Abstract
PurposeThe management of higher education institutions (HEIs) is undergoing a period of rapid development around the world and particularly in Asia. Competing forces of neoliberal decentralisation, increased government oversight, internationalisation and regionalism are creating difficulties for managers and stakeholders alike. This paper aims to look at the ways in which universities have institutionalised their strategies for coping with these forces, in the form of their mission statements (MSs), particularly within an East Asian context.Design/methodology/approachSeveral major international university ranking tables were used to compile a list of “world class” institutions in East Asia. Those with available MSs in English were examined for reference to factors existing within the literature, as well as those which were not previously identified.FindingsEast Asian universities placed a high degree of emphasis on aspects related to university management, as well as social, cultural and historical foci. Far less emphasis was placed on aspects such as engagement of stakeholders and inclusion.Originality/valueThe paper draws on previous research from other regions and attempts to provide some insights into the particularities of higher education in East Asia from a management perspective.
Highlights
At the heart of the modern organisation are, or at least it is argued there should be, a set of core principles and a central “mission” (Pearce and David, 1987)
The mission statements (MSs) collected from East Asian universities vary significantly in terms of length, from six to 1,147 words, as well as in their focus, specificity and scope
The most common foci were on the core functions of the university and how the institution situated itself within broader society
Summary
At the heart of the modern organisation are, or at least it is argued there should be, a set of core principles and a central “mission” (Pearce and David, 1987). Despite the difficulty in doing so, pressure has forced many institutions of higher education to generate MSs of their own (Kuenssberg, 2011; Morphew and Hartley, 2006). During these few decades, arguably the most significant forces shaping the development of higher education have been massification, accountability, governance, internationalisation, rankings and the emergence of world-class universities (Park, 2018; Shin and Hartman, 2009). The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ legalcode
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