Governance is the process of making and enforcing decisions within an organization or society. It encompasses decision-making, rule-setting, and enforcement mechanisms to guide the functioning of an organization or society. Effective governance is essential for maintaining order, achieving objectives, and addressing the needs of the community or members within the organization. Furthermore, effective governance promotes transparency, fosters trust among stakeholders, and adapts to changing circumstances, ensuring the organization or society remains responsive and resilient in achieving its goals. It is the process of interactions through the laws, social norms, power or language as structured in communication of an organized society over a social system. It is done by the government of a state, by a market, or by a network. It is the process of choosing the right course among the actors involved in a collective problem that leads to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of acceptable conduct and social order". In lay terms, it could be described as the processes that exist in and between formal institutions.

अभिशासन का सन्दर्भ "शासन करने की सारी उन प्रक्रियाओं से हैं, भले वे किसी सरकार, बाज़ार या संजाल द्वारा संचालित हो, भले किसी परिवार, जनजाति, औपचारिक या अनौपचारिक संगठन या क्षेत्र पर हो, और भले किसी क़ानून, मानदण्ड, सत्ता अथवा भाषा से हो।" इसका सम्बन्ध, "सामूहिक समस्या में सम्मिलित अभिनायकों के बीच की परस्परी संक्रिया और निर्णायन की प्रक्रियाओं से है, जिससे सामजिक मानदण्डों और संस्थानों का निर्माण, सुदृढ़ीकरण और प्रजनन होता हैं।"