论大学治理的模糊性

On the Ambiguity of University Governance

在新管理主义背景下,人们往往过于追求大学治理的清晰性和精确性。大学治理中的刚性虽然可以保证大学决策活动的秩序和稳定,有利于决策目标的执行和落实,但也会使大学创新力与适应力下降。事实上,在任何一种治理实践活动中,模糊性都是一个不可忽略的变量,这是由外部现实的复杂性、人的理性的有限性以及自我身份与偏好的不一致所决定的。大学作为一个复杂的组织,无论是在治理结构上还是在治理过程中,都天然地呈现出一定程度的模糊性。这种模糊性在许多方面具有正面效应,有利于提升大学的包容性,增加大学的适应性,维持大学教师的自主性。但是,如何在维系大学治理模糊性价值的同时不至于让其产生潜在的负面影响并非易事。它需要大学教师与行政人员的人际信任、大学领导者的领导力,以及大学内部张弛有度的规章制度。因此,探讨大学治理的模糊性,并不是要否定大学治理中追求清晰性和精确性的价值,而是基于过度追求精确性和清晰性以致带来了适得其反的效果的现实情境,希望以此加深人们对大学治理的理论认识,从而提供一种解决大学治理刚性所造成的问题的办法。

In the context of new management,people tend to pursue the clarity and accuracy of university governance.Although the rigidity in the university governance can ensure the order and stability of university decision-making activities,and it is conducive to the implementation of decision-making objectives,it will also reduce the university’s innovation and adaptability.In fact,in any kind of governance practice,the ambiguity is a variable that cannot be ignored,which is determined by the complexity of external reality,the limitation of human rationality and the inconsistency between self-identity and preference.As a complex organization,university naturally presents a certain degree of ambiguity both in the governance structure and in the governance process.This kind of ambiguity has a positive effect in many aspects,which is conducive to enhancing the university’s inclusiveness,increasing the university’s adaptability,and maintaining the autonomy of university teachers.However,it is not easy to maintain the ambiguity value of university governance without its potential negative impact.It needs the interpersonal trust of university teachers and administrators,the leadership of university leaders,and the flexible rules and regulations within the university.Therefore,to explore the ambiguity of university governance is not to negate the value of pursuing clarity and accuracy in the university governance,but to deepen people’s theoretical understanding of university governance and provide a way to solve the problems caused by the rigidity of university governance based on the realistic situation that the pursuit of accuracy and clarity is too much to bring the opposite effect.