TY - BOOK
T1 - Institutional Autonomy and its Mechanisms in Ethiopian Higher Education
T2 - Perspectives of Formal and De Facto Autonomy in the Case of Adama Science and Technology University
AU - Lebeta, Bultossa
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This study is aimed to describe the extent of the practices of formal
autonomy and explaining why and how de facto autonomy diverges from
formal autonomy at Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU).
Methodologically, it is a sequential mixed-method case study design. The
first phase is quantitative and its data were collected using a survey
questionnaire from 238 participants (94% of the sample population of
253). The sampling technique employed is optimum allocation stratified
sampling, which was followed by systematic random sampling. The analysis
of these data was conducted using frequency, percentage, mean and
standard deviation, and one-way ANOVA. The second phase of the mixed
method case study is qualitative. Its data were collected using
semi-structured interviews administered to 17 participants, and document
analysis. The results of the quantitative phase of the case study show
that ASTU’s de facto and formal autonomy are different from one another.
As the qualitative phase indicated coercive mechanisms (policy,
political power, financial rules and regulations, performance
evaluation, market and stakeholder contexts, knowledge power,
dependence, and lifespan) are the identified reasons and mechanisms for
the difference observed between de facto and formal autonomy. In
addition, the state's desire to bring change as a social mechanism, and
profession network as a cultural mechanism are reasons and mechanisms
for the discrepancy between de facto and formal autonomy. Therefore, to
maximise ASTU’s benefits of its given autonomy, it is suggested that the
university should be made responsible for its funding and reduce its
resource dependence. The state should also gradually decrease the amount
of funds it has been providing. In addition, the financial rules and
regulations should be customised to the context of the university with a
reasonable accountability scheme. Besides, making the assignments of
university leadership purely merit-based and maintaining secularism are
also suggested to reduce ASTU’s political dependence. This study in
general implies that de facto and formal autonomy could not often appear
the same, and autonomy cannot be absolute. Thus, studying the extent of
institutional autonomy based only on the provision side is misleading.
AB - This study is aimed to describe the extent of the practices of formal
autonomy and explaining why and how de facto autonomy diverges from
formal autonomy at Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU).
Methodologically, it is a sequential mixed-method case study design. The
first phase is quantitative and its data were collected using a survey
questionnaire from 238 participants (94% of the sample population of
253). The sampling technique employed is optimum allocation stratified
sampling, which was followed by systematic random sampling. The analysis
of these data was conducted using frequency, percentage, mean and
standard deviation, and one-way ANOVA. The second phase of the mixed
method case study is qualitative. Its data were collected using
semi-structured interviews administered to 17 participants, and document
analysis. The results of the quantitative phase of the case study show
that ASTU’s de facto and formal autonomy are different from one another.
As the qualitative phase indicated coercive mechanisms (policy,
political power, financial rules and regulations, performance
evaluation, market and stakeholder contexts, knowledge power,
dependence, and lifespan) are the identified reasons and mechanisms for
the difference observed between de facto and formal autonomy. In
addition, the state's desire to bring change as a social mechanism, and
profession network as a cultural mechanism are reasons and mechanisms
for the discrepancy between de facto and formal autonomy. Therefore, to
maximise ASTU’s benefits of its given autonomy, it is suggested that the
university should be made responsible for its funding and reduce its
resource dependence. The state should also gradually decrease the amount
of funds it has been providing. In addition, the financial rules and
regulations should be customised to the context of the university with a
reasonable accountability scheme. Besides, making the assignments of
university leadership purely merit-based and maintaining secularism are
also suggested to reduce ASTU’s political dependence. This study in
general implies that de facto and formal autonomy could not often appear
the same, and autonomy cannot be absolute. Thus, studying the extent of
institutional autonomy based only on the provision side is misleading.
M3 - Doctoral thesis
SN - 978-952-03-2583-1
T3 - Tampere University Dissertations - Tampereen yliopiston väitöskirjat
BT - Institutional Autonomy and its Mechanisms in Ethiopian Higher Education
CY - Tampere
ER -