DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE HEADS OF DIVISIONS AS THE MANAGEMENT MECHANISM OF MODERN RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES

In modern Russia, new trends begin to take shape in the management system of higher educational institutions. They are related to the emergence of a new higher school category represented by ten federal universities functioning as autonomous institutions and therefore having broader economic independence as well as wider privileges pertaining to the management of their property. Vast scale of activities in the largest university in the South of Russia (Southern Federal University) required new relations between the head of the institution and subordinates, which imply transfer of some administrative functions. Delegation of authority is a complex and the most pressing management problem at present.

The problems of authority delegation are already known in modern foreign scientific discourse. The issues of Delegation of authority in the scientific framework were analyzed by such scholars as Roider, A. (2006), Colombo, M.G. & Delmastro, M. (2004), Weshah, H.A. (2012), Fauchald, O.K. & Gulbrandsen, L.H. (2012).

In the Southern Federal University some of the rector's office powers were delegated in 2013 to the heads of structural divisions pursuant to a university directive. After a year, in 2014, the volume of authority has been revised and approved in a new directive.

The occasion inspired us to define the following research problem:
to determine the qualitative peculiarities of the new management system in terms of authority delegation to the heads of university divisions based on the analysis of administrative documents and a survey held among the heads of structural divisions.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of a new university management mechanism introduced in Russian higher educational institutions in order to stimulate the efficiency of the heads of structural divisions. Analysis of administrative documents for delegation of powers was used to demonstrate extension of the range of employees (deans, heads of institutes and research laboratories) who are granted the authorities previously vested in the rector's office.

The orders regarding transfer of powers of the 2013 and 2014 orders have been examined from two viewpoints: as objects of an empirical study and as administrative documents reflecting the strategy of university development. To study the structure and content, we used content analysis and comparison of the data obtained as a result of the analysis. Content analysis was based on the "administrative activity" category including the "signs", "approves", "certifies" and "has the right to" positions. Measurement unit is a specific action of a division head included into one of the positions mentioned above. The interpretation part reflects the peculiarities of the documents' content. Analysis of administrative documents for the years 2013 and 2014 regarding authority delegation to the heads of structural divisions in the Southern Federal University revealed the following.

The range of second level employees (deans, heads of institutes and research laboratories) who are granted some authorities of the administrative office is expanding.

Heads of divisions are entrusted with a large volume of work related to academic document flow and contacts with the tax authorities. They also receive wider powers to use the funds remaining after income producing activities of the division and not withdrawn in 2014.

Revocation of the right to sign the feedback of lead agencies acting as the third collective opponent during thesis defence does not restrict the authority of division heads but rather brings the defence procedure in conformity with the updated regulatory documents. Revocation of the right to sign documents for participation in grant competitions decreases the ability of divisions to participate in tenders, but allows instead the employees to submit individual applications for grants and participation in competitions.

The observed tendency for expansion of administrative powers combined with lower financial independence (discontinued right to dispose of the funds earned from income generating activities) does not encourage the heads of divisions to search actively for the funds necessary both to reach the target performance indicators of social and economic development of their higher educational institution and to follow strategic plans of country development.