A conceptual model for understanding academic work values

​The increasing adoption of management practices in university governance is argued to be in tension with academic values--academic autonomy may be weakened and academic work may be hindered. However, in most discussions what “academic values” are remains implicit. This conceptual paper aims to address this lack of conceptual clarity by proposing a model for understanding academic work values derived from studies of work values in applied psychology and the idea of space in sociology. The model differentiates three pairs of six academic work value orientations, four of which constitute what is often referred to as “traditional” academia. The model provides a theoretical point that allows for more meaningful discussions about how universities, whose functions and internal organisation have become so complex, can responsibly support academic work. This has implications for both the governance and management of the university (Track 1 and 2).