ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at practices and ways of working that might be described as emerging primarily bottom up from rank-and-file faculty, though they may also be mediated by middle managers. It illustrates practices that occurs bottom up, regardless of formal structures and processes, including the use of teams, mentors and networks, and the emergence of portfolio working. The influence of teams, mentors and networks was a prominent feature of the narratives in both studies. They might be described as the soft underbelly of institutional life, supporting and facilitating formal, collective workings, especially in contemporary institutions where working life is likely to be more dispersed. Networking was seen by many as a priority for the purposes of self-development, and also to overcome isolation and achieve career advancement. In some cases the social network was seen as more important to professional identity than other colleagues in the department.
