An analysis of the governance of the Divine Word Educational Institutions in the Philippines

• Main Author: Dayag, Lucio Pedro T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: Universities and colleges > Philippines > Administration; Educational leadership > Philippines; Divine Word Educational Institutions; Education; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/198; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_doctoral/article/1197/viewcontent/CDTG004409_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

:The study analyzed the governance of the Divine Word Educational Institutions (DWEIs) in the Philippines, owned and managed by the Society of the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD). Two universities and five colleges, accredited by the Philippine Association of Accredited Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU), were covered in this study. The research design utilized the descriptive approach, employing qualitative and quantitative methods of research, using a triad of data collection technique documentation, interviews, and questionnaire. The qualitative data were obtained from the literature, minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees (BOTs) of the participating DWEIs, their by-laws, and interviews with selected board members. The quantitative technique made use of a questionnaire purposely developed for this study, which was distributed to the members of the boards for their appropriate responses. The Likerts Scale was used, and after obtaining the mean score of each item, data were analyzed. The study determined the ideal BOT characteristics and functions of non-stock non-profit corporations as set down by the conceptual literature, the Catholic Church, and the SVDs/DWEIs. An appropriate questionnaire based on these ideal BOT characteristics and functions was developed and administered to the members of the boards of the participating DWEIs. The study likewise examined the extent by which the actual governance practices of the participating DWEIs fared with the desired characteristics and functions of the boards as ideally desired. The results obtained served to verify the congruencies, gaps, strengths, and weaknesses of the current practices of the BOTs of the participating DWEIs. Strategic directions for the governance of the DWEIs were derived as an upshot of the study. The study made the following major findings: iv 1. The conceptual literature, the Catholic Church, and the SVD/DWEIs enumerate sixteen areas where the ideal BOT characteristics and functions are exercised, namely: 1) Vision-Mission Statement and Goals, 2) Composition, 3) Structure, 4) Obligation, 5) Infrastructure, 6) Policy-Making, 7) Decision-Making, 8) Identification, Recruitment, and Selection, 9) Orientation and Development, 10) Strategic Planning, 11) Legal Responsibilities, 12) Financial Responsibilities, 13) Board-CEO/President Relations, 14) Board-Community or Constituency Relations, 15) Fund-Raising, and 16) Self Assessment. 2. The DWEI boards, in their actual practices, are able to apply most of the sixteen areas of the ideal BOT characteristics and functions except for the areas of Orientation and Development and Self-Assessment. 3. The DWEI boards, as a group, desired to a very high extent the ideal BOT characteristics and functions along the areas of Financial Responsibilities, Policy-Making, Decision-Making, Legal Responsibilities, Vision-Mission Statement and Goals, Composition, and Obligation. 4. In their actual practices the DWEI boards Implemented to a high extent the following: Financial Responsibilities, Legal Responsibilities, Obligation, Composition, Decision-Making, Vision-Mission Statement and Goals, and Policy-Making. 5. In their desired and actual practices, the DWEI boards consider the area on Financial Responsibilities as the most important among the sixteen areas of the ideal BOT characteristics and functions. 6. The following areas appear as strengths of the boards of the DWEIs: Obligation, Legal Responsibilities, and Financial Responsibilities. v 7. Congruencies between the DWEI boards desired characteristics and functions and their actual practices are found particularly in the following areas: Vision-Mission Statement and Goals, Composition, Obligation, Infrastructure, Strategic Planning, Financial Responsibilities, and Board-CEO/President Relations. 8. The DWEI boards appear weak in the following areas: Identification, Recruitment, and Selection, Orientation and Development, Board-Constituency Relations, Fund-Raising, and Self-Assessment. Major conclusions drawn in this study are the following: 1) The DWEI boards, in general, perform their functions as mandated to them by their respective corporations however, the boards performance can still be strengthened. 2) The DWEI boards are capable of performing the sixteen areas of ideal BOT characteristics and functions. 3) Gaps exist between the desired and the actual governance practices of the DWEI boards, and they demonstrate moderate discrepancies. The DWEI boards are open and willing to enhance their governance practices and they are resilient to bridge those gaps.