A Comparative Study of Patterns of Influence in United States and English Universities

Abstract

Janice M. Beyer and Thomas M. Lodahl University-environment relations, administration, and the functioning of organizational subunits are considered in a cross-cultural comparison of universities in two countries. The distribution of influence is analyzed in terms of the sharing of influence in decision making across hierarchical levels. A distinction is drawn between decentralization and collegiality. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of 80 academic departments in 46 major universities in the United States and 12 schools of study in 2 English universities.