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This document, presented by Dr. Robyn Keast and Professor Kerry Brown from QUT, delves into the dynamics of collaboration in higher education. It outlines the essential benefits of collaborative relationships, including innovation, problem-solving, and resource maximization, while addressing potential challenges. The text emphasizes the importance of differentiating types of relationships (cooperation, coordination, collaboration) and highlights strategies for making collaborations successful. Ultimately, it advocates for a shift in thinking towards shared power, trust-building, and the long-term management of partnerships.
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Achieving Collaborative Advantage in Education Dr Robyn Keast & Professor Kerry Brown School of Management Queensland University of Technology 26 May 2006
Introduction • Background to collaboration • Universities & collaboration • Working together throughrelationships • Differentiation of relationships – 3Cs • Making collaboration work • Building & managing strategic relationships • Changing expectations & behaviours • New ways of working; new ways of evaluating Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Collaboration & universities • Collaboration is key term in policy & program initiative in many sectors & areas of endeavour – including universities • QUT – Collaborative Research (OR) • Australian Technology Network • National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy • Emphasis is increasingly on cross-faculty, cross-disciplinary, multi-functional work groups & integrated project management teams Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Benefits of collaboration • Working together through collaboration: • Enables innovation creation & confusion • Resolves ‘wicked’ issues • Creative problem solving • Maximises resources • Capacity to ‘tap’ into partners’ opportunities • Optimise research opportunities • Achieve greater market reach Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
But • While having potential to produce great outcomes, collaborations are: • Risky • Hard to steer/control • Do not necessarily achieve conventional outcomes of ‘success’ • Possess a different operating logic • Take longer time • Involve a different management/practice approach • Prone to failure • 40 % + collaborations fail Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Its all about relationships! • Tendency to overuse or expect too much from collaborative relationships • Ignoring merits of other available relationships • 3CS • Cooperation • Coordination • Collaboration Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Relationships differentiated Cooperation Coordination Collaboration • Loose relations • Autonomous goals • Adjusting action • Information sharing • Medium relations • Semi autonomous • Aligning resources/ action • Joint goals • Joint programs • Joint funding • Strong relations • Interdependent • Systems change • Dense interactions • Pooled resources • Collective action Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Unpacking relationships Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Reflecting on your collaborative endeavours • Think about a collaborative endeavour that you are involved with • How does it compare to the information provided in the schemas? • Is it collaboration – or one of the other Cs? • What are the characteristics evident? • Do these enhance or constrain achieving collaboration? • What adjustments needs to be made to shift to collaboration? Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Making collaboration work • Relationship focus • Understood, planned & nurtured • Building trust is important • Emphasis is on building relationships – long term • Right people, right strength of relationship • May have to turbo-charge • Interdependent – give & take • Joint ownership of decisions – no-one is in charge; and everyone is! • Dealing with conflict constructively – unlock creativity • Focus on interest, not positions Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Collaborative management Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Changing expectations & behaviours • Collaborations produce great results • But not always as expected/intended • Take time – not a short-term solution • No one is in control – shared power • Step back and let go!!! • Have to be prepared to take risks & give space to let group synergies work • If team members extract exactly as much as they put in: 1+1=2 but little innovation possible • If true collaboration drawing on team dynamics and relationships:1+1>2 • Be prepared to fund differently • Outcomes are as much about changed relationships as tangible deliverables – need different performance measures Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006
Conclusions • Collaboration key goal & can produce high rewards • All 3Cs have merit – fit-for-purpose • Mix and match relationship type & strength to purpose • If collaborating: • New ways of thinking/working – dense & interdependent relationships • New management mode • Changed expectations & processes Keast & Brown QUT 26 may 2006