This study empirically examines the predictive relationship between institutional autonomy (IA) and academic freedom (AF) whilst controlling for the mediating effect of corporate governance (CG) amongst selected higher education institutions in Ghana. It also looks at the difference between females and males and their perceptions of the predictive relationship under the study. Using the explanatory research design, structured questionnaires were administered to 128 teaching and non-teaching staff of selected higher education institutions in Ghana. The Structured equation modeling (SEM) via Smart PLS 4.0 was used for analyzing and testing the hypotheses. The study finds that institutional autonomy is statistically significant in predicting academic freedom and corporate governance effectively mediates the predictive relationship between institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Additionally, there is a statistically significant difference between how different genders perceive the predictive relationship. In order to create a viable environment for academic work and ingenuity to thrive, the management of higher education institutions should allow autonomy in areas such as organisation, academics, finance and staffing in order to improve academic freedom. Additionally, policies that stifle academic productivity should be removed or revised as a corporate governace effort to mediate the relationship between institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Founded on the theories of the academic oligarchy model, the stakeholder theory and the gender schema theory the study elucidates how corporate governance significantly mediates the predictive relationship between institutional autonomy and academic freedom within the context of higher education within West Africa specifically Ghana.

Authors:
Bashiru Mohammed, Beijing Normal University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Mohammed Bashiru is currently a University Doctoral Student at Beijing Normal University in Beijing China. His Dissertation area of research is about students evaluating teacher's teaching.

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