A reinterpretation of institutional transformations in European higher education: strategising pluralistic organisations
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A reinterpretation of institutional transformations in European higher education: strategising pluralistic organisations in multiplex environments Nicoline Frølich • Jeroen Huisman • Stig Slipersæter • Bjørn Stensaker Paulo Charles Pimentel Bo´tas
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Published online: 6 November 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012
Abstract The paper draws on institutional theory with special attention to recent contributions that aim at developing its micro-foundations. We address the question of how individual higher education institutions deal with institutional pluralism. We develop an analytical framework inspired by institutional theory, the sensemaking perspective in organisation theory and strategy-as-practice to connect the macro-transformation processes of the organisational field and the micro-processes of organisational strategising. Keywords
Strategy Institutional theory Micro–macro Diversity Sensemaking
Introduction Substantial changes with regard to governance are taking place in European higher education—transformations can be observed on several governance levels. During the last three decades, national governments in Europe have explored new modes of governing higher education inspired by new managerialism and neo-Weberianism (Paradeise et al. 2009a). At the same time, European agencies have contributed to the rise of an additional governance layer (see, e.g., Maassen and Olsen 2007). Internally, higher education institutions have also experienced profound transformations: adopting more formalised organisational structures, emphasising the importance of leadership, a more hierarchical internal governance structure, and comprehensive processes and administrative structures for evaluating performance (see, e.g., Bleiklie and Kogan 2007). N. Frølich (&) B. Stensaker NIFU, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, Wergelandsveien 7, 0167 Oslo, Norway e-mail: [email protected] J. Huisman P. C. P. Bo´tas International Centre for Higher Education Management, School of Management, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK S. Slipersæter The Research Council of Norway, P.O. Box 2700, St. Hanshaugen, 0131 Oslo, Norway
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High Educ (2013) 65:79–93
The policy logic accompanying this development has been the drive for greater standardisation of rules and regulations in European and national policies, and such standardisation is often combined with initiatives to give higher education institutions more autonomy enabling them to take part in competitive processes which are expected to lead to increased system performance (Teixeira et al. 2004). The assumption has been that this combination would increase responsiveness, flexibility and entrepreneurship in higher education. In this paper we explore how theoretical frameworks—sociological institutionalism, sensemaking and strategy-as-practice—would enable in-depth analysis of the changing interrelationship between individual higher education institutions and their environment—a term which often ref
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