Anachronistic or relevant? The institutional logics of a university chaplaincy in a changing age
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| Monday, July 1, 2024 |
| 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM |
Presenter
Assoc Prof Laura Maran
Assoc Prof
RMIT University
Anachronistic or relevant? The institutional logics of a university chaplaincy in a changing age
Abstract
"Society has become increasingly secular, yet, despite an underlying secular logic, the great majority of English universities support chaplaincies and multi-faith centres with resources, contributing to chaplains employment costs and/or expenses. They encourage chaplains to assist staff and students with their pastoral and other needs suggesting not only chaplaincies’ continued relevance, but also the need to understand how a religion logic can be managed within this secular environment.
This longitudinal, archival and oral history-based study of a university and its chaplains from the 1960s to 2020, examines how different institutional logics are managed. While the chaplains prioritise a religious, faith-based logic, they chose certain adaptations to maintain a role in the academic system and remain relevant within the university. Specific actions/initiatives undertaken by the university infer the presence of a market logic. Nevertheless, interactions with the chaplaincy reflect negotiated inter-dependence centred on an education-professional logic that moderates the university’s market-based logic on the one hand and chaplains’ religious logic on the other."
This longitudinal, archival and oral history-based study of a university and its chaplains from the 1960s to 2020, examines how different institutional logics are managed. While the chaplains prioritise a religious, faith-based logic, they chose certain adaptations to maintain a role in the academic system and remain relevant within the university. Specific actions/initiatives undertaken by the university infer the presence of a market logic. Nevertheless, interactions with the chaplaincy reflect negotiated inter-dependence centred on an education-professional logic that moderates the university’s market-based logic on the one hand and chaplains’ religious logic on the other."
Biography
Laura Maran is Associate Professor in Management Accounting at RMIT University (Australia). Her research interests include management accounting in the public sector and accounting history. She is interested in exploring the root dynamics that informed the current evolution of performance management systems and forms of accounting in a diverse range of institutions (universities, councils, health-care institutions, charities, industries). She is joint editor of Accounting History (ABDC: A-ranked) and was identified as Australian field leader in 2020. Her accounting history scholarship is also acknowledged internationally, She is editorial board member of accounting journals, such as AAAJ (ABDC: A*-ranked), and ad-hoc reviewer for CPA, FAM, BAR, SAMPJ, JPBA&F and others. Her former industry experience includes managerial and consultant positions for national and international organizations, such as suppliers of Ferrari sports cars, regional governments, and health-care organizations. This experience allows her to embed authentic cases and industry-relevant issues for the teaching of undergraduate and post-graduate courses in the strategic and management accounting field. Her students and PhD students praise her efforts as extremely relevant to establish their successful career beyond academia in either industry (cybersecurity companies, business incubators, renewable energy companies) and government (Commonwealth Treasury).
Chair
Carolyn Fowler
Associate Professor
Victoria University Of Wellington
