Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
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ences are more important than others. However, my intenti<strong>on</strong> is unassuming: I try to<br />
understand what happened from a CAS and/or complex resp<strong>on</strong>sive process-perspective<br />
and by that, I also try to understand a CAS and/or complex resp<strong>on</strong>sive processperspective<br />
<strong>on</strong> a c<strong>on</strong>ceptual level. I try to give words to what I experienced and to<br />
what happened <strong>on</strong> topics as self-organizati<strong>on</strong>, power and social interdependency.<br />
Afterwards I will come back to the questi<strong>on</strong> whether the ascribed importance to some<br />
occurrences can have some special c<strong>on</strong>sequences.<br />
Three occurrences<br />
In my view three occurrences seem to be of special importance. First the lack of planning<br />
of and the <strong>on</strong>-going discussi<strong>on</strong>s during the process, sec<strong>on</strong>d the introducti<strong>on</strong> of<br />
the motto “Imperturbably remaining ourselves”, and third the sick leave of Paul Broersen.<br />
These occurrences play their part in a breakthrough during the drafting process.<br />
From a CAS-perspective a breakthrough promotes shifts in the process of self-organizati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
either regressive or progressive. “A breakthrough c<strong>on</strong>sists of three statements:<br />
the first about a potential or tensi<strong>on</strong> in the envir<strong>on</strong>ment. The sec<strong>on</strong>d about what<br />
unacceptable is about the way of proceeding given the potential, tensi<strong>on</strong> or pressure,<br />
and the third about suggesti<strong>on</strong>s for a new way of working.” (Zuijderhoudt, 2007: 183).<br />
In other words: if something is demanded and the way it is handled is not productive,<br />
alternative arrangements are needed. I will use these statements to explore a part of<br />
the process of the drafting of the performance agreements. However, topics for<br />
discussi<strong>on</strong>s remain if and which arrangements might be needed, and if and how to<br />
generate alternative arrangements.<br />
Given the short term– to be interpreted as the envir<strong>on</strong>mental tensi<strong>on</strong> - in which the<br />
performance agreements had to be produced, the short sick leave of Paul Broersen<br />
was a blessing in disguise. The sick leave eliminated the delaying discussi<strong>on</strong>s - given<br />
the deadline an unacceptable way of working - about the amount of specificati<strong>on</strong>s the<br />
draft should c<strong>on</strong>tain. The sick leave was the breakthrough to enable a pragmatic uni<strong>on</strong><br />
of the different perspectives - as a new way of working - also due to the just in time<br />
return of Paul Broersen. The final result satisfied both facti<strong>on</strong>s in the board. The result<br />
was not a rati<strong>on</strong>al and hardly c<strong>on</strong>quered c<strong>on</strong>sensus. A not to be planned biological<br />
viral infecti<strong>on</strong> unleashed the self-organizing momentum for a satisfying outcome.<br />
To understand another breakthrough <strong>on</strong>e has to know that profiling was a very sensitive<br />
subject. Profiling implicates making choices about priority in extra funding, in<br />
public relati<strong>on</strong>s and ensuring possibilities for growth. In the UAS, profiling was a<br />
lingering subject; more or less an evaded taboo in policy by accepting profiles of many<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al and research domains. The relatively easy way a comm<strong>on</strong> and reduced<br />
profile for the whole UAS was agreed up<strong>on</strong> was unintenti<strong>on</strong>ally c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>ed by the<br />
lack of planning of the whole process. The short term, an unavoidable deadline and the<br />
potential implicati<strong>on</strong>s of the performance agreements promoted that within a few<br />
weeks a lingering (statement 1: unacceptable way of working) and touchy subject<br />
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