Theoretical Analysis on University Governance Models

Abstract

It is matter of consideration that governance of universities is an exceedingly intricate matter with no clear theory being generally accepted as a basis for approaching policy (Carnegie Commission of Higher Education, 1973). In 1970s the proper distribution of power and authority among administrators, faculty, students etc was crucial issue in governance as Gunne & Mortimer (1975) pointed out. The initial studies on universities aspired to explore the style of the decision-making process within the sphere of academic organization, then followed studies on the ‘collegial’ (Goodman, 1962) ‘bureaucratic’ (Blau, 1973), ‘political’ (Baldridge, 1971), and ‘organized anarchy’ (Cohen, et.al., 1974). Later on the alternative models were designed to construct the organization of the universities (Mignot- Gerard, 2010). However, the different models of governance being practiced in different universities are the bureaucratic, collegial and political, as well as the shared (Gmelch, 2003). Many models are proposed and supported, but the fact of the matter is that there is no one clearly accepted approach. As a matter of fact, there is no general model of governance (Fish, 2007).