Organizational Operations and Governance

The objective of an institution of higher education is to provide a holistic product that serves the needs of many stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, families, community, business and industry, and legislators, among others), which makes these organizations very complex. Different from other types of organizations, higher education institutions maintain a historically loose governance structure, where administration and faculty share governance. Some perceive that higher education is one of the largest industries in the nation as well as a growing industry globally, though it perhaps has the least typical business model. This entry explores the complex organizational operations and governance of institutions of higher education.