The Transition from State-Centered Governance to Good Governance in Higher Education: A Grounded Theory Study

Higher education governance refers to the formal and informal authority that arises from the laws, policies, and rules that determine the responsibilities and powers of various actors. The purpose of this article was to present a model of good governance in Iranian higher education institutes. We used classic grounded theory methodology to explore this model. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 20 key informants with knowledge and experience with the higher education system. Based on Strauss and Corbin's coding paradigm, the data analysis consisted of a three-step coding process, including open, axial, and selective coding. The process concludes that the relations between codes were examined using a continuous comparison approach using a coding paradigm that focuses on causal conditions, context, intervening conditions, action/interaction strategies, and consequences. Findings showed that 259 conceptual constructs (codes), classified into 52 subcategories and 17 categories, affect the central phenomenon. Among the causal conditions, the categories of academic autonomy, the economics of higher education, administrative decentralization, and authority distribution significantly impact higher education's good governance. In the contextual categories, structural factors affect action or interaction strategies and causal conditions more than others. Among these factors, the negative impact of the non-academic management subcategory is more than other factors. Realizing strategies and establishing good governance will have desirable results and consequences that may be causal conditions for the other emerging phenomenon in a different situation. Future studies can design a framework with measurable metrics based on this model that higher education governance qualification could be measured and compared. Additionally, testing the model by quantitative approach can increase the validity and transferability of research findings.