Abstract
In this article the development of the University of Namibia since itsestablishment (8 years ago) has been studied within the context of theformation of the newly-independent Southern African state of Namibia. Ahybrid framework, based on the major theoretical perspectives ofneo-institutionalism and resource dependency, has been utilized toanalyse the accounts of key respondents involved in these developmentsand hence derive an explanatory narrative of the changes involved inresponse to (government) policy.
It is suggested that the major themes within this narrative may be ofexplanatory value when studying organizational change in small(developing) countries with relatively young institutions. Inparticular, the following concepts are worth highlighting: thenormatively strong but operationally weak state interacting with thenormatively weak but operationally strong institution; the commonpolitical elite, with institutional leaders sharing government values;and the relative informality of policy formulation and pluralism ofgovernment, with leading institutional actions having a policy sensingand shaping role.
The loose set of themes devised from the interpretation ofsemi-structured interviews with a relatively small number of respondentscan also be considered as providing a conceptual framework for furtherresearch both within the specific institution and on a broadercomparative basis.
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Kirby-Harris, R. Universities responding to policy: Organisational change at the University of Namibia. Higher Education 45, 353–374 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022656720659
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022656720659