I think the expert/manager issue exists in many spheres. Regarding museums
(not musea, for heaven's sake), it raises its ugly head specially in the
realm of big, state-funded organisations where the staff are public
servants. In the land of Oz the federal public service is ruled by a
Thatcherite ideology known as economic rationalism, which is very much on
the side of managerialism.
It generally takes the line that senior managers do not need to be
discipline experts, because a good manager can manage anything and simply
call upon discipline experts when required.
 
My own opinion (as a museum person) is that museums need museum specialists
as their managers, but I think I'd have to admit that looking around the
traps, the percentage of admired managers who come from museum backgrounds
is probably not much more than the percentage of admired managers who've
come in to museums from other backgrounds...
 
I think many would agree that museums need better managers.  There seem to
be plenty of middle-level workers taking MBAs and courses in accounting and
strategic planning.  (In fact, they look for this kind of training, rather
than museological issues-type further training - which sometimes worries
me: what are we doing with the theory of our business?  Leaving it only to
entry level  training?). However, it suggests that there ought to be a
growing pool of well-trained potential senior managers with museum
discipline backgrounds.  May they thrive and take over the positions!
 
 
Linda Young
Cultural Heritage Management
University of Canberra
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