Institutional structure and governance capability in universities: an empirical study from the perspectives of time, space, and quantity dimensions

Institutions are pivotal in university governance, symbolizing stable organizational power reflective of governance capacity. This study asks whether the layout of internal institutional structures improves university governance capability and, if so, which layouts are most effective. It proposes a novel framework across time, space, and quantity dimensions, using governance elements to assess effects on governance capability. Using a self-developed questionnaire, the study collected 742 valid responses across China. Employing a high-dimensional fixed-effects model, it finds that three-dimensional institutional layouts significantly and differentially impact governance capabilities by institutional affiliation. Mechanism analysis shows governance capability manifests through configurations of governance elements and is influenced by system responsiveness, collaboration, expansion, and organizational conformance. A threshold effect in member tenure indicates both excessive and insufficient enthusiasm affect governance differently: under 7 years (time), over 3 years (space), and up to 21 years (quantity) are pivotal thresholds. Strategic layouts aligned with governance elements’ timeliness, flexibility, distribution, and scarcity substantially enhance governance efficiency. Policy implications are proposed.