Active authority or latent legitimacy? The institutional visibility of the university governing body amongst staff as a factor in its effectiveness

Abstract

This study examines the institutional visibility of the university governing body amongst staff, as an unexplored factor influencing the effectiveness of the body in performing stewardship and strategic responsibilities on behalf of the university. A constructionist view of governance is taken in order to examine the enactment of governing body institutional visibility within the spaces of the university, from the formal projection of its legal and constitutional duties, to communication of the decisions made at governing body meetings, through to governors’ informal encounters and engagement with staff. An institutional visibility spectrum was developed based on governing body ‘apparency’, ‘transparency’ and ‘engagement’, prior to interviewing secretaries and clerks as key actors in the governance system. It was found that governor visibility through engagement and interaction with a range of staff outside the ‘boardroom’ was perceived as a contributor to governing body effectiveness, including governors’ knowledge-building and ability to contribute to strategic initiatives in the host university.