What is the code of conduct? Why does Freie Universität need such a set of rules? In a three-part series of interviews, we asked members of the university to comment on certain aspects of the code of conduct from their unique perspectives. Concluding the series, this interview brings together Sonja Schneller, the Department of Philosophy and Humanities’ head of administration, and Rudolf Kerschreiter, Professor of Social, Organizational, and Economic Psychology and speaker of the board of the Berlin Leadership Academy, to ask them about power hierarchies and role models.

Ms. Schneller, Professor Kerschreiter, how effective do you find the university’s new code of conduct?

Sonja Schneller: First and foremost, I think it is crucial for a university to have a code of conduct in place. Respectful interaction should never be taken for granted, and when rules of conduct are available in writing, they become binding.

The code of conduct, however, is still new. Many employees are not aware of it yet. What effect it will have remains to be seen.

Rudolf Kerschreiter: The code of conduct consolidates values and standards for research, teaching, and working together that were already in place. It is a type of shared compass, if you will. It is not intended to be symbolic. The code of conduct makes expectations transparent and provides us with a language to reflect on behavior and to address issues, if something is amiss. It sends a clear signal to the outside world: the members of Freie Universität take diversity, power relations, and the responsibility of leadership seriously, and they work actively to ensure that people share positive and respectful interactions.

For the code of conduct to be effective, it is crucial for it to be present in everyday life: during onboarding, in feedback conversations and annual reviews, and in teaching. We can all contribute to this.

Prof. Dr. Rudolf Kerschreiter heads the Division of Social, Organizational, and Economic Psychology at the Department of Education and Psychology , and since 2020, he has been a member of the board and speaker of the Berlin Leadership Academy. The Berlin Leadership Academy (BLA) brings together the leadership development efforts of its four strong partners, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. It coordinates, expands, and advances leadership development across the Alliance.

Sonja Schneller is the administrative head of the Department of Philosophy and Humanities and a member of the committee promoting research integrity at Freie Universität Berlin.

 

Does the code of conduct help to resolve sensitive cases, such as abuses of power or a conflict of interest?

Kerschreiter: The code of conduct is intended as a starting point. Other procedures and regulations are necessary to then clarify concrete incidents. For example, in cases of undisclosed bias in a personnel selection process, the appointment guidelines should be consulted. In cases of violations of good scientific practice, one is well-advised to consult the applicable statutes. The code of conduct refers to these other guidelines and statutes and can provide direction, but it does not replace the established regulations.

Schneller: In that sense the code of conduct can be seen as a signal. It does not replace conflict mediation or ombudspersons.

One focus of the code of conduct is fair leadership that is also sensitive to diversity issues. What does that mean in practice?

Kerschreiter: Good leadership achieves two things simultaneously: It makes people feel a sense of belonging to a group, while also giving them a sense of being seen as individuals. When that is done successfully, researchers refer to a climate of inclusion.

In order to create a climate of inclusion, leaders must be active on three levels: the level of the entire team, in the relationship between leadership and employees, and with individual people. If I, as a leader, only emphasize uniqueness, it can lead to isolation. If I only emphasize belonging, I might overlook differences. It is important to emphasize both.

Schneller: It is also important to recognize that teams at a university are very diverse. They consist of professors, postdoctoral researchers, researchers funded temporarily by external grants, and office staff who might already have been working at the university for twenty years. They work closely together, but their working conditions and salaries differ considerably.

If managers do not take note of this inequality, it can easily lead to frustration. Secretarial staff, in particular, often keep the whole operation running. It is important for managers to recognize this crucial role and show appreciation.

How can people in leadership roles best show appreciation?

Schneller: Appreciation is based on reciprocity. To me appreciation means showing genuine interest in the concerns of others. It also includes acknowledging the workload of others, regardless of whether they work in research, teaching, personnel, or accounting.

Appreciation also includes recognizing differences and considering, for example, whether a team event is affordable for everyone or whether there might be employees who simply cannot afford to pay for mulled wine at the Christmas market.

Kerschreiter: Leaders can also show appreciation by acknowledging everyone’s contributions and making fairness apparent in everyday practice. Employees pay close attention to whether decisions are reasonable and rules apply to everyone. When there are no special privileges for certain individuals and criteria are transparent, especially people with less power feel more secure and appreciated.

The code of conduct also emphasizes leading by example. What kind of leadership behavior do you think has the greatest impact in teams?

Schneller: I think a healthy culture of learning from mistakes is most important. Mistakes are inevitable, wherever people work. It is important to not only accept this fact, but also to learn how to do better the next time. Another important factor is keeping calm. In particular, in times of budget cuts, when many things are unclear and uncertain, it is important for management to remain coolheaded.

Kerschreiter: I would add ethical and value-based leadership to that, meaning leadership that does not abuse power, but rather explains transparently why and how decisions are made. Leaders need to remain approachable even in difficult moments. Trust increases when employees experience that their leaders treat them respectfully and represent them fairly. In general, this increases their willingness to take on more responsibility. Obviously, a prerequisite for that to happen is a certain degree of autonomy on behalf of the individual team members. It also requires the leaders’ confidence in their team members. A code of conduct becomes effective precisely then: when it is reflected in the behavior of the leadership.

You have both said that what matters is how people actually experience day-to-day life at the university. Can the code of conduct change that?

Kerschreiter: I think so, both as an impetus and a shared reference point. What it requires is leaders who take time for reflection: Where do dependencies arise? Where might I have blind spots? I believe many people support reflecting on these ideas, but they can easily become neglected in daily operations. The code of conduct can increase awareness and legitimize expectations. Promoting fairness is part of the leadership role, in particular at a university that enshrines justice as one of its core values in its founding mission.

Schneller: In the end it’s like everything else in the administration. You can put a lot of things in writing, but the code of conduct can only have an effect when people apply it. Only then does it become more than just another piece of paper.

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Christopher Ferner conducted the interview. The original German version appeared in campus.leben, the online magazine published by Freie Universität Berlin.