Trends in Governance and Management of the Malaysian Academic Profession (2007-2013): Evolution or Devolution?

Abstract

This article analyses the academics’ role in the (shared) governance of the Malaysian higher education system over a period of five years (2007 – 2013). The aim is to provide a perspective of how Malaysian academics perceive the governance and management practices based on data from two similar studies of the Changing Academic Profession (CAP) in 2007 and 2013. Findings reveal that the academics clearly consolidated their hold over personnel decisions. However, the mid-level management maintained the control of decisions in areas related to the regulation of academic work. Furthermore, the respondents in the 2007 and 2013 studies acknowledged having little influence in determining institutional policies at the school/faculty and institutional levels. In the areas of selection of administrators and approval of new programmes, top management and boards retained their primary influence. While the quality of communication seemed to have improved since 2007, the academics’ perceptions of a stronger performance orientation, top-down management style and bureaucracy over the five years reflected the continued strength of the market coordinated system in the Malaysian higher education system. Middle management appeared to have made inroads in the management and governance of HEIs. The paper concludes by proposing a number of initiatives for ensuring that shared governance is effectively implemented in higher education institutions.

Keywords

• shared governance
• decision-making
• Malaysia
• management

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