ESTABLISHING STRATEGIC DIRECTION IN HIGHER-EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Higher education institution in the UK are going through a period of unprecedented change, led by government reforms seeking to improve participation in higher education while securing greater efficiency and increased financial accountability. This article demonstrates how institutions have adjusted by adopting new systems of curriculum delivery combined with decentralized forms of management. Changes to institutional strategic direction have become informed by the language and concepts of the business environment and this has been particularly evident in the polytechnics. Question are raised about the uncritical use of a business model for determining the strategic direction of higher education institutions. In the absence of explicit corporate policy and systems of performance control, institutions may become unstable conglomerates, impeding the realization of their educational mission.