The axioms are particularly relevant for the faculty’s leaders (dean, vice dean, heads of department, head of the faculty administration, heads of research, heads of section, etc.), and the leaders thus contribute to ensuring prioritisation of the axioms by employees, as the workplace of the future will come into being when the leader and the employee find good solutions in daily working life.
The purpose of the three axioms is to support the faculty’s strategy, decisions and tasks over the next five years. In this way, the axioms help to set a direction for management at the Faculty of Science.
Background
The faculty’s strategy for 2021–2025 contains a prioritised theme called the workplace of the future. The workplace of the future theme is closely linked to the theme of leadership, well-being and involvement, and the workplace of the future is also a combination of several elements from the research strategy and the strategy for people and organisation 2021–2025.
Changes typically create insecurity among staff. The next five years will see greater uncertainty in the faculty’s finances due to a changed balance in the income generated by research and education. In addition, the university and the faculty must respond to ongoing political initiatives. Finally, employees will make new demands, for example, regarding flexibility in their work, and the digital and technological development requires a constant monitoring of skills development and adaptability at the faculty. The faculty also expects to grow significantly, especially in terms of research, which will lead to a different composition of staff, with more short-term appointments.
For these reasons, the Faculty Management believes that having a number of axioms will serve an important purpose in a time of change.
Mission – research, education and knowledge dissemination
With this description of the workplace of the future, the Faculty of Science at SDU will create the basis for leaders at the faculty to be best equipped for the new demands of future employees at an attractive workplace in a constantly changing world. By means of leadership, we wish to maintain and expand the faculty’s capacity for development, agility and flexibility, so that we succeed in attracting and retaining the most talented employees, and so that we can continue to solve our core tasks within research, education and knowledge dissemination.
Wishes for the workplace of the future – security, flexibility and community
In the future, the Faculty of Science will be characterised by staff and managers developing the faculty together and ensuring the sharing of knowledge and experience across the faculty. Employees and managers will find that the workplace celebrates difference and diversity, as these elements contribute to more perspectives and thus better solutions of our tasks.
Employees and managers will experience a high degree of purpose in their work, which will ensure their motivation, commitment and satisfaction in the job. There is a balance to be struck between the individual’s desire for flexibility in the organisation of their work and the group’s need to be part of a strong academic community. Employees have the opportunity for engaging in close dialogue and discussion with their manager in their daily work.
Digital development opens up opportunities for new, improved workflows. The ambition is that managers and employees will continue to have a high level of digital competence. At the same time, continuous integration of new digital technology and other new technological solutions will be prioritised in the solution of tasks.
Moreover, an important prerequisite for the workplace of the future is the possibility for pointing out mistakes, doubts, concerns and the like because employees feel confident that their input will be received constructively and inclusively, without the risk of reprisals.
Fundamental values for the workplace of the future – communication, cohesion and prioritisation
Through clear communication and meaningful involvement, managers will create a sense of security for employees when the faculty’s framework changes.
The managers will make themselves available for dialogue with employees to ensure clarity and purpose.
The management will strive to create strong academic and social communities that ensure cohesion in the workplace, where there will also be room for a flexible working life.
The aim is to create the best balance between the needs of the community and those of the individual, as this is crucial for the effective solution of tasks and the well-being of the individual.
Without impinging on academic freedom, the managers will continuously focus on adapting the faculty’s organisation and prioritising the tasks of staff so that they reflect the reality in which the workplace finds itself and the direction in which the faculty is moving.
In this way, we will ensure that the Faculty continues to be a workplace geared towards change and development.
This includes management keeping abreast of the skills and career development of employees.
Pre-processed
The Faculty Management prepared proposals for the workplace of the future at management meetings on 14 June, 23 August and 8 November 2022.
Marianne Holmer, Gary Banta, Martin Svensson, Niels Kring and Tina Ellehuus Larsen revised the workplace of the future in December 2022 for discussion by the Faculty Management on 10 January 2023.
Finally, the workplace of the future was qualified by management groups at the departments and the Faculty Administration before they were finally approved at the Faculty Management meeting on 2 October 2023 as axioms that managers can consult in connection with major decisions or strategic initiatives in the future.