The locus of power in UK universities

Abstract

This article identifies the increasing demands on United Kingdom universities brought about by the expanded government agenda and the entry of higher numbers of more diverse students. It analyses the changes in organizational structures and cultures and identifies a centralizing tendency in terms of power to meet these demands. There is a focus on directors of educational development centres to explore how they have responded to the challenge of implementing their universities’ teaching and learning strategies in a changing and uncertain environment. There is an examination of how they identify the locus of power, their priorities, the leadership skills they employ and the coalitions they build.