A Comparison of Innovations in Management in Austrian and Polish Universities

The aim of the article was to compare innovations in management in Austrian and Polish universities, as well as an attempt to identify stimulants and barriers to these innovations. The research problem was the characteristics of innovation in university management, the identification of determinants and barriers to innovation in university management and the determination of their impact on management efficiency. The research methods that were used to solve the problem were an analysis related to the study of Polish and foreign literature as well as the analysis and evaluation of information obtained as a result of surveys. The research was of a pilot nature and the aim was to verify the research problem: that is to check whether there are innovations in management in universities in Austria and Poland. A questionnaire was used as a research tool. The main conclusions that have been drawn are that a new view of management is neither visible in Austrian nor Polish universities. The main barriers to innovation in the management of Polish and Austrian universities are the lack of open communication, leadership, and support for creativity. Among the stimulants in the examined institutions were indicated: teamwork, awareness of joint accomplishments, building an atmosphere conducive to new solutions, defining the areas of change. Innovations in university management affect the efficiency of the investigated institutions. There is a need to model the innovation in university management and to develop methods for measuring innovation in university management.