Higher education in Portugal has been hit by a series of controversies that do not benefit it (read here the case of the faculty of law).
What worries me the most is not that there are problems. I am more concerned with the nature of the problems and, even more, with the responses of the leaders.
My experience in the UK shows that in similar cases there is Comments immediately by persons with guarantees of independence; the results are quick and made public; and leadership and policy changes are implemented, as appropriate.
In Portugal, on the other hand, the leaders immediately come out into the open, suggesting that it is an isolated case, “rotten apples” (thereby devaluing the problem, even before having investigated it properly); or else they shamelessly claim that they never knew anything.
It’s serious. Many of these people are paid to lead by example, to listen, and to instill an ethical and responsible culture. The so-called “top tone” is involved when, for example, there are complaints about the conduct of more than 30 teachers in a given school, or when a group of senior teachers enacts different standards of conduct with regard to the freedom of expression of teachers, than those to which they bind themselves.
This leaves leaders in a dim light. Not only do leaders reveal that they are disconnected from the concrete reality of the institutions they manage (and we know how conceited so many leaders in Portugal are, preferring ceremony and image to confronting concrete problems ), but in the face of problems, they prefer to remain blind to them. . The so-called willful blindness or ignorance (willful blindness/ignorance) is a problem in Portuguese society: it is the problem, before the problems. This “sideways gaze” and the fear of facing status quo a dysfunctional situation has occurred in BES, PT, football clubs, city councils and many other sectors. These are not rare things. If I make myself understood.
The reactions I have seen from people linked to these institutions are telling. Soon, corporatism in all its glory leaps onto LinkedIn and the media. Prominent institutional figures are rushing to defend the company even before the ongoing investigations are concluded. All of these individuals, without exception, say they have never experienced toxic cultures, or party ties or anything like that – but they still go on to say what the problems of all institutions are – and “whoever has never sinned, cast the first stone”. business as usual, So. Of the regulator of the sector, little or nothing is known.
Sometimes problems arise late and at the wrong time, because many of us prefer to look away, ignore the signs. This is of particular concern when the gatekeepers of these organizations, boards and management teams are the first to ignore the issues.
This willful blindness on the part of leaders must end. This is one of the reasons why many feel that in Portugal “everything is more or less the same”. This attachment to status quo It intrigues me as much as it bothers me. This breeds complacency. It is no coincidence that our leaders are decades ahead of the institutions, without any renewal. From universities to unions, from hospitals to IPSS, from parties to sports clubs. It is normal that with long and weak leaderships governance that motivates them to step out of their comfort zone, they prefer to ignore the problems and they perpetuate themselves. Sometimes they have good results. Most of the time, the results are suboptimal. Other times, disastrous.
There is a lack of close, attentive and decisive leadership. There is a lack of governance demanding that drives this kind of leadership in higher education (and other sectors) in Portugal.
The goodness of governance and leadership must be a requirement not only in listed companies, but in all institutions in Portugal. Starting with the state.
As the old saying goes, “The worst blind person is the one who doesn’t want to see.”
Filipe Morais, Professor of Governance and Reputation at Henley Business School, University of Reading