Shared Governance and Social Capital Theory: A Qualitative Study of Perceptions and Outcomes

Although shared governance is widely promoted as a democratic and collegial decision-making model in higher education, its implementation in public universities remains underexamined. Shared governance, a concept that is widely touted yet wildly varied in implementation, is the best path forward for decision makers. To better understand shared governance and how it might best be practiced, this qualitative study uses data from faculty at one public university to understand perceptions and outcomes of shared governance. Viewed through the lens of social capital theory, data analysis leads to a specific set of recommendations that consider cultural and structural changes for shared governance.