Autonomía y adaptación organizativa

Los centros de investigación ante los cambios del entorno

Abstract

The research system is highly dependent upon the resources provided by the political system.
The researchers and their respective institutions have expected public spending on R&D to
increase but the rising cost of research and the emergence of financial problems in government
have meant that direct implementation of R&D has lost ground in the governmental agenda.
This situation has become evident in the state owned research centres or public research centres
which have lost status in the global research activity whilst the mechanisms of competitive financing
have increased as the method of governmental intervention.
This reduction in direct support is a problem which affects the conditions under which research
is carried out, both for the researchers and for the centres. The aim of this paper is to analyse
how a group of public research centres affected by this reduction in the direct transfers of
State funds have reacted to this situation. After reviewing the different reactions to adapt to and
combat the cuts in State subsidies, an institutionalist argument is built up based on the degree
and type of autonomy which the centres and researchers enjoy.