This study focused on the interrelationship of organizational culture and faculty governance at public research universities. The purpose of this study was to explore how universities responded in organizationally culturally appropriate ways to crisis situations that had the potential to strain shared decision-making processes. Through a qualitative study using case studies of two institutions--the University of Michigan (U-M) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)--this study investigated the conditions under which university stakeholders made decisions during the COVID-19 global pandemic and explored why decisions may have been consistent with institutional culture or violated cultural norms. The two institutions in this study were chosen because they reflected two common types of institutional responses to COVID-19: those that responded in ways that appeared to violate cultural norms (U-M), and universities with COVID-19 decisions consistent with cultural norms and expectations (UCLA). Data were gathered through document analysis, observations, and interviews with senior and midlevel administrators, academic administrators, faculty senate leaders, and other faculty and staff who were part of task forces or committees formed around COVID-19. This study found faculty governance plays an important role in how universities effectively respond during times of crisis and makes multiple contributions to institutional activity. Both informal and formal faculty governance advances a practice of consultation in institutional decision making, resulting in better decisions and outcomes. Academic leaders (i.e., deans) play an important role in institutional shared governance and, as a group, strengthen a sense of collective responsibility for the university. Universities that (1) demonstrate strength in the degree to which norms are held, (2) have congruent cultural elements, and (3) have norms with contents that evoke attitudes and beliefs have more stable and effective cultures, especially when responding to crises. Higher education institutions will continue to face challenges and crises even if they are not at the scale of COVID-19. Understanding how organizational culture affects faculty governance and how faculty governance affects culture with respect to decisions and outcomes is important, because both are tied to how a university operates and performs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]