The implications of faculty bargaining for decisionmaking in four-year colleges and universities are examined in this analysis of research and other literature. Institutional variables are described using research from political science and sociology to explain more fully the dynamics, apart from faculty bargaining, that characterize colleges and universities. After briefly examining the legal structure and development of faculty bargaining, the analysis turns to the impact of unionization on decisionmaking in several areas of institutional operation. From this synthesis of research findings, general implications for institutional practice are discussed. These implications suggest several strategies for administrative behavior that have been shown to contribute to positive union-administration relationships, more amicable joint decisionmaking, and increased satisfaction with the quality of decisionmaking. A bibliography is included. (SW)