TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Reith, Florian T1 - Mixed methods for research into higher education BT - Solving the problem of institutionalized introspection? JF - Theory and method in higher education research N2 - Mixed methods approaches have become increasingly relevant in social sciences research over the last few decades. Nevertheless, we show that these approaches have rarely been explicitly applied in higher education research. This is somewhat surprising because mixed methods and empirical research into higher education seem to be a perfect match for several reasons: (1) the role of the researcher, which is associated with strong intersections between the research subject and the research object; (2) the research process, which relies on concepts and theories that are borrowed from other research fields; and (3) the research object, which exhibits unclear techniques in teaching and learning, making it difficult to grasp causalities between input and results. Mixed methods approaches provide a suitable methodology to research such topics. Beyond this, potential future developments underlining the particular relevance of mixed methods approaches in higher education are discussed. KW - Mixed methods KW - methodology KW - empirical research KW - higher education KW - qualitative research KW - quantitative research Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-1-83867-841-8 SN - 978-1-83867-842-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/S2056-375220190000005008 SN - 2056-3752 VL - 5 SP - 111 EP - 127 PB - Emerald Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Reith, Florian T1 - The seven deadly sins of quality management: trade-offs and implications for further research JF - Quality in higher education N2 - Quality management in higher education is generally discussed with reference to commendable outcomes such as success, best practice, improvement or control. This paper, though, focuses on the problems of organising quality management. It follows the narrative of the seven deadly sins, with each ‘sin’ illustrating an inherent trade-off or paradox in the implementation of internal quality management in teaching and learning in higher education institutions. Identifying the trade-offs behind these sins is essential for a better understanding of quality management as an organisational problem. KW - Quality management KW - higher education KW - governance KW - trade-offs KW - teaching KW - research Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2019.1683943 SN - 1353-8322 SN - 1470-1081 VL - 25 IS - 3 SP - 289 EP - 303 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Reith, Florian T1 - Strength of weakness BT - Quality managers as agents of multiple principals JF - Journal of higher education policy and management N2 - The paper investigates quality management in teaching and learning in higher education institutions from a principal-agent perspective. Based on data gained from semi-structured interviews and from a nation-wide survey with quality managers of German higher education institutions, the study shows how quality managers position themselves in relation to their perception of the interests of other actors in higher education institutions. The paper describes the various interests and discusses the main implications of this constellation of actors. It argues that quality managers, although they may be considered as rather weak actors within the higher education institution, may be characterised as having a strength of weakness due to diverging interests of their principals. KW - quality management KW - quality assurance KW - higher education KW - principal KW - agent KW - teaching Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2020.1812802 SN - 1360-080X SN - 1469-9508 VL - 43 IS - 3 SP - 298 EP - 314 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - GEN A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Pohlenz, Philipp T1 - Assessing quality assurance in higher education BT - quality managers’ perceptions of effectiveness T2 - European Journal of Higher Education N2 - The present article offers a mixed-method perspective on the investigation of determinants of effectiveness in quality assurance at higher education institutions. We collected survey data from German higher education institutions to analyse the degree to which quality managers perceive their approaches to quality assurance as effective. Based on this data, we develop an ordinary least squares regression model which explains perceived effectiveness through structural variables and certain quality assurance-related activities of quality managers. The results show that support by higher education institutions’ higher management and cooperation with other education institutions are relevant preconditions for larger perceived degrees of quality assurance effectiveness. Moreover, quality managers’ role as promoters of quality assurance exhibits significant correlations with perceived effectiveness. In contrast, sanctions and the perception of quality assurance as another administrative burden reveal negative correlations. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Reihe - 94 KW - higher education KW - perceived effectiveness of quality management KW - quality assurance Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-413052 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Döring, Matthias A1 - Ansmann, Moritz T1 - The sequence of isomorphism— BT - the temporal diffusion patterns of quality management in higher education institutions and hospitals JF - Administration & society N2 - Isomorphism has been widely used to describe why trends penetrate entire organizational fields. However, research so far has neglected the temporal aspects of such diffusion processes and the organizational reasons underlying the introduction of new management tools. We argue that during reform waves, the reasons for adopting the new tools differ over time. Using comparative data from two surveys on quality management in the field of higher education and the health sector, we show that early adopters are more likely to be motivated by instrumental reasons, while late adopters will more likely be motivated by institutional reasons. KW - isomorphism KW - quality management KW - hospitals KW - higher education KW - institutions KW - organization Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997211017137 SN - 0095-3997 SN - 1552-3039 VL - 54 IS - 1 SP - 87 EP - 116 PB - Sage Publ. CY - Thousand Oaks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Ansmann, Moritz A1 - Pohlenz, Philipp T1 - Institutional isomorphism, entrepreneurship and effectiveness BT - the adoption and implementation of quality management in teaching and learning in Germany JF - Tertiary Education and Management N2 - This paper presents empirical evidence on the adoption, implementation and the perceived effectiveness of quality management in teaching and learning in German higher education institutions. Theoretically, the article combines two new institutionalist approaches: institutional isomorphism and institutional entrepreneurship. Empirically, the study refers to qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data. The analysis reveals that isomorphism is a leading driver behind the adoption of quality management in German higher education institutions, whereas institutional entrepreneurship plays an important role in quality management implementation. While isomorphism can be regarded as a conclusive reason behind the absence of a perception of quality management’s effectiveness, institutional entrepreneurship may function as a corrective towards the overall negative impact of isomorphic conformity by institutionalizing quality management in a sustainable manner. KW - Higher education KW - Quality management KW - Quality assurance KW - New institutionalism KW - Isomorphism KW - Institutional entrepreneurship Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-019-09022-3 SN - 1358-3883 SN - 1573-1936 VL - 25 IS - 2 SP - 115 EP - 129 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Ansmann, Moritz T1 - Unfreezing higher education institutions? BT - understanding the introduction of quality management in teaching and learning in Germany JF - Higher Education N2 - Quality management (QM) in teaching and learning has strongly “infected” the higher education sector and spread around the world. It has almost everywhere become an integral part of higher education reforms. While existing research on QM mainly focuses on the national level from a macro-perspective, its introduction at the institutional level is only rarely analyzed. The present article addresses this research gap. Coming from the perspective of organization studies, it examines the factors that were crucial for the introduction of QM at higher education institutions in Germany. As the introduction of QM can be considered to be a process of organizational change, the article refers to Kurt Lewin’s seminal concept of “unfreezing” organizations as a theoretical starting point. Methodologically, a mixed methods approach is applied by combining qualitative data derived from interviews with institutional quality managers and quantitative data gathered from a nationwide survey. The results show that the introduction of QM is initiated by either internal or external processes. Furthermore, some institutions follow a rather voluntary approach of unfreezing, while others show modes of forced unfreezing. Consequently, the way how QM was introduced has important implications for its implementation. KW - Quality management KW - Organizational change KW - Higher education KW - Mixed methods Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0185-2 SN - 0018-1560 SN - 1573-174X VL - 75 IS - 6 SP - 1061 EP - 1076 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Undisclosed desires BT - quality managers’ normative notions regarding the implementation of quality management JF - Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education N2 - Following decades of quality management featuring in higher education settings, questions regarding its implementation, impact and outcomes remain. Indeed, leaving aside anecdotal case studies and value-laden documentaries of best practice, current research still knows very little about the implementation of quality management in teaching and learning within higher education institutions. Referring to data collected from German higher education institutions in which a quality management department or functional equivalent was present, this article theorises and provides evidence for the supposition that the implementation of quality management follows two implicit logics. Specifically, it tends either towards the logic of appropriateness or, contrastingly, towards the logic of consequentialism. This study’s results also suggest that quality managers’ socialisation is related to these logics and that it influences their views on quality management in teaching and learning. KW - Higher education KW - quality manager KW - teaching and learning KW - appropriateness Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1573970 SN - 0260-2938 SN - 1469-297X VL - 44 IS - 7 SP - 1106 EP - 1119 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - GEN A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Undisclosed desires BT - quality managers’ normative notions regarding the implementation of quality management T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Following decades of quality management featuring in higher education settings, questions regarding its implementation, impact and outcomes remain. Indeed, leaving aside anecdotal case studies and value-laden documentaries of best practice, current research still knows very little about the implementation of quality management in teaching and learning within higher education institutions. Referring to data collected from German higher education institutions in which a quality management department or functional equivalent was present, this article theorises and provides evidence for the supposition that the implementation of quality management follows two implicit logics. Specifically, it tends either towards the logic of appropriateness or, contrastingly, towards the logic of consequentialism. This study’s results also suggest that quality managers’ socialisation is related to these logics and that it influences their views on quality management in teaching and learning. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Reihe - 109 KW - higher education KW - quality manager KW - teaching and learning KW - appropriatenes Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-433040 SN - 1867-5808 IS - 109 ER - TY - THES A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Unabhängigkeit und Wirksamkeit von Landesrechnungshöfen : eine empirisch-vergleichende Bestandsaufnahme T2 - Interdisziplinäre Organisations- und Verwaltungsforschung Y1 - 2011 SN - 978-3-531-92799-2 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92799-2 VL - 17 PB - VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften / Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH Wiesbaden CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Problems and methods of quality evaluation in different policy fields JF - Zeitschrift für Evaluation N2 - This article distinguishes methodological problems in quality evaluation and measurement in two policy fields, namely higher education and public broadcasting. Both are characterized by similar external and internal basic conditions and are thus suitable for comparative research. The difficulties of quality measurement and evaluation are discussed with respect to three main features: (1) definition of quality, (2) operationalization of quality and (3) interpretation of quality. Furthermore the identified difficulties in both areas are not always the same, because they depend on different research criteria. Thus the debates of quality measurement and evaluation in higher education and public broadcasting can learn from each other and increase the understanding of quality measurement in general. In addition the comparative design provides opportunities for the development of methods and perspectives. KW - Quality-Measurement KW - Evaluation KW - Higher Education KW - Public Broadcasters Y1 - 2012 SN - 1619-5515 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 209 EP - 232 PB - Waxmann CY - Münster ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Evaluation von Verwaltungsreformen JF - Handbuch zur Verwaltungsreform Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-3-658-21562-0 SP - 729 EP - 738 PB - Springer CY - Wiesbaden ET - 5., vollständig überarb. Aufl. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Setting a fox to guard the henhouse? Determinants in elections for presidents of supreme audit institutions Evidence from the German federal states (1991-2011) JF - Managerial auditing journal N2 - Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence regarding the selection procedures for and characteristics of senior officials in supreme audit institutions (SIAs). Design/methodology/approach - This study follows a quantitative approach using original data collected for presidential elections of SIAs in the 16 federal states in Germany. A fractional logit model is calculated to test different theoretical assumptions in relation to structural, political and individual factors. Findings - The descriptive results confirm the findings of prior research that presidential candidates are elected with very high approval rates. The main determinants are the vote share of the ruling coalition and the executive experience of the presidential candidate. Research limitations/implications - This study focuses on 16 federal states in Germany, but an international comparative perspective covering subnational levels would further augment analysis through the variance of selection procedures and electoral outcomes. Social implications - Independence of auditors is a fundamental issue for the control of the executive, but it seems that there are inevitable trade-offs therein, such as between knowledge of the auditing objects or the politicization of the election process and the independence of the auditor. Originality/value - This study provides novel empirical insights into the election and selection procedures for senior SIA officials at the subnational level, and shows that the executive exerts strong, but functionally reasonable, influence on candidate selection. KW - Independence KW - President KW - Sub-national KW - Supreme audit institutions Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-03-2015-1168 SN - 0268-6902 SN - 1758-7735 VL - 31 SP - 492 EP - 511 PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER - TY - GEN A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - "Wie viel ist genug?" : Bevölkerungswachstum ; Forschungsgegenstand mit vielen Facetten T1 - "How much is enough?" : Population growth ; object of research with many facets N2 - „Menschen benötigen Platz zum Leben.“ In dieser Erkenntnis liegt noch nichts Besonderes oder gar Aufregendes. Erst die Tatsache, dass die menschliche Bevölkerung seit jeher zunimmt, aber der zur Verfügung stehende Platz konstant bleibt bzw. die Ressourcen in ihrem Bestand sogar abnehmen, macht dieses Thema wesentlich gehaltvoller. Offensichtlich ist außerdem: „Population growth seems to affect everything but is seldom held responsible for anything.“ (McKee 2003: 10) Dies ist der Hauptgrund dafür, dass gerade die Thematik der Bevölkerungsentwicklung internationale Beachtung und Aufmerksamkeit verdient. KW - Bevölkerungswachstum KW - Bevölkerungswissenschaft KW - Entwicklung KW - Weltbevölkerungsbericht KW - Population increase KW - population science KW - development KW - report of world population Y1 - 2005 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-47919 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reith, Florian A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Balancing the Moods BT - Quality Managers’ Perceptions and Actions Against Resistance JF - Higher education policy N2 - Quality management (QM) has spread around the world and reached higher education in Europe in the early 1990s (Mendel, 2006, 137; Kernegger and Vettori, 2013, 1). However, researchers were rather more interested in national quality assurance policies (macro-level) and accreditation systems (meso-level) than in intra-organizational perspectives about the day-to-day implementation of quality assurance policies by various actors (micro-level). Undoubtedly, organizational change is a challenging endeavor for all kinds of groups. On the one hand, it provides the opportunity of further development and innovation, but on the other hand, it exposes organizations and actors to the risk of losing established structures and accepted routines. Like in many other organizations, actors may not necessarily perceive change as a promoter of innovation and development. Instead, they may consider change as a threat to the existing status quo or, as March points out, as an “interplay between rationality and foolishness” (March, 1981, 563). Consequently, change provokes either affective or behavioral actions (Armenakis and Bedeian, 1999, 308–310), such as, for example, resistance. Anderson (2006, 2008) and Lucas (2014) have shown, for example, that academic resistance is an important issue. However, Piderit characterizes resistance as a multidimensional construct (Piderit, 2000, 786–787) subject to a wide variety of issues related to quality and QM. Although QM has been described as a “fashion” (Stensaker, 2007, 101) in the higher education sector that provokes many different reactions, its implementation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is still a rather unexplored field. Thus, the evidence provided by Anderson (2006, 2008) and others (Newton, 2000, 2002; McInnis et al., 1995; Fredman and Doughney, 2012; Lucas, 2014; etc.) needs to be expanded, because they only consider the perspective of academia. In particular, the view of other actors during the implementation of quality assurance policies is a missing piece in this empirical puzzle. Nearly nothing is known about how quality managers deal with reactions to organizational change like resistance and obstruction. Until now, only a few studies have focused on intra-organizational dynamics (see, for example: Csizmadia et al., 2008; Lipnicka, 2016). Besides the lack of research on the implementation of quality assurance policies in HEIs, quality managers seem to be an interesting subject for further investigations because they are “endogenous” to institutional processes. On the one hand, quality managers are the result of quality assurance policies, and on the other hand, they influence the implementation of quality assurance policies, which affect other actors (like academics, administrative staff, etc.). Here, quality managers, as members of an emerging higher education profession, are involved in various conflict lines between QM, HEI management and departments, which need further research (Seyfried and Pohlenz, 2018, 9). Therefore, the aim of our paper is twofold: firstly, to answer the question of how quality managers perceive resistance, and secondly, which measures they take in situations of perceived resistance. We offer a new research perspective and argue that resistance is not merely provoked by organizational change; it also provokes counter-reactions by actors who are confronted with resistance. Thus, resistance seems to be rather endogenous. To theorize our argument, we apply parts of the work of Christine Oliver (1991), which provides theoretical insights into strategic responses to institutional processes, ranging from acquiescence to manipulation (Oliver, 1991, 152). We, therefore, investigate the introduction of QM in teaching and learning, and the emergence of quality managers as higher education professionals as one of the results of quality assurance policies. Consequently, the introduction of QM may be considered as an institutional process provoking reactions and counter-reactions of various organizational units within HEIs. These circumstances are constitutive for how quality managers deal with resistance and other reactions toward organizational change. We use this theoretical framework to analyze the German higher education sector, because this particular case can be considered as a latecomer in New Public Management reforms (Schimank, 2005, 369) and Germany is a country where academic self-governance plays a very important role, and strongly influences academics’ behavior when it comes to organizational change (Wolter, 2004). Our empirical results are based on a mixed-methods research design and integrate half-structured interviews and a nationwide survey at the central level in German HEIs, which excludes faculty members of QM (decentral level). They reveal that quality managers take different types of action when resistance occurs during the implementation of quality assurance policies. Furthermore, quality managers mainly react with different tactics. These tactics seem to be relevant for convincing academics and for the enhancement of their commitment to improve the quality of teaching and learning, instead of provoking further resistance or avoidance practices. This article proceeds as follows: the next sections describe the context and explain our main theoretical concepts referring to the work of Oliver (1991) and others. After that, we present our case selection and the methodological framework, including the data sources and the operationalization of selected variables. Finally, we provide our empirical results about quality managers’ perceptions on resistance and we draw conclusions. KW - higher education KW - quality management KW - institutional processes KW - resistance KW - balancing Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0124-6 SN - 0952-8733 SN - 1740-3863 VL - 32 IS - 1 SP - 71 EP - 91 PB - Palgrave Macmillan CY - Basingstoke ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Siegel, John Philipp T1 - Was bewirken Gebietsreformen? BT - Eine Bilanz deutscher und europäischer Erfahrungen JF - Der moderne Staat : dms ; Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management N2 - Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst die bisherige Forschung über die Wirkungen von Gebietsreformen zusammen und analysiert diese aus inhaltlicher und methodischer Perspektive. Basierend auf einer Auswertung von ausgewählten nationalen und europäischen Studien werden Wirkungsbefunde in drei zentralen Dimensionen dargestellt: (1) Leistungsfähigkeit, Verwaltungs- und Veranstaltungskraft, (2) Einsparungen, Skalenerträge und Wirtschaftlichkeit und (3) Partizipation und demokratische Kontrolle. Im Ergebnis kann festgestellt werden, dass die Leistungs- und Handlungsfähigkeit kommunaler Verwaltungen durch Gebietsreformen überwiegend positiv beeinflusst wird. Dagegen sind die empirischen Befunde bezüglich Wirtschaftlichkeit, Einsparungen und Skalenerträge sowie zur Partizipation und demokratischen Kontrolle nicht eindeutig. Y1 - 2018 SN - 1865-7192 SN - 2196-1395 VL - 11 IS - 1 SP - 119 EP - 141 PB - Budrich CY - Leverkusen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Brajnik, Irena Baclija T1 - Mayors and administrative reforms JF - Political Leaders and Changing Local Democracy N2 - In recent decades, a wave of administrative reforms has changed local governance in many European countries. However, our knowledge about differences as well as similarities between the countries, driving forces, impacts, perceptions, and evaluation of these reforms is still limited. In the chapter, the authors give an overview about mayors’ perceptions and evaluations of two major reform trajectories: (a) re-organisation of local service delivery and (b) internal administrative/managerial reforms. Furthermore, differences between (groups of) countries as well as similarities among them are shown in these two fields of administrative reform. Finally, the authors tried to identify explanatory factors for specific perceptions of administrative reforms at the local level. KW - New public management KW - Local administrative systems KW - Administrative reform KW - Public-private partnerships Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-3-319-67410-0 SN - 978-3-319-67409-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67410-0_13 SP - 387 EP - 409 PB - Palgrave CY - Basingstoke ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Comparatice methods B BT - comparative mezhods in public administration - the value of looking around JF - Handbook of research methods in public administration, management and policy Y1 - 2020 SN - 978-1-78990-347-8 SP - 181 EP - 196 PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Cheltenham ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Seyfried, Markus ED - Vigoda-Gadot, Eran ED - Vashdi, Dana R. T1 - Comparative methods B BT - comparative methods in public administration – the value of looking around T2 - Handbook of research methods in public administration, management and policy N2 - This chapter outlines the relevance and value of comparative approaches and methods in studying Public Administration (PA). It discusses the roots and current developments of comparative research in PA and discusses various methodological venues for cross-country comparisons, such as most similar/dissimilar systems designs, the method of concomitant variation and the difference-in-difference method. Besides the description of these approaches, we highlight their conceptual value for theory-driven empirical comparative research. Drawing on selected pieces of comparative research, the chapter furthermore provides examples for the application of comparative methods in practice presenting empirical findings and highlighting strengths and weaknesses. The chapter finally emphasizes that the methodological development in comparative PA research has by far not yet reached its end, and that some future challenges need to be addressed, such as the issues of causality, generalizability, and mixed-methods approaches. Y1 - 2020 SN - 978-1-78990-347-8 SN - 978-1-78990-348-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789903485.00017 SP - 181 EP - 196 PB - Edward Elgar Publishing CY - Cheltenham, UK ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jann, Werner A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Does executive governance matter? executives an policy performance Y1 - 2009 SN - 978-3-86793-013-0 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hustedt, Thurid A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Challenges, Triggers and Initiatorsof Climate Policies and Implications for Policy Formulation JF - Leidenschaft und Augenmaß : sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Entwicklung, Verwaltung, Umwelt und Klima : Festschrift für Harald Fuhr Y1 - 2020 SN - 978-3-8487-5249-2 SP - 169 EP - 179 PB - Nomos CY - Baden-Baden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hustedt, Thurid A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Inside the EU Commission BT - Evidence on the Perceived Relevance of the Secretariat General in Climate Policy-Making JF - JCMS - Journal of common market studies N2 - This article studies the perception of the EU Commission's Secretariat General in policy-making. Recently, research on EU institutions devotes increasing attention to analyzing structures and procedures of decision-making in EU institutions, most notably the EU Commission. Conventionally, the EU Commission is portrayed as a fragmented organization, divided along the lines of staff nationality, sectoral responsibilities and cabinets and General Directorates (DGs). The Secretariat General has long been viewed a weak actor that is hardly able or motivated to steer internal decision-making. However, recent research indicates a changing role of the Secretariat General as a pro-active broker and last arbiter. This article studies how the Secretariat General is perceived by the DGs in policy coordination and argues that this perception depends on the pattern of political authority, bureaucratic roles and the relevance and the alternatives prevailing in the policy field. The article is based on data from a survey among Commission officials. KW - EU Commission KW - Secretariat General KW - co-ordination KW - centralization KW - climate policies Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12605 SN - 0021-9886 SN - 1468-5965 VL - 56 IS - 2 SP - 368 EP - 384 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hustedt, Thurid A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Co-ordination across internal organizational boundaries: how the EU Commission co-ordinates climate policies JF - Journal of European public policy N2 - Through an analysis of climate policy-making in the European Commission (EU), this article argues that co-ordination in the Commission displays the same characteristics as the co-ordination across ministries in central governments, i.e., the properties of negative co-ordination. The article is based on a survey among Commission officials. Overall, the article reveals that a public administration perspective on the Commission proves invaluable to gain insights on how decisions are made at the European Union level. The article contributes to the emerging literature viewing the Commission as an ordinary bureaucracy - as opposed to a unique supranational organization. KW - Bureaucratic organization KW - climate change policy KW - co-ordination KW - Directorate General KW - EU policy-making KW - European Commission Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2015.1074605 SN - 1350-1763 SN - 1466-4429 VL - 23 SP - 888 EP - 905 PB - Springer Publishing Company CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fleischer, Julia A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Drawing from the bargaining pool: Determinants of ministerial selection in Germany JF - Party politics : an international journal for the study of political parties and political organizations N2 - This article expands our current knowledge about ministerial selection in coalition governments and analyses why ministerial candidates succeed in acquiring a cabinet position after general elections. It argues that political parties bargain over potential office-holders during government-formation processes, selecting future cabinet ministers from an emerging bargaining pool'. The article draws upon a new dataset comprising all ministrable candidates discussed by political parties during eight government-formation processes in Germany between 1983 and 2009. The conditional logit regression analysis reveals that temporal dynamics, such as the day she enters the pool, have a significant effect on her success in achieving a cabinet position. Other determinants of ministerial selection discussed in the existing literature, such as party and parliamentary expertise, are less relevant for achieving ministerial office. The article concludes that scholarship on ministerial selection requires a stronger emphasis for its endogenous nature in government-formation as well as the relevance of temporal dynamics in such processes. KW - Candidates KW - Germany KW - government-formation Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068813487108 SN - 1354-0688 SN - 1460-3683 VL - 21 IS - 4 SP - 503 EP - 514 PB - Sage Publ. CY - London ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fleischer, Julia A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Drawing from the bargaining pool BT - determinants of ministerial selection in Germany T2 - Party politics N2 - This article expands our current knowledge about ministerial selection in coalition governments and analyses why ministerial candidates succeed in acquiring a cabinet position after general elections. It argues that political parties bargain over potential office-holders during government-formation processes, selecting future cabinet ministers from an emerging bargaining pool'. The article draws upon a new dataset comprising all ministrable candidates discussed by political parties during eight government-formation processes in Germany between 1983 and 2009. The conditional logit regression analysis reveals that temporal dynamics, such as the day she enters the pool, have a significant effect on her success in achieving a cabinet position. Other determinants of ministerial selection discussed in the existing literature, such as party and parliamentary expertise, are less relevant for achieving ministerial office. The article concludes that scholarship on ministerial selection requires a stronger emphasis for its endogenous nature in government-formation as well as the relevance of temporal dynamics in such processes. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Reihe - 87 KW - candidates KW - Germany KW - government-formation Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-404479 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ansmann, Moritz A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Isomorphism and organizational performance BT - evidence from quality management in higher education JF - Quality assurance in education N2 - Purpose Quality management has become an integral part of management reforms in public sector organizations. Drawing on a new institutionalist perspective, this study aims to investigate the relation of management reforms and organizational performance in the context of higher education. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyse the interaction between isomorphic conformity in quality management adoption, organizational learning and quality improvement and, in so doing, address the central theoretical question of what effects isomorphic conformity has on organizational performance. Empirically, the study draws on survey data from quality managers at public higher education institutions in Germany. Methodically, it applies confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings The results suggest that mimetic isomorphism is surprisingly compatible with processes of organizational learning, and thus, does not inevitably compromise organizational development. Originality/value By presenting these findings, the authors contribute to the controversial theoretical debate concerning the effects of isomorphism and to the ongoing discussion regarding the organizational impact of quality management in higher education. KW - Quality management KW - Quality assurance KW - Higher education KW - Structural KW - equation modelling KW - New institutionalism Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-07-2021-0114 SN - 0968-4883 SN - 1758-7662 VL - 30 IS - 1 SP - 135 EP - 149 PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER -