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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A number of significant factors are changing the strategic management landscape in
higher education. Market forces are exerting significant impacts on higher education
institutions (HEIs) that are fundamentally changing the ways they conduct and manage their
affairs. As institutional autonomy grows, so do institutional responsibilities and
accountability. Outcomes then determine the future level of autonomy for an institution.
These major shifts are forcing HEIs to approach their operations more proactively and from a
business perspective in order to be strategically positioned to seize opportunities and confront
threats in an increasingly competitive environment. Strategic planning is a tool for assisting
an HEI manage itself with foresight and an external focus. Strategic planning is moving more
and more into the forefront of higher education discussions in many European countries. As
interest in and appreciation of the need for this process grow internationally, higher education
planners are confronted with many issues of limited market-driven management experience,
as well as trans-national governance and cultural complexities. As higher education leaders in
other countries, and especially Europe, turn to the United States for best practices and
guidance, planning consultants (many from the business and non-profit sectors) must be
equipped with a broader perspective that transcends national boundaries and also grasps the
nuances of the higher education culture in Europe. This critical examination of problems in
the Portuguese higher education system resulting from a lack of strategic planning and the
authors’ recommendations for change will offer a better understanding of the European
context and how it differs from traditional models. Planners who want to expand their reach
and share their expertise with this growing higher education market need to have this
perspective. Thus, this paper summarizes a comparative analysis of the extent to which public
and private HEIs in Portugal are engaging in a strategic planning process, what aspects of the
process are being utilized in each sector and what their perceptions are regarding this
involvement.
Description
Keywords
Strategic planning Higher education Portuguese higher education Strategic management European higher education
Citation
Research in Higher Education Journal. ISSN 1941-3432. 6 (2010)