Legitimizing university governance: Theory and practice

This paper attempts a theoretically based articulation of the concept of legitimacy and applies the elements of the concept to concrete problems in university governance. Legitimacy is measured by the assessment of several elements of governance by constituents. It is a function of constituents' value systems, of the decision-making issue, and of the level at which decisions are made. The components of legitimacy are developed, and illustrative applications are provided. Through operational application of the idea of political legitimacy, it is contended that more realistic and workable solutions to governance can be approximated and that crisis oriented governance tactics can be reserved for situations which genuinely require them.