The Impact of Culture on Organizational Decision Making: Theory and Practice in Higher Education

William G. Tierney's new book is making some waves. He was recently interviewed by Scott Jaschik at Inside Higher Ed. From the interview:

Q: What are the key ways higher education organizational structure differs from other sectors of American society?

A: Traditional colleges and universities have two key differences with other organizations.

First, the central force of a university is its commitment to academic freedom — the ability for individuals to speak out without fear of reprisal. Some years ago I visited universities in Afghanistan to help them think through what possible next steps might be after years of devastation. Although the universities suffered from horrific infrastructure problems, what struck me more than anything else was the lack of a tradition of academic freedom and the inability of individuals to speak freely without having to look over their back. Those who deride the faculty’s ability to speak out suffer from historical amnesia and overlook the centrality of a public sphere that enables, foments, and sustains healthy intellectual dialogue in a democracy.

Second, universities suffer from messy decision-making. Multiple constituencies have to be involved if a decision is to be successful. Trust is central to an effective culture. Those institutions that are most effective succeed less by formalized rules and regulations and more by the consent of the governed.