This presentation outlines a number of key concepts and analyses that may helpus understand the challenges facing institutional management in higher education today. It assesses (a) the nature of the unprecedented change in theenvironment in which higher education is situated(b) the special characteristics of universities as organisations(c) the different organisational traditions different systems developed from(d) a number of models of university decision-makingand (e) the contemporary increase in thepower and authirity of institutional management
