Professionalizing the Professional Bureaucracy: On Training and Expertise for Leadership Positions in Universities

Henry Mintzberg's seminal work (Management Science 26(3):322-341, 1980) defined "professional bureaucracy" in organizations, highlighting its reliance on the expertise of the profession intrinsic to its operations, such as the professoriate in universities. However, the pervasive influence of managerialism has increasingly infiltrated university governance, challenging Mintzberg's model in two significant ways. Firstly, managerialization introduces professional managers into leadership roles traditionally held by academics, encroaching on the professional authority and autonomy of the professoriate as envisioned by Mintzberg. Secondly, managerialization provokes academics to acquire administrative skills, blurring the boundaries between academic and administrative roles throrgh professionalization. This study offers an empirical investigation into the professionalization of university leadership by focusing on leadership training programs in Israel. These programs underscore nuanced differences in curriculum and pedagogy tailored to the participant composition—academics versus administrators—reflecting evolving roles and expectations from leadership within universities. Importantly, our findings reveal a trend towards "hybrid expertise," combining academic vision with managerial proficiency, therefore reshaping conventional notions of academic leadership. Through an examination of these training initiatives, our aim is to explore how managerial practices intersect with academic culture, thereby redefining Mintzberg's conceptualization of professional bureaucracy. This empirical approach contributes to broader discussions on the restructuring of university leadership roles amidst increasing managerial influence, offering insights for future research and practical implications in higher education governance.