Role Perception by Members of University Governing Bodies

Using models of social behaviour in small organizations developed by J. W. Getzels and E. G. Guba, an attempt has been made to investigate the role expectations of the members of the governing councils of two Australian universities whose membership was drawn from academic, government and business circles. It was found that not only were the expectations of the members about the functions of the body itself and of themselves fewer than might be expected, but also, arising from the membership patterns, there were important areas of the institution's functions where expectations were in opposition. There appear to be fruitful areas for research not only into the rationale for the commonly accepted membership pattern of university governing councils but also into ways of increasing their effectiveness.