How College/University Presidents around the World Make Decisions

The world is rapidly changing into a different kind of world where the wealth of a nation is defined by the educational level of its people. Higher education institutions throughout the world provide the means to meet today's information and knowledge requirements dictated by the ever-fluid global marketplace. Colleges and universities offer courses and programmes allowing nations to reap the benefits of an educated workforce and compete globally. College/university presidents by their position wield great power and authority to direct their respective institutions. Decisions made by presidents of colleges/universities have significant consequences on complex transnational tertiary education issues. If college/university presidents around the world are expected to make similar types of decisions to foster a borderless transnational tertiary education system, then it is important to know more about the substance of their work and how they make administrative and fiscal management decisions. The purpose of this global study was to identify 'pre-choice' factors employed by presidents of higher education institutions around the world when making decisions. Seven college/university presidents, one participant on each continent (North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, with an island representative as a substitute for Antarctica) was selected to accommodate global distribution.