Defenders

Abstract

This chapter provides case studies of units that used a defender mode of adaptation. These academic units had entrenched institutional norms; this meant that they chose to adapt by continuing their traditional operations. Stability, caution and order were the dominant values for these units. The key objective for academic units that used a defensive mode of adaptation was to attain greater efficiency from their current teaching, research and administration activities. Entrepreneurial activities were limited. Defenders concentrated on generating independent revenue (non-government) from established markets, such as tuition fees, from international and postgraduate students rather than undertaking less traditional and higher risk entrepreneurial activities, such as commercial research partnerships, or consultancy work, as prospectors did. Defenders displayed an inward/past orientation; they tended to ignore external environmental changes that did not directly impact upon their current operations. These units had a vertical hierarchical organisational structure; committees, and working parties made decisions in a manner that was slow, bureaucratic and resource intensive.