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A PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE ON THE STUDY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Abstract
This article explores the relationship between higher education research and the study of public administration, the concpetual perspectives of which are useful for understanding the links between government policy‐making and higher education. A short introduction to the study of public administration is followed by the presentation of six newly evolved concepts of public administration which are labeled as follows: comprehensive rationality, the community action approach, the public choice approach, political systems theory, policy sciences, and contingency and inter‐organizational approaches. All of these have contributed to the eclecticism and the conceptual pluralism of the discipline of public administration as a whole. Having been adapted to the theoretical underpinnings of the administration of higher education, these six concepts have stimulated the development of four theoretical models for the analysis of decision‐making processes in higher education: the analytical or rational actor model, the garbage can or organized anarchy model, the collegiality model, and the political model. Specific problems in higher education administration have been addressed, as they have arisen, with reference to one or more of the six concepts and the four decision‐making models. For the future, the public administration approach to higher education will be most likely to draw upon the study of co‐ordination mechanisms in collective decision‐making processes and the comparative analysis of the external functions and performances of government.
... Associado à teoria da burocracia, o modelo centrado no Estado, caracteriza-se pelo desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de planeamento racional e de controlo, em que a governação do ensino superior é fortemente centralizada e a sua autonomia é bastante reduzida (Neave & Van Vught, 1991;Van Vught, 1991b. Van Vught (1997) considera que num modelo racional e de planeamento, os governos têm capacidade, através das suas políticas e da sua autoridade, de influenciar outros atores no sistema, de acordo com a sua visão e os objetivos que pretendem prosseguir. ...
Nas últimas décadas, e sob forte influência da Nova Gestão Pública e das exigências crescentes da sociedade, as Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) têm sofrido um conjunto de alterações significativas no seu modelo de organização e gestão.
Em Portugal o novo modelo de organização e gestão das IES, vertido na lei n.º 62/2007, de 10 de setembro - Regime Jurídico das Instituições de Ensino Superior (RJIES) atribui a responsabilidade da sua governação institucional e estratégica num órgão de governo constituído por membros eleitos da comunidade académica e membros externos cooptados - o Conselho Geral (CG).
A flexibilidade e inovação conferida por este normativo trouxe assim perspetivas diferenciadoras quanto à forma como cada instituição interpretou a adequação da presença e participação dos membros não docentes nos órgãos de governo e gestão.
Tomando como pano de fundo, a governação universitária e a vigência do novo modelo de governação, recorrendo a um estudo de caso, tendo por base a análise a 46 entrevistas em 4 universidades públicas em Portugal com regimes diferenciados, o estudo analisa a participação dos membros não docentes e não investigadores com assento nos Conselhos Gerais.
O estudo baseia-se num quadro concetual estruturado em torno de três dimensões de análise, nomeadamente: representações sobre o ensino superior, governação das instituições e motivações e avaliação da participação.
Os resultados da investigação mostram que uma maioria significativa dos entrevistados reconhece no ensino superior um instrumento de utilidade económica, associado ao progresso, a que se juntam um outro conjunto de perceções baseadas na difusão de externalidades positivas propiciadas pelo ensino superior ao nível do desenvolvimento económico, social e cultural. Não obstante, os entrevistados reconhecem a existência de incongruências no atual sistema, advogando a necessidade de uma clarificação do sistema de ensino superior.
Analisada a partir de três perspetivas, é possível constatar que todos os entrevistados percecionam um quadro de transformações visíveis na governação, independentemente do estatuto jurídico da sua instituição. Numa perspetiva macro, os entrevistados atribuem especial significado ao papel da inclusão do corpo das personalidades externas na governação das IES, sendo, no entanto, evidenciadas limitações intrínsecas próprias deste corpo por contextos vários e, resistências e conservadorismo da academia que obstam a que o seu papel seja mais eficaz. O aprofundamento da autonomia institucional das IES e na opção possibilitada pela adesão ao regime fundacional é tida como positiva. No entanto, limitações na sua operacionalização e outros constrangimentos, conduzem a que uma maioria dos entrevistados ainda que reconheçam grandes virtudes do modelo, mostrem ainda algumas reservas.
Numa perspetiva meso, os dados analisados, remetem-nos para a conclusão que, é percecionado uma apreciação qualitativa favorável sobre o funcionamento dos conselhos gerais das quatro IES, em que o contributo dado pelas boas relações estabelecidas entre o CG e a reitoria e outros órgãos de governo, pautaram-se por um relacionamento positivo de cooperação institucional. Todavia, subsiste a perceção de um conjunto vasto de aspetos que limitam a capacidade do CG.
Numa perspetiva micro os resultados mostram que os membros internos reconhecem a sua perda de representatividade, reclamando, em consequência, pelo seu aumento. Os resultados permitem identificar ainda opiniões que manifestam a possibilidade da composição do CG integrar maioritariamente elementos externos, o que, aparenta constituir uma rutura na forma de governo que tradicionalmente caracterizam as IES.
Por fim, não obstante a análise tenha por base diferentes dinâmicas e contextos variados, os resultados sugerem que uma maioria significativa dos entrevistados avalia positivamente a sua experiência no CG.
... Frans van Vught sitúa hacia la segunda mitad del decenio el desarrollo de nuevas aproximaciones analíticas que estudian principalmente los procesos de toma de decisiones (Van Vught, 1992). Desde la sociología, los análisis tienden a ubicarse en la dimensión organizacional de la universidad. ...
In this text, we deal with the general topic of university governance as a subject of study. We examine some approaches that have addressed this issue since the decade of 1970s, especially in the United States and Europe. Our discussion is about the current conditions and challenges discernible for understanding campus relations at the levels of the system and institutions, political processes that affect the exercise of authority, direction and control of the contemporary university.
Este estudio presenta los resultados del primer proyecto de investigación del Laboratorio de Estudios de Gobierno de una Universidad Sustentable, creado en el crim de la unam como un espacio para recuperar la reflexión sociológica y política sobre la Universidad. Se trata de una obra que propone un marco de estudio para reflexionar sobre la sustentabilidad con enfoque en el gobierno universitario. Ubica su actuar en tres niveles de análisis: el entorno, el campo y el marco, y se centra en las condiciones de gobernabilidad y gobernanza universitaria disponibles para avanzar hacia la sustentabilidad. El estudio de caso es la experiencia del Programa de Manejo Integral de Residuos Sólidos Universitarios con Enfoque Basura Cero (MIRSU B0), desarrollado en el Campus Morelos, a fin de identificar qué elementos del gobierno universitario lo hicieron posible. El libro está dirigido al público universitario, particularmente tomadores/as de decisiones, pero también resulta de interés para el público general, toda vez que analiza la vida interna de una organización trascendental para nuestra sociedad, la Universidad, en su camino hacia un asunto tan relevante actualmente como la sustentabilidad ambiental.
Systems analysis can be of only limited utility in government unless it changes so as to be better able to deal with qualitative and political phenomena. If systems analysis in its present form is applied to complex political issues, it cannot provide the hoped-for benefits; indeed, a boomerang effect may follow which will inhibit necessary innovations in the future. Instead, a new professional study of policy analysis should be developed. Policy analysis should combine present methods of systems analysis with qualitative methods and a full awareness of the special characteristics of political phenomena. Policy analysis should become a new professional role in government, operating within the political and organizational setting as a new component which contributes to aggregate policy-making without pre-empting in any way the functions of politicians and line executives. Development of policy analysis requires changes in the present rather sterile trends of the disciplines of political science and public administration and, in the longer run, establishment of a new "policy science" interdiscipline. Immediate steps can and should be made to move in the direction of policy analysis within the efforts to introduce a Planning-Programming-Budgeting System in federal administration. For example, the training provided in the special university programs sponsored by the government could be modified toward that end.
Organized anarchies are organizations characterized by problematic preferences, unclear technology, and fluid participation. Recent studies of universities, a familiar form of organized anarchy, suggest that such organizations can be viewed for some purposes as collections of choices looking for problems, issues and feelings looking for decision situations in which they might be aired, solutions looking for issues to which they might be an answer, and decision makers looking for work. These ideas are translated into an explicit computer simulation model of a garbage can decision process. The general implications of such a model are described in terms of five major measures on the process. Possible applications of the model to more narrow predictions are illustrated by an examination of the model's predictions with respect to the effect of adversity on university decision making.
This brief article argues that contemporary public administration theory and practice can be well served by the competition between two opposing paradigms, each claiming the status of a disciplinary Weltanschauung. The two approaches in question, one reflecting pessimistic and the other optimistic views on the potential for societal betterment via the improvement of governmental administrative organizations and practices, are well reflected in the works of Vincent Ostrom and Robert T. Golembiewski and their respective kindred spirits. Because the issues that divide these two approaches are central to the question of proper democratic governance in the postindustrial age, the potential exists for a creative contribution to social life by public administration theory.
In contrast to the prevailing image that elements in organizations are coupled through dense, tight linkages, it is proposed that elements are often tied together frequently and loosely. Using educational organizations as a case in point, it is argued that the concept of loose coupling incorporates a surprising number of disparate observations about organizations, suggests novel functions, creates stubborn problems for methodologists, and generates intriguing questions for scholars. Sample studies of loose coupling are suggested and research priorities are posed to foster cumulative work with this concept.
The interorganizational network may be conceived as a political economy concerned with the distribution of two scarce resources, money and authority. Organizations, as participants in the political economy, pursue an adequate supply of resources. Interactions and sentiments of organizations are dependent upon their respective market positions and power to affect the flow of resources. The interorganizational network is itself linked to a larger environment consisting of authorities, legislative bodies, bureaus, and publics. The flow of resources into the network depends upon developments in this larger environment. Interorganizational relations at the level of sentiments and interactions are viewed as existing in an equilibrium framework. Four components of interorganizational equilibrium are domain consensus, ideological consensus, positive evaluation, and work coordination. These components tend to vary together and, thus, to become balanced at varying equilibrium levels. The equilibrium components are limited, however, by their dependence upon the political-economic substructure.
Short courses, books, and articles exhort administrators to make decisions more methodically, but there has been little analysis of the decision-making process now used by public administrators. The usual process is investigated here-and generally defended against proposals for more "scientific" methods. Decisions of individual administrators, of course, must be integrated with decisions of others to form the mosaic of public policy. This integration of individual decisions has become the major concern of organization theory, and the way individuals make decisions necessarily affects the way those decisions are best meshed with others'. In addition, decision-making method relates to allocation of decision-making responsibility-who should make what decision. More "scientific" decision-making also is discussed in this issue: "Tools for Decision-Making in Resources Planning."
In this article the process of developing a policy for the recent comprehensive retrenchment operation in the Dutch university system is analysed from a theoretical point of view on decisionmaking. The article especially addresses the question whether some empirical evidence can be found for the rationalist view of collective decision-making, which states that a process of social communication should eventually lead to a unanimous and rational consensus concerning the selection of the optimal policy.
The actual analysis concerns the way a retrenchment policy has been developed in a process of social communication between the most important actors: the Minister of Education and Science and the thirteen Dutch universities. It is assumed that the various communicative linkages between these actors can be interpreted as a policy network in which both governmental and non-governmental actors operate.
The article concludes that in the Dutch university policy-network a complicated balance of interdependencies exists and that several sub-networks can be distinguished. It is also concluded that the Minister, while recognizing the interdependencies in the network, was able to use a special kind of (negative) incentive, inducing the universities to act as he wished.
This negative incentive steering, however, also persuaded the universities to go to the utmost in their consultation efforts, thus trying to reach the rationalist ideal of collective decision-making. The final conclusion therefore is that the rationalist view of collective decision-making does not appear to be unrealistic. The article ends with a warning against a common mistake made regarding the normative appearance of the rationalist perspective.
Thesis--Carnegie Institute of Technology. Bibliography: p. 174-182.
The relationship between the quality of political institutions and the performance of regulation has recently assumed greater prominence in the policy debate on the effectiveness of infrastructure industry reforms. Taking the view that political accountability is a key factor linking political and regulatory structures and processes, this article empirically investigates its impact on the performance of regulation in telecommunications in time-series--cross-sectional data sets for 29 developing countries and 23 developed countries during 1985--99. In addition to confirming some well-documented results on the positive role of regulatory governance in infrastructure industries, the article provides empirical evidence on the impact of the quality of political institutions and their modes of functioning on regulatory performance. The analysis finds that the impact of political accountability on the performance of regulation is stronger in developing countries. An important policy implication is that future reforms in these countries should give due attention to the development of politically accountable systems. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / the world bank. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
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