Conflict, Congruence, and Generic University Goals

Although much has been written about what the goals of participants in the higher education process are and what they ought to be, surprisingly little is known about the sources of goal differences and when they are likely to be congruent or in conflict. This article explores the latter two questions and offers a number of suggestions for additional research. Our analysis begins with a discussion of the various terms used in the literature to describe the purposeful behavior of universities. A definition of the term "generic goal" is then introduced and the major generic goals for each of the major participants in the higher education process are discussed. Several sources of the differences observed among participants are explored and a number of observations are offered concerning when goals will coincide and when they will conflict.

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