Humanistic management in higher education with Madi Ruby

Higher Education Researcher

Madi Ruby is a doctoral researcher on the programme PhD in Higher Education: Research, Evaluation and Enhancement at Lancaster University.

In this episode, Madi presents the notion of humanistic management and how it can be applied in higher education. Contemporary management at universities is most typically conceptualised in line with the new public management, or neoliberal managerialism. These are seen as causing increased bureaucratisation of work, ever-rising workload, and staff alienation. Madi presents why this should not be the only view, and how we can focus on human dignity in management practices.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, universities are presented with an opportunity to consider humanistic management in how they navigate the challenges created for the higher education (and many other sectors) that the situation causes. Everything is changing, which provides an opportunity for leaders to reflect on how their structures impact on their academic and professional services staff, and opt for a more humanistic model of managing academic work.

Madi can be contacted about humanistic management and her research at [e-mail]. Talking to her is Dr Janja Komljenovic from CHERE@LU.