Application of Cybernetic Model into higher education management (Case: Ferdowsi University of Mashhad)

The purpose of this research is to identify the status of cybernetics in universities’ management with an emphasis on Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM). A total of 139 questionnaires were sent to chancellor and vice-chancellors of FUM, Dean of faculties and their deputies, administrative and academic department’s chairs at the university to assess their point of view about the status of cybernetics in the University. Further 147 questionnaires were sent to managers and faculty members of twenty seventh Universities to access the same point regarding the purpose. The questionnaire has been developed based on Birnbaum cybernetic theory. Accordingly, supervision and control, tight and loose Coupling, interactions, decision making, hierarchy and leadership had been considered as major constructions of the questionnaire. Survey research, Mean, median, t-test, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H. were used to analyze the data. The result indicated that the mean of the subjects’ viewpoints was 4.512. In other words, there is a significant difference between the observed mean of the research subject's viewpoints and the theoretical mean. The research also showed a significant relationship between the six above factors. The data indicated that there is no significant difference between the viewpoints of the universitys’ managers. This means that there is a consensus between them in regard to the status of cybernetic in the university’s management. The findings showed that approximately, there is the same result in other universities in Iran.