Journal of Academic Management

The Lived Experience of University Middle Managers Facing Transformational Policies in Higher Education (Phenomenological Study)

Ramin Gharibzadeh

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 18-1

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2025.144885.1124

Abstract

This study employs a phenomenological approach to explore and analyze the lived experiences of middle-level university managers in the complex process of confronting, interpreting, ... Read More This study employs a phenomenological approach to explore and analyze the lived experiences of middle-level university managers in the complex process of confronting, interpreting, and implementing transformative higher education policies, aiming to illuminate the gap between macro-level policymaking and daily organizational operations. The chosen research methodology is Interpretive Phenomenology, selected for its capacity to achieve the deepest understanding and interpretation of the lived experiences of these managers in their interaction with transformative higher education policies. Consequently, the primary focus centers on how middle managers, acting as frontline interpreters and implementers of top-down policies, perceive, interpret, and react to them. The target population and sample comprised middle-level managers from public universities across the country who were engaged in implementing transformative higher education policies (focusing on the period from 2020 to 2024). A purposive sampling method with maximum variation was utilized, leading to in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 to 20 managers until theoretical saturation was reached. Instrument validity was confirmed through content validation by subject matter experts. The central finding of this study is the emergence of a re-coding of professional identity among these managers, resulting in the creation of a dual language used to maintain legitimacy across two parallel worlds (formal and operational). Contrary to traditional views, this strategy is identified as a strategic political choice for survival within the power structure. In conclusion, the study’s results enrich the change management literature by demonstrating that the successful implementation of transformation is less a technical or procedural issue and more of a political-existential challenge. To resolve this predicament, specific operational suggestions are provided, focusing on redefining authority commensurate with responsibility, developing managers’ political literacy, establishing parallel structures for innovation, and addressing the mental well-being of managers at the forefront of conflicts. The ultimate goal is to elevate the role of the middle manager from a ‘wear-and-tear buffer’ to an ‘intelligent architect of transformation,’ necessitating a revision of the intra-organizational social contract.

Presenting a structural equation model of the effect of political intelligence of school principals on sustainable performance with the mediating role of experience sharing groups

ahmad marandi; Akbar Valizadeh

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 46-19

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2025.144981.1125

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to present a structural equation model of the effect of political intelligence of school principals on sustainable performance with the mediating role ... Read More

Financing in Iranian higher education centers based on fourth-generation university indicators

Majid Kahrazahi; Mahboubeh Arefi; Abasalt Khorasani

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 67-47

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2025.144052.1115

Abstract

To achieve a fourth-generation university, Read More

Under the University's Skin: Exploring the Factors Influencing the Emergence of Academic Narcissism in Universities

Mahnaz Mazhari; Mohsen Nazarzadeh Zare; Abbas Khahpour

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 101-68

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2025.145022.1126

Abstract

خودشیفتگی، خودشیفتگی آکادمیک، فراترکیب Read More

Modeling the Impact of Competency-Based Human Resource Management on Employees’ Career Adaptability with the Mediating Role of Work Vitality

Jafar Beikzad; Rogaye Karami

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 132-102

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2026.144810.1122

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim of modeling the impact of competency-based human resource management on employees’ career adaptability with the mediating role of ... Read More

Operational Approaches of Fifth-Generation Universities (A Case Study: University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Mohammad Hossein Kazemi Darafshani; mahbobe hojate

Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2025, Pages 161-133

https://doi.org/10.22034/jam.2025.144500.1121

Abstract

In today's rapidly changing world, universities have transformed from purely educational institutions into centers for solving complex global problems. Fifth-generation universities ... Read More

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Volume & Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2 - Serial Number 12, July 2025

The Lived Experience of University Middle Managers Facing Transformational Policies in Higher Education (Phenomenological Study)

Abstract

Presenting a structural equation model of the effect of political intelligence of school principals on sustainable performance with the mediating role of experience sharing groups

Abstract

Financing in Iranian higher education centers based on fourth-generation university indicators

Abstract

Under the University's Skin: Exploring the Factors Influencing the Emergence of Academic Narcissism in Universities

Abstract

Modeling the Impact of Competency-Based Human Resource Management on Employees’ Career Adaptability with the Mediating Role of Work Vitality

Abstract

Operational Approaches of Fifth-Generation Universities (A Case Study: University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract