How do US universities want to be perceived? Factors affecting the (inter)national identity claims in mission statements

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5087022
AutoresBayan Khalifa (0009-0001-2625-8961, Ghent University, autor correspondente), Sebastian Desmidt (0000-0002-5769-4440, Ghent University), Jeroen Huisman (0000-0003-2241-9980, Ghent University)
Ano2023
Volume48
Fascículo3
Páginas507-520
Data de publicação2023-03-04
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2022.2147155
OpenAlexW4309623212
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas6
Referências citadas42

Higher education institutions (HEIs) often function in an environment where various institutional pressures force them to position themselves on a national-international orientation scale in order to gain legitimacy in the eyes of different constituents with different expectations. Empirical insights, however, on how HEIs respond to these forces and position themselves within this debate are largely lacking. Hence, this study builds on organizational identity theory and institutional theory to assess the national and international identity claims expressed by the mission statements, a dominant organizational identity narrative, of HEIs as well as institutional factors affecting the selected position. A mixed methods analysis of the mission statements of 120 US universities indicates that universities’ identity claims can be classified in five categories of national claims and five of international claims. The findings suggest that institutional forces affect the position of universities on the national/international continuum but that universities’ attempts to reconcile these pressures are much more refined than expected as universities try to strike a subtle balance between being similar and different

Business · Higher education · Institutional theory · Legitimacy · National identity · Organizational commitment · Organizational identity · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Higher Education Governance and Development · International Student and Expatriate Challenges · Law · Organizational Strategy and Culture · Public Administration