Formulation of a Pattern for Faculty Member's Participative Decision-making in Universities of Iran. (Case study: Northeastern Universities of the Country)

This article pursues two goals: First, the identification of substructural factors and the domains in which faculty members can participate for decision-making. Second, the formulation of a pattern for faculty member's participative decision-making. In order to achieve these goals, at first, by an academic consideration of the research work, the components of decision-making pattern both substructural ones (five components) and domains (eight components) have been reckoned, and then faculty member's outlooks have been gathered. Research method, from the goal standpoint, is an applied one, and for the purposes of data gathering device is of a survey study type. The statistical population includes faculty members of three northeastern universities of the country – 1020 people in all. 270 individuals were selected among them by using a stratified random sampling. 198 faculty member's views were collected and analysed. The face validity of the questionnaires has been assessed by using factor analysis. The reliability of data gathering tools on the pilot stage has been obtained by using re-trial device (0.86), and by calculating Cronbach's Coefficient as well (0.89). The results obtained are suggestive of the fact that the substructural components of the participative pattern of decision-making have been supported. Of course, among these components, the psychological one has had a higher mean, in comparison with the other components: Goals, and values, structural, managerial and technical ones. Within the domains of the participative patterns of decision-making as well, the means of all components have been greater than the speculative mean of the rates described in the data gathering tools. But teaching and profession components, scientifico-research, expectations, services and counseling have had a greater factor load, and a higher mean as opposed to the components of investigation into future, facilities, managerial-administrative, budget and financial affairs. Among these components that of budget and financial affairs has had less participation importance than the other components of decision-making pattern domains. Pearson's correlation results also indicate that there is a direct and significant relationship among the means pertaining to the substructural components, and the participative pattern of decision-making domains. Also based on the results obtained in relation to the components of participative patterns of decision-making in terms of academic ranks, managerial record of service no significant relationship was observed among the sample groups of research, and we can draw the conclusion that there is a consensus of opinion among faculty members on the state of affairs described. In a consideration of the difference in field of study, and the academic record of service, there is a significant variation in certain components which does not follow a set pattern.