The behaviors and subsequent situations of two sets of colleges that experienced severe financial difficulties in the mid-1970s were examined. One set made a dramatic recovery; the other set did not. The more resilient group pursued a combination of adaptive and interpretive strategies. (MLW)

A bibliography on strategic management is presented to assist both practitioners and researchers. Criteria for inclusion were as follows: (1) general in scope, providing introductory information on a variety of subtopics within strategic management; (2) indications that the work is becoming a classic (i.e., frequent citations by other authors);…

Strategies employed by selected, pseudonymous private colleges in dealing with revenue constraints are detailed in case studies. Attention is directed to the adaptation and policies of eleven private liberal arts and three comprehensive colleges in their efforts to recover from rapid decline in total revenues during 1973-1976. Intensive analysis…

Forty private colleges that experienced rapid revenue decline from 1973 to 1976 were assessed in relation to factors accounting for recovery from financial decline. One subset of the 40 colleges showed dramatic recovery in total revenues during 1976 to 1979; the other continued to decline. These groups are compared, using data from the Higher…

The efforts of eight private four-year colleges to deal with revenue declines in the 1970s are described. The major social, political, and economic developments that contributed to the decline and recovery efforts are briefly reviewed. Attention is directed to strategic management responses to the financial stress. The colleges, whose identities…