The Strategic Change of Industry-featured Universities in China in the Process of Marketization: A Case Study of China University of Geosciences

Abstract

The 1970s witnessed the deepening of marketization because of the introduction of reform and opening up in China. Profound changes were observed in the ties among Chinese industry-featured universities, government competent authorities and the market. Faced with ever-evolving environment, China University of Geosciences (CUG) managed to transform itself from a single-discipline-group geological college to a multidisciplinary university with geological disciplines as its major feature, with integrated development of multiple disciplines. Drawing on the Second Curve Theory, this research presents a case study on CUG, with the strategic change concepts, practices, accomplishment and effects in various stages of its transformative development comprehensively covered and analyzed, making an attempt at summarizing features and implications of its strategic change. Findings of this research reveal that being adept at grasping well the timing for university change, establishing clearly-defined shared vision, developing the system of school running concepts and strategic planning, stressing management on strategic process and clearly identifying roles among leaders at all level, prove to be pivotal to the strategic change of CUG. The strategic change analysis framework of university transformative development could further add insights to theoretic discoveries in this field, and experience could be provided to transformative development of Chinese universities, and even those in other countries in the world.

Keywords

• Marketization
• industry-featured universities
• transformation
• strategic change
• the Second Curve Theory

References

1. Bie, D.R. (2015). Zhanlue guihua yu gaoxiao de zhuanxing fazhan[Strategic planning and transformation of institutions of higher education]. Modern Education Management,01,1-9.
2. Brown, S. (2013). Large-scale innovation and change in UK higher education. Research in Learning Technology, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v21i0.22316.
3. Block, M., & Khvatova, T. (2017). University transformation: Explaining policy making and trends in higher education in Russia. Journal of Management Development, Vol. 36 Issue: 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-01-2016-0020.
4. Dill, D.D. (1999). Academic Planning and Organizational Design: Lessons from Leading in American Universities, In M.W. Peterson (Ed.), ASHE Reader on Planning and Institutional Research (pp.393-404). Needham Heights,MA:Pearson Custom Publishing.
5. Duderstadt, J. J. (2000). A University for the 21st Century. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.
6. Handy, C. (2015). The second curve: Thoughts on reinventing society. NewYork:Random House.
7. Hao, X., & Wang, Y. X. (2012). Zhongguo dizhi daxue shi（1952-2012）[History of China University of Geosciences]. Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press.
8. Herrmann, P., & Nadkarni, S. (2014). Managing strategic change: The duality of CEO personality. Strategic management journal, 35(9), 1318-1342.https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2156

9. Kakabadse, A.P., Nortier P., & Abramovici, Nello-Bernard. (1998). Success in sight: Visioning. London: Cengage Learning Emea.
10. Keller, G. (1983). Academic Strategy: The Management Revolution in American Higher Education. Baltimore,MD:Johns Hopkins University Press.
11. Kirkpatrick, I., & Ackroyd, S. (2003). Archetype theory and the changing professional organization: A critique and alternative. Organization, 10(4), 731-750. https://doi.org/doi:10.1177/13505084030104005
12. Kotten, J. (1997). Strategic Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
13. Liu, J. (2002). Xuexiao fazhan de “dier quxian” lilun yanjiu [Theoretical research on the "second curve" of school development]. Educational Research,08,73-77.
14. Liu, X.J. (2006). Daxue xiaozhang zhanlue--woguo daxue zhanlue guanli zhong xuyaoyanjiu de jige wenti[University president and strategy: Several problems needed to be studied in the university strategy administration of China]. Journal of Higher Education,06,1-7.
15. Mehari, Y. (2016). Governance reform in the Ethiopian higher education system: Organisational responses to business management tools in the case of Mekelle University. (Doctoral thesis, University of Tampere, Finland). Retrieved from https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/99738
16. Morrison, J. Ian. (1996). The second curve: Managing the velocity of change. New York: Random House.
17. Muluneh, G.S., & Gedifew, M.T. (2018). Leading changes through adaptive design: Change management practice in one of the universities in a developing nation. Journal of organizational change management, 31(6), 1249-1270.https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-10-2017-0379
18. Peterson, M.W. (1999). Using Contextual Planning to Transform Institution. In M.W. Peterson (Ed.), ASHE Reader on Planning and Institutional Research (pp.60-78). Needham Heights,MA: Pearson Custom Publishing.
19. Shattock, M. (2003). Managing successful universities. Buckingham:Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
20. Temple, P. (2011). Universities in the knowledge economy: Higher education organization and global change. London:Taylor & Francis.
21. Van de Ven, A. H., & Poole, M. S. (1995). Explaining Development and Change in Organizations. The Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 510. doi:10.2307/258786
22. Wang, T., & Zhang, Z.X. (2012). Tongchou neiwaibu xuqiu banyou banqiang xuekezhuanye--dekesasi nonggong daxue youhua xueke zhuanye jianshe pingjian[Coordination of internal and external needs and construction of excellent and strong disciplines and majors: Evaluation of the optimization of disciplines and majors at Texas A&M University]. China Higher Education,08,61-61.
23. Wu, D.G. (2021). Daxue zhuanxing fazhan de shidai huhuan[The call of the times for the university transformational development]. China Higher Education Research,08,4-9+55.
24. Wu, Y.J. (2005). Mianxiang yiliu daxue de kuayueshi fazhan: Zhanlue lingdao de zuoyong[Building a world-class university: Roles of strategic leadership].Peking University Education Review, 04,55-67.
25. Wu, Z.M., & Li, J.C. (2007). Xuexiao zhuanxing zhong de zhanlue biange: 21 shiji zhongguo xinxing xuexiao guanli lilun de goujian[Management reform in school transformation: The construction of Chinese rising star school management theory in the 21st century].Beijing:Educational Science Publishing House.
26. Zhou, G.L. (2020). Zhongguo daxue de zhanlue yu guihua: Lilun kuangjia yu xingdong kuangjia [Strategy and planning of universities in China: theoretical and action framework]. University Education Science,02,10-18.
27. Zhou, H. (2013). Lun daxue de zhuanxing fazhan [The transformation and development of universities]. Social Science Front, 11,253-255.