Institutional Adaptation: Demands for Management Reform and University Administration

Abstract

In the past decade, altered societal expectations, new public policies, and technological innovations have created an unprecedented set of challenges for institutions of higher education. This study examines institutional adaptations to changing environments caused from these challenges. A literature review of higher education research is provided, based on several dimensions of institutional adaptation. The primary focus of this essay is to examine the role of the administrator from an environmental adaptation perspective. Issues discussed include population ecology, institutional isomorphism, strategic choice, resource dependence, and network organization. Additional analysis is provided on the changing role of the higher education administrator, specifically on management, institutional legitimacy, and professional authority.