Abstract

This research analyzes the impact of managerialism on academic identities at a public university in Chile. Through a case study, it delves into how managerial practices prioritizing efficiency and performance metrics transform university management and the work of its academics. Based on Archer's concept of reflexivity, the research explores how academics negotiate the tension between traditional academic identities and new productivity demands, leading to different modes of reflexivity: autonomous, meta-reflexive, fractured, and communicative. The findings illustrate that, although academics have pragmatically adjusted to managerial demands, this does not necessarily imply an ideological acceptance of such practices. Additionally, the study reveals a diversification and redefinition of academic identity, reflecting the complex interplay between institutional demands and individual perceptions. The conclusion suggests that managerialism leads to a reconfiguration of the environment and identity of academic in Chilean universities, with an increasing emphasis on research and productivity over teaching, both significantly shaped by the managerial context in which they operate.