Factors influencing the management of school cultural environment development at higher education institutions in the arts in Vietnam

Abstract

Managing the development of a school cultural environment is a complex institutional process in arts higher education because artistic creativity, professional traditions, individualized teaching, and cultural production intersect with university governance. This article identifies and explains the factors likely to influence such management in Vietnamese higher education institutions specializing in music, fine arts, theatre, and cinema. A qualitative documentary approach was adopted, combining a structured narrative review of peer-reviewed journal literature with thematic comparison and contextual theoretical synthesis. Seven analytically distinct but interrelated factors were identified: the specificity of artistic disciplines; leadership capacity; faculty quality and professional role modelling; institutional history and cultural identity; physical facilities and creative infrastructure; social change and contemporary cultural trends; and students’ learning needs and motivations. These factors are interpreted in relation to four management functions: planning, organization, direction, and monitoring and evaluation. Three synthesis tables distinguish theoretical evidence, mechanisms of influence, and management implications for Vietnam. The article argues that effective management requires differentiated approaches across artistic disciplines, value-oriented leadership, ethical mentoring, adequate creative spaces, and meaningful student participation. Its contribution is a context-sensitive conceptual framework rather than a statistically validated causal model.