Building a mutually-desirable relationship between a higher education institution's academic schools and its adult/continuing education unit : a case study analysis of Abu Dhabi University and its knowledge group (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

Historically, many higher education institutions have been structurally and culturally compartmentalised and subunits such as continuing education have been marginalised, merged or divested. In response to a variety of external phenomena, some higher education institutions are re-examining their internal and external relationships, including the relationship between their academic and continuing education units. This research examines the efforts of a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates to improve its overall effectiveness by changing the nature of the relationship between its academic and continuing education units. A review of theory- and practice-based higher education, organisational culture and inter-/intra-organisational relationship literature revealed significant support for each partner's goals for the new relationship and was used to provide the parties with a series of recommendations for successful formulation, actualisation and governance. These results add to the literature and practice of higher education and continuing higher education, particularly in the area of relationship-building among organisational subunits and subcultures.