Resolving Conflicts in The Recruitment of University Presidents in Accordance with Good Governance Principles: A Case Study of 3 Public Universities

Abstract

This research aims to: 1) study the concept of autonomous university; 2) study the recruitment process of university presidents; 3) analyze existing conflicts and their factors in recruitment process; 4) propose the way to solve the conflicts by applying good governance principles, and develop the appropriate recruitment process of university presidents. This research conducts a phenomenological qualitative approach with 6 former executives from all three public universities, and other five academics from the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand. Semi-structured interviews were employed as the main data collection technique. The results of the research show that the purpose of becoming autonomous university is for flexibility and efficiency in management; therefore, the university council was empowered sole authority to direct and supervise the university administration including the recruitment of university presidents. The existing conflicts in recruitment process of three public universities resulted from many causes which might be similar or different. Most conflicts occurred in the university council could be explained in five kinds of conflict factors including: 1) Relationship Conflict, 2) Interest Conflict, 3) Data Conflict, 4) Value Conflict, and 5) Structural Conflict. However, based on the results, most conflicts were concerned with Interest Conflict, Structural Conflict and Value Conflict. Relationship Conflict apparently occurred in some case, while Data Conflict was insignificant. The conflict management theory proposed the way how to efficiently manage the conflicts which consisted of Competing Style, Accommodating Style, Avoiding Style, Collaborating Style, and Compromising style. However, two feasible ways to solve the conflicts in recruitment process of university presidents are Collaborating Style, and Compromising style. Moreover, all stakeholders who involve in recruitment process should apply and focus the following principles of Good Governance accordingly: Rule of Law, Morality, Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Worthiness. Finally the researcher also proposed some recommendations to improve the recruitment process of university presidents.