University Governance and Undergraduate Program Establishment: A multi-case study of two Chinese Universities

Abstract

Chinese universities are undergoing modernization reforms that aim to improve the rather bureaucratized management structure. The objective of this study is to examine how the power distribution within the universities is changing as a result of these reforms and how academics and administrators are involved in the establishment of new undergraduate programs. A multi-case study at two Chinese universities differing in their institutional prestige is utilized in addressing the research question. Data are collected through document analysis and qualitative interviews with key actors at different levels of the university, and analyzed using neo-institutional theory. The results show that at University X administrators maintained their influence in establishing new undergraduate programs at both faculty and institutional levels, while at University Y parts of authority has been transferred from administrators to academics. A comparison between the two universities reveals that the combination of the institutional autonomy and a prevailing logic of appropriateness among administrators can promote the institutionalization of authority redistribution between administrators and academics in the framework of the analyzed reforms.