Title: Improving the internal governance mechanism of grassroots academic organisations in Chinese universities

Authors: Bai Song; David D. Schein

Addresses: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China ' The Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, University of St. Thomas-Houston, USA

Abstract: The rapid pace of reform and development in modern universities has prompted a focus on optimising the internal governance mechanisms of grassroots academic organisations within these institutions. This study employs organisational ecology theories to analyse grassroots academic organisations within universities, with a particular emphasis on organisational boundaries. An examination of the governance mechanisms in a sample of universities in the People's Republic of China constructs a structural and ecosystem model for the governance system. The utilisation of this governance system influences the culture within universities. Organisational heterogeneity serves as the foundational principle for dividing university academic organisations, facilitating the implementation of a comprehensive cooperative governance mechanism model. The results of model verification highlight the significant change in the index evaluation of the contract governance mechanism. This study contributes to promoting the enhancement and efficient development of academic governance systems within universities.

Keywords: organisational boundaries; universities; academic organisations; heterogeneity of organisational culture; governance mechanisms; cultural diversity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCULTM.2024.138910

International Journal of Cultural Management, 2024 Vol.1 No.4, pp.323 - 340

Received: 12 Aug 2023
Accepted: 24 Sep 2023
Published online: 03 Jun 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article