高等院校组织趋同行为的实证研究

An Empirical Study on the Institutional Isomorphism in Higher Education Organizations

本文在组织开放系统视角下,综合运用制度理论和资源依附理论分析框架,探讨当前高等教育领域存在的组织趋同现象。研究以594所院校为样本,考察大学的依赖程度与专业分化的关系以及大学经受不确定水平与专业分化关系。从变量关系检验过程看,可以发现一个领域内部资源的集中化通过将组织置于资源供应者的相同压力下而直接导致同质化,而且与不确定性和目标模糊性互动,增加了它的影响。高等院校普遍增设新专业,对学科齐全的综合型大学充满期待的趋同性,体现了资源依附理论以及制度理论中模仿机制的作用。同时,院校增设专业与组织所处的不确定水平相关,验证了制度理论的一个核心假设,即行动者对于组织生活中的确定性和可预测性有着偏好。有鉴于此,必须发展有针对性的政策促进院校恰当定位,抑制高等院校的学术漂移冲动。

The paper adopts institutional theory and resource dependence theory to explore the phenomenon of institutional isomorphism in higher education organizations. On the basis of 594 samples,the study analyzes the relationship between the rate of university dependence and program diversification,and the relationship between the level of uncertainty for universities and the level of program diversification. Results indicate that several factors lead to institutional isomorphism,such as pressures in competing for resources,uncertainty and blurred target.The addition of new programs and the inclination towards becoming comprehensive universities illustrate the resource dependence theory and the mimic mechanism in institutional theory. Meanwhile,the correlation of program addition with levels of uncertainty proves a key hypothesis in institutional theory that agents generally prefer certainty and predictability in organizational life.Therefore,relevant policies should be made to encourage the proper orientation of higher education institutions,and to control the impulse towards academic drift.