This thesis explores the process by which Chinese universities carry out strategy formation. It aims to provide an insight into the lives of the managers of Chinese universities in the period 2002-2003 which was a time of transition from the regime of President Jiang Zemin to that of President Hu Jintao. Chinese refer to this period as the transition from the third to the fourth generation of leaders. Strategy was defined as a course of action aimed at achieving an organization's purpose and strategy formation was defined as including strategy development and implementation. Answers were sought to the following questions based on data from a small number of universities using stakeholder theory to inform the data collection process: · What is the process by which strategy development and implementation takes place in Chinese universities? · How is the process applied in different universities? · How can an understanding of strategy formation in Chinese universities assist in the development of joint ventures in China by foreign educational institutions? The method of data collection involved interviewing three levels of management in six different universities drawn from three major cities in China. In order to guarantee confidentiality, the identities of the instutions and the individuals involved has been concealed. Background information collected included the history of Chinese universities to 2002 and important features of Chinese culture, society and politics. Stakeholder theory was found to provide a useful framework for analysing the process of strategy formation. It was found that assumptions based on the operations of Australian universities did not apply in China, particularly in the areas of work relationships, reporting and performance management and in the conduct of research. Findings included: · Three approaches to strategy emerged, including the President making unilateral decisions, a consultative approach including stakeholders, and an approach involving consultation with staff. · The process varies between universities depending on factors such as the guanxi relationships of the President. · The learnings from this project can be applied to other joint ventures in education in China.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/210194 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Fraser, Ian, ian.fraser@rmit.edu.au |
| Publisher | RMIT University. Accounting and Law |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.rmit.edu.au/help/disclaimer, Copyright Ian Fraser |
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