The Process of Implementing New Projects for Young University Staff: Focusing on the Relationship with Internal and External Stakeholders

Abstract

 Despite recognizing the importance of implementing new projects for university administrators, not all of them are positive or achieving results. In this study, we addressed the question, “What antecedents and characteristics can be found in the process of implementing new projects by young university administrators?”

 Interviews with 12 young university administrators revealed the following three points. First, it became clear that when new projects are created or assigned, internal and external stakeholders are the “source” of policies, information, and reputation. Second, “collaboration” with various stakeholders in the implementation of new projects was evident, and their opinions were coordinated. In the process of coordination, strategies were used to persuade faculty members, to foster a sense of conviction through reasoning as well as by utilizing the authority of executives to pass the administrators' opinions. Third, individuals' proactivity and customer orientation accelerated their involvement with internal and external stakeholders in the process of implementing new projects.