The adaptive management of higher education institutions: general guidelines for more efficient functioning

Abstract

Development of the higher education institutions of Lithuania in the system of deepening market relations, under the conditions of amplifying competition leads to a steady increase in the external and internal actions on their functioning. Under such conditions appears an environment with high uncertainty for making administrative decisions in the sphere of educational services and scientific and technical results. The absence of adaptive management practice of the higher education institutions (both by the universities and by the colleges), considering the uncertainty of the action of external factors, affects the results of their functioning. As world practice shows, the active use of methods of adaptive management allows higher education institutions more accurately consider changes in "die environment" and attempt to keep the leading positions in the market for educational services and scientifically technical results and, during the specific period of time, attain the goals stated for these higher education institutions. Adaptive management of higher education institutions is related to the realization of adaptation process and must directly include not only the process, but also include its preparation work. It should also consider die monitoring of business and production environment and prediction of die tendencies of the changes mat influence the higher educational institution, i.e. in the result of adaptation an equilibrium must be achieved - what means thai "balance of interests and possibilities" should be achieved.