Pathways for aligning conflicting demands of exploitative and explorative learning modes within HEIs

A Balance between exploratory and exploitative learning modes within Higher Educations Institutions (HEIs) is crucial for HEIs performance improvement and adaption and survival. As such, higher educational management is challenged to provide a clear strategy as well as a supportive culture enabling mutual understanding and cooperation between these conflicting mind-sets. In this paper it is sought to identify effective pathways which support this dichotomy in ensuring on the one hand, flexibility and creativity which is derived from traditional university values such as academic freedom. On the other hand, a HEI is supposed to aim at enough structure to preserve organisational cohesion. Knowledge-bridges such as “semi-structures”, multi-professionals and project work foster reciprocal understanding and thus establish a common ground. Last but not least, human resources management is encouraged to qualify young researchers for these dual demands that emerge especially from marketisation of higher education in promoting new career tracks.