Introduction: Examining Higher Education Institutions Public Mission Initiatives Through the Lens of Organizational Perspective

An analysis of the evolution of higher education as a sector shows how its complexity grew over time, in synchronicity with the richer and more demanding contexts in which it is situated. Concurrent with having to redefine their commitment to the public good, colleges and universities have been facing increasing accountability and public scrutiny in an era of scarce financial resources. Consequently, the public mission of these institutions of higher education had to be refined to distinguish among initiatives focused on economic development, knowledge transfer, and community engagement. In either case, in order to develop a better understanding of various public mission initiatives across the globe and why these were adopted by colleges and universities, the editors use a theoretical framework that emerges from organizational perspective. This chapter outlines cases from the US, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia included in the book.