The Discussion About Power Of Higher Education Institutions In China

The paper analyses organization environment and intramural power of higher education institutions from the basic theoretical issues. Higher education institutions have several particularities with three major functions which are personnel training, development of science and to social service as academic organizations. From the view of organization overall characteristics, higher education institutions present a loosely coupled systems with organized disorder, furthermore they shape a heterogeneity structure because of the composition of different members and power. From the view of organization internal characteristics, the organization control of higher education institutions present obvious dualism. It reflects the traditional hierarchical control of administrative affairs and collective control of academic affairs in the organization structure, and it also reflects coexistence of administrative power and academic power in the power system.The paper defines the concept of power based on analysis of higher education institutions. Their power subjects are built of instructors, managers, schoolfellows and students in the higher education institutions. The principal contradiction of power system in higher education institutions includes two aspects which are academic power and administrative power. Academic power is believed as influence based on the specialized knowledge, skill and academic authority which hold in the professors and other scholars. While the administrative power in higher education institutions is believed as institutionalized power based on the state laws, the will of government, need of society and regulations of universities and influences activities of the members and dominates the operation of the organizations by coercive means. The rationality of academic power is determined by the organization function and basic activities of higher education institutions, but the rationality of administrative power is determined by the characteristics as formal organizations. The power has homologous goals and its functions can complement each other. But inherent limitation and huge difference of values and operation mode between two powers bring on conflicts among all power. Therefore, the coordination and conflicts between academic power and administrative power constitute the complexities in higher education institutions.The paper analyses structure mode of power with framework of structure in higher education institutions and indicates that higher education institutions are special organizations which are composed of units and subjects. Different organizational structures have different power characters and structure of organization and power are constructed with each other. The longitudinal relation of power exists in schools, academies and departments, while the transverse relation of power composes of academic power and administrative power. This integration of two relations constitutes a complicated special power structure in higher education institutions. Through analysis of levels, benefits and development, this paper introduces European continent mode which gives priority to academic power, American mode which gives priority to administrative power and British mode which is balanced by academic power and administrative power. Based on contrast among them, the paper analyses power structure of Chinese higher education institutions using longitudinal way and transverse way, then it points out that Chinese power mode in higher education institutions is controlled typically by administrative power with administration managing academy in Party's lead.Finally, the paper discuses centralized mode of administrative power in Chinese higher education institutions lead to that Administrative power and Party Committee power cross in exercising, administrative power is abused, academic power is weakened and power is centralized upwards. We have to make balance of power from the organizational characters and optimize its structure and obey correlative regulation. Then, the balance of power in institutions includes balance of each systems, levels and interest groups. The balance in different systems should ensure that systems of politics, administration and academy have limitation. The balance in different levels should make school as a decision-making center, academy as an administrative center and department as a quality center. The balance in different interest groups could be achieved by making decision and managing together.