actively built through training.
All three universities already engage in HR development, and there are quite a few projects going on at TKK,” Meriläinen says. The future will tell what else will be required at the Aalto University.
TKK has been in a state of continuous change for years. The first change involved the degree structure during 2003–2005. Then there was organizational restructuring and now comes the biggest change of all, the university reform.
”Although the personnel in principle takes a positive attitude towards new things, the changes have been so major and taken place within just a couple of years that they may make people wary. Individual persons may not always see all the benefits that these changes and new ideas bring.
It is important to support managers
Managerial work has been one key area for development since 2002.
“When the new remuneration system was introduced in 2006, the universities specified people in managerial positions, and they underwent appraisal discussions and salary negotiations. That introduced a certain degree of systematics into management,” Meriläinen says. At the moment, there are 590 persons with managerial duties at TKK.
There have been many kinds of leadership development and coaching. More than 400 persons at TKK have already participated in five-day management training courses.
“The duties and roles of managers have been analyzed, and they have been provided with tools: models for bringing up delicate issues, for prevention of harassment and for dealing with substance abuse as well as instructions for monitoring absences from work.
Some positions already involve certain types of training. The management training for professors is an example of this. Feedback has been collected through satisfaction surveys and 360 degree feedback surveys.
Leadership development well underway
Managerial training regarding leadership and HR management has been organized for peoples’ immediate managers at TKK.
“Then there is leadership management where one half focuses on strategic and change management and the other half on personal development as a manager. This also includes a 360 degree feedback survey. Furthermore, there is a shorter two-day managerial coaching course. Coaching in small groups is also used to support managerial coaching and leadership coaching,” Meriläinen says.
Psycon has been responsible for the leadership coaching, the program for personal development as a manager and for group coaching in support of leadership at TKK. Psycon has also implemented the description of the management system at TKK and the strategic development program for the management team and top management.
“Our experience has been positive, which has been useful,” Matti Pursula says. Meriläinen is also pleased with the cooperation and hopes that the same spirit would continue on in the Aalto University.