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Cited by 5,142

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Educational Organizations as Loosely Coupled Systems

Weick, Karl E.·1976·Administrative Science Quarterly
DOI 10.2307/2391875
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Abstract

Karl E. Weick In contrast to the prevailing image that elements in organizations are coupled through dense, tight linkages, it is proposed that elements are often tied together frequently and loosely. Using educational organizations as a case in point, it is argued that the concept of loose coupling incorporates a surprising number of disparate observations about organizations, suggests novel functions, creates stubborn problems for methodologists, and generates intriguing questions for scholars. Sample studies of loose coupling are suggested and research priorities are posed to foster cumulative work with this concept.1

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  • Universities are loosely coupled systems with various units operating largely independently and not reliant on each other, with varying policies and practices to suit local contexts.

    “Fourth, campuses, particularly universities, have been noted to be loosely coupled systems with various units operating largely independently and not reliant on eachother with varying policies and practices to suit local contexts (Weick, 1976).”

    From Moving Toward Institutional Culture Change in Higher Education: An Exploration into Cross-functional Professional Learning Communities (2025) · cites this paper as Weick, 1976

  • Higher education campuses exhibit unique features such as loose coupling, being highly values-oriented rather than data-oriented in decision-making, and lacking robust data systems.

    “While trends in studies of organizational learning in higher education tend to reflect the general trends across the multi-disciplinary research base, campuses exhibit some unique features such as loose coupling, which makes information flow and communication challenging (Kezar, 2005;Weick, 1976); being highly valuesoriented rather than data-oriented in terms of decision-making (Kezar, 2005); and”

    From Moving Toward Institutional Culture Change in Higher Education: An Exploration into Cross-functional Professional Learning Communities (2025) · cites this paper as Weick, 1976

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Metadata

Authors
Weick, K. E.
Venue
Administrative Science Quarterly
Publisher
JSTOR
Published
1976-03
Volume
21
Issue
1
Pages
1
ISSN
0001-8392
DOI
10.2307/2391875
Cited by
5,142
References
0

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