University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1994 An examination of Australia's federated network universities from an interorganisational relations perspective Peter Massingham University of Wollongong, peterm@uow.edu.au Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Massingham, Peter, An examination of Australia's federated network universities from an interorganisational relations perspective, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of Wollongong Department of Management, University of Wollongong, 1994 https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1457 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong For further information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au This thesis is dedicated to M y Dear Wife Rada Darling, I could not have done this without you Acknowledgements I would like to express m y gratitude for the support and encouragement of the people w h o helped m e to write this thesis I w a s fortunate in that I received the assistance and cooperation of a range of people, w h o each played a role in helping m e to achieve m y objectives M y deepest thanks go to m y dear wife, Rada, w h o has supported and encouraged m e throughout Only she knows h o w difficult this w a s given the nature of m y work and that this study w a s undertaken part-time I could not have done this without her and for this reason I dedicate the thesis to her Whatever w e have achieved in life, and will achieve, w e achieve together This is as much her degree as mine I hope I have m a d e you proud I thank m y family, particularly m y M u m and Dad for always encouraging m e to simply the best I can, for believing in me, and for their m a n y sacrifices which enabled m e to have an education Thanks also to m y Nan I hope you guys are also proud I would like to thank m y supervisors Professor Gillian Palmer and Associate Professor Trevor Williams for their expert supervision, guidance, friendship, and mentorship Gill did an excellent job in pushing m e along so that I achieved m y timeframe objectives I a m grateful to her for picking up the reigns after Trevor moved to Queensland University of Technology I a m particularly indebted to Trevor for being a mentor during m y M B A and encouraging m e to the thesis I a m also grateful that he found time in an increasingly busy schedule to co-supervise from Q U T I look forward to continuing a professional relationship with you both There are several other people whose cooperation in providing information helped greatly I thank Professor Brian Smith, Vice-Chancellor the University of Western Sydney; Professor Cliff Blake, ViceChancellor Charles Sturt University; and Professor Robert Smith, Vice-Chancellor the University of N e w England I also thank the m a n y people w h o offered reports, newsletters, and their time to support m y thesis Rhonda S h a w from the Department of Employment, Education and Training and Simon Guthrie from the Graduate Careers Council of Australia were invaluable in providing information for the performance indicators Finally, I would like to thank Allan Mackay whose intervention in the life of a troubled adolescent in 1981 m a d e an incalculable difference I a m certain that I would not have achieved three university degree by the age of 30, even with the love and support of those listed above, if Allan had not done what he did This research w a s m a d e possible due to the generosity, support and love of m a n y people and I hope I have done justice to their expectations I will be happy with m y work if it causes people to think about the management structure of Australia's higher education institutions and if they consider the value of interorganisational relationships I a m very proud of this work and believe it w a s worth every minute of the three years I invested in it I hope the reader enjoys what I think it an interesting and important study I now look forward to a more normal life with m y wife AN EXAMINATION OF AUSTRALIA'S FEDERATED NETWORK UNIVERSITIES FROM AN INTERORGANISATIONAL RELATIONS PERSPECTIVE ABSTRACT This research studies the interorganisational relationships within Australia's three federated network universities: the University of Western Sydney, Charles Sturt University, and the University of N e w England; in the period from 1988 to 1993 It examines the history, operation, and performance of the network universities from an Interorganisational Relations perspective drawn from the M a n a g e m e n t discipline Interorganisational relations is primarily concerned with h o w organisations interact with their external environment It considers the reasons organisations enter into relationships with other organisations, the motivations which determine the permanence of these relations, and the nature of these relations Interorganisational relations is becoming increasingly important to organisations, both in the public and private sector, as they b e c o m e aware that they need other organisations in order to survive and succeed The federated network structure is an organisational structure which allows organisations to form interorganisational relationships under the guise of being a single organisation but allows them to retain s o m e control and management over their o w n interorganisational activities The literature's empirical investigation of the interorganisational relationships within federated network structures is still at an embryonic stage This research proposes that the interorganisational relations within a federated network structure are critical to the performance of the network It also proposes that the role of the central coordinating agency will contribute to the performance of the federated network structure This research's fundamental theoretical framework is the federated network structure as a political economy developed by Benson (1975) This research develops the n e w concept that the political economy has degrees of strength A strong political economy is where the interorganisational relationship allows m e m b e r organisations to pursue funds and authority vigorously A moderate political economy allows m e m b e r s the capacity to pursue funds and authority but this is moderated by a degree of central control A w e a k political economy denies m e m b e r s the opportunity to pursue funds and authority in the competitive and combatative sense of the political economy This research is designed to examine these issues It aims to contribute to the understanding of relationships within network structures It finds that the federated network structure is largely defined and explained by the members' pursuit of funds and authority within the network's political economy TABLE OF CONTENTS Page N u m b e r Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Research Problem 1.2 Methodological Weaknesses 1.3 Contribution of the Research 1.4 Definition of Key Terms 1.5 Methodology 1.6 Propositions and Hypotheses 1.7 Delimitations of the Research 1.8 Outline of the Thesis 1.9 Summary 10 14 15 16 17 Chapter Two: The Literature Review 18 2.1 Overview 2.2 A Definition of Interorganisational Relations 2.3 A Definition of Federated Networks 2.4 The Exchange Perspective 2.5 The Resource-Dependency Perspective 2.6 The Mandated Relations Perspective 2.7 Other Dimensions of Interorganisational Relations 18 19 24 36 45 51 56 Chapter Three: Research Methodology and Design 62 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research Design 3.3 Research Methodology 3.4 Analytical Methods Employed In This Research 62 63 64 67 Chapter Four: Australia's Higher Education Environment: 1988 to 1993 69 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Dawkins Reforms 4.3 Consolidations, Amalgamations and Mergers 4.4 The Relationship Between Government and the Higher Education System 4.5 After The White Paper 69 69 83 86 91 Chapter Five: Historical Context of the Network 92 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Environmental Uncertainty 5.3 Organisational Exchange 5.4 The Nature of the Mandate 5.5 The Federated Network Structure 92 93 103 109 128 Chapter Six: The Network in Operation 150 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Governance Structures Within Federated Networks 6.3 Relationships Within The Network 6.4 Specific Structural Aspects Of The Network 150 151 177 220 Chapter Seven: Performance of the Network 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Theoretical Overview 7.3 Effectiveness of the Network Structure 7.4 Efficiency of the Network Structure 7.5 Network Performance From A n Interorganisational Relations Perspective 7.6 Conclusions 237 237 238 240 261 299 311 Chapter Eight: Conclusions and Recommendations 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Conclusions 8.3 Recommendations 8.4 Summary of Implications 312 312 312 327 341 Bibliography 344 ... Professor Brian Smith, Vice-Chancellor the University of Western Sydney; Professor Cliff Blake, ViceChancellor Charles Sturt University; and Professor Robert Smith, Vice-Chancellor the University of N... AUSTRALIA'S FEDERATED NETWORK UNIVERSITIES FROM AN INTERORGANISATIONAL RELATIONS PERSPECTIVE ABSTRACT This research studies the interorganisational relationships within Australia's three federated network. .. understanding of relationships within network structures It finds that the federated network structure is largely defined and explained by the members' pursuit of funds and authority within the network' s