The study of institutional change, particularly within the dynamic higher education field, in South Africa, requires a robust theoretical grounding that links observed dynamics to broader conceptual debates. It must be premised on a robust understanding of institutional arrangements and the mechanisms through which transformation occurs. While the previous chapter has engaged institutional arrangements in terms of formation and stability, the discourse now shifts toward the mechanisms and conceptual underpinnings of institutional transformation. A thorough understanding of these mechanisms is crucial for grounding this book’s theorisation of institutional change as a layered and context-sensitive process within higher education.