Organisational culture in Lao universities under governance reforms: applying organisational culture assessment instrument in three national universities

Purpose This study explores organisational culture, embodying shared values, which is crucial yet often overlooked in boosting organisational effectiveness and facilitating governance reforms. It examines and compares the existing and preferred organisational cultures at three Lao national universities and discusses their implications for governance reforms under the context of Lao higher education. Design/methodology/approach This study employed Cameron and Quinn’s Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) to assess and compare organisational cultures at the National University of Laos, Souphanouvong University and Savannakhet University. This assessment is supplemented by a comprehensive review of relevant literature and documents concerning governance, reforms and culture, particularly within Lao universities. Findings The results indicate that the three Lao universities are currently dominated by clan cultures with an internal value-driven emphasis. Additionally, two older universities among the three also exhibit hierarchical cultures. Based on this, this study discusses how the organisational cultures may impede the governance reforms within Lao universities. Research limitations/implications Although the adaptation of the OCAI provides an overall picture of the organisational cultures and captures their core traits across the three Lao universities, it has a limitation in identifying the detailed behavioural patterns and specific underlying values and beliefs in dominant culture types. Practical implications The findings from this study suggest that formal and structural governance reforms in Lao universities should be accompanied by managed cultural changes in universities. This requires coordination among various agents, including the government, international donors and institutional leaders. Social implications This study emphasises the need for cultural transformation under governance reforms from Laos context, providing insights to the broader discussion on higher education reform in developing higher education systems. Originality/value This study provides an empirical analysis of the organisational culture in Lao universities as an overlooked aspect in the process of governance reforms and institutional performance improvement. It contributes to the understanding of cultural values and patterns as critical factors to ensure university governance reform, particularly under a developing system.