A comparative study of planning capability and capacity in Chinese and Western higher education institutions

✍ Scribed by Hungling Fu

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 798 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0018-1560
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00137031

✦ Synopsis

In the tradition of open systems/sociotechnical systems theory, this case study research compared data gathered from three Chinese higher education institutions and from an international panel of experts on strategic planning. Conceptual and measurement distinctions were made between capability and capacity, and between current and realizable practice, Planning capability refers to human factors such as commitment, participation, coordination, and technology such as knowledge, equipment, and techniques necessary to conduct successful planning. Planning capacity is concerned with the openness of the system and its range of options, the authority or freedom at the institutional level to make decisions and to implement long-term planned changes, and the degree requirements and guidelines from outside the institution which influence its decision-making process. While analysis was attempted for both Chinese and Western institutions, more attention was directed to the Chinese setting.

Theoretical concepts

About five decades ago, Ludwig Von Bertalanffy first introduced a general distinction in contrasting biological and physical phenomena, thus enriching our