ERIC Number: EJ1014398
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jul
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0951-5224
EISSN: N/A
Re-Inventing Shared Governance: Implications for Organisational Culture and Institutional Leadership
Stensaker, Bjorn; Vabo, Agnete
Higher Education Quarterly, v67 n3 p256-274 Jul 2013
Shared governance has been a key historical characteristic of higher education although this form of governance has come under increased pressure in recent decades. It is often argued that shared governance is less relevant for tackling the challenges related to a more dynamic environment of the sector. This paper discusses underlying premises for the current conceptions of shared governance and analyses how a sample of Nordic universities perceives the place and role of governance in their strategic development. It is found that most universities emphasise leadership and leadership development as a key measure to strengthen their governance capacity and it is argued that most universities seem to overlook the cultural and symbolic aspects of governance along the way. This may have serious consequences for the internal legitimacy and trust when universities enter into demanding change processes. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Governance, Colleges, Strategic Planning, Instructional Leadership, Organizational Culture, Educational History, Program Effectiveness, Educational Change, Participative Decision Making, Comparative Analysis, Leadership Responsibility, Governing Boards, College Faculty
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Denmark; Finland (Helsinki); Norway (Oslo); Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A