Call for Papers

Call for short papers (pdf)

This sub-theme addresses the dynamic interplay between universities and society, focusing on how universities respond to external changes while shaping the political, economic, technological, and social environments. Central questions include how universities, their structures, and their practices adapt to changes in society, what influences their likelihood of adaptation, and how universities simultaneously influence and shape society (Buckner & Zapp, 2021; Mizrahi-Shtelman & Drori 2024; Ramirez & Christensen, 2013; Schofer, Ramirez & Meyer, 2021).

Universities increasingly find themselves at the crossroads of reacting to and proactively shaping external change. On the one hand, they are challenged to develop new strategies or modify existing ones to meet the demands of their institutional environment. For example, many studies have emphasized that changing institutional demands and expectations are putting pressure on universities, causing them to increasingly exhibit the characteristics of organizational actors (Krücken & Meier, 2006). In this development, studies have also shown the increasing implementation of for-profit practices and management concepts in universities (Christensen et al., 2020; Seeber et al., 2019; Zapp et al., 2021). These developments influence relationships and collegiality in universities (Harroche & Musselin, 2023) as well as the demands that professors are expected to meet (Gerhardt et al., 2023). Increasing internationalization and the related transformation of universities into globally embedded organizations (Lee & Ramirez, 2023; Mizrahi-Shtelman & Drori 2023; Wedlin, 2020) have been strongly influenced by current political challenges and the repositioning of global orders, security issues, and wars. Similarly, the increased emphasis on sustainability and the new skills and competencies required by the ecological transition have reshaped educational goals, led to the introduction of new training programs, inspired environmentally responsible research practices, and influenced the management of campus infrastructure. In addition, the growing importance of digitization and the proliferation of generative AI are forcing higher education institutions to rethink their pedagogical principles, research methods, and administrative processes to ensure that they can respond to these transformative forces.

On the other hand, universities are not passive actors but develop strategies that influence their environment and help them translate globally expanding structures and practices in a way that reflects their regional contexts and organizational identity (Buckner, 2019; De Jong & Balaban, 2022; Hedmo, Sahlin-Andersson, Wedlin, 2007). For example, organizational characteristics of universities (such as project-based work organization, boundaryless careers, diffuse hierarchical relationships) have become management fashions. Moreover, in the sense of normative isomorphism, academics influence which concepts and theories practitioners will adopt in the medium term by incorporating certain concepts and theories into their teaching. Changes in curricula indicate which topics universities consider important and significant. For example, universities are trying to change their relationship with environmental issues by developing educational programs that promote awareness among students and staff to ensure that future citizens will act more responsibly. In a similar vein, they are promoting research on the positive and negative social impacts of generative AI and producing knowledge to advise policy makers.

This subtheme focuses on the interplay between universities and society. It emphasizes how universities adapt to external changes while at the same time also affecting their political, economic, technological, and social environments. Given that this interplay is not a new phenomenon, we encourage historical perspectives that show how these dynamics have developed over time. We also welcome submissions that explore how universities respond to external pressures, why this response varies across universities, and how universities attempt to influence their institutional environments. Submissions may focus on (but are not limited to) any of the following topics and questions:

• How do geopolitical changes, security concerns, and international conflicts affect universities (e.g., regarding their internationalization strategies, diversity policies, etc.)?

• How do universities vary in their strategies for responding to political, economic, technological, or social challenges? What contingencies explain variations in their response? What internal and external factors determine the success or failure of adaptation?

• How do government interventions and policy frameworks influence higher education strategies? What are the differences between highly regulated and more autonomous higher education systems?

• How are universities strategically positioning themselves in the field and what factors explain their positioning?

• How do universities act as reactive and proactive agents of social change? What tensions arise in this context?

• To what extent do academic content and teaching influence the diffusion of management concepts and theories into practice?

• How are universities changing their pedagogical, administrative, and research processes to accommodate the proliferation of generative AI? What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing these technologies?

• To what extent do universities influence policymaking processes? What factors determine this influence?

References

• Buckner, E. (2019): “The internationalization of higher education: National interpretations of a global model.” Comparative Education Review, 63 (3), 315–336.
• Buckner, E., & Zapp, M. (2021): “Institutional logics in the global higher education landscape: Differences in organizational characteristics by sector and founding era.” Minerva, 59 (1), 27–51.
• Christensen, T., Gavrila, S.G., Ma, L., & Ramirez, F.O. (2020): “Reputation management by Chinese universities: Primary profile and comparative features.” Public Administration, 98 (4), 1027–1043.
• de Jong, S.P.L., & Balaban, C. (2022): “How universities influence societal impact practices: Academics’ sense-making of organizational impact strategies.” Science and Public Policy, 49(4), 609–620.
• Gerhardt, L.M., Goldenstein, J., Oertel, S., Poschmann, P., & Walgenbach, P. (2023): “The Managerialization of Higher Education in Germany and its Consequences: Changes in Job Advertisements for Professorships in German Universities, 1990 to 2010.” In: K. Sahlin & U. Eriksson-Zetterquist (eds.): University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority. Emerald Leeds: Publishing Limited, 59–85.
• Harroche, A., & Musselin, C. (2023): “How to Remain Collegial When Pressure for Change is High?” In: K. Sahlin & U. Eriksson-Zetterquist (eds.): Revitalizing Collegiality: Restoring Faculty Authority in Universities. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, 29–50.
• Hedmo, T., Sahlin-Andersson, K., & Wedlin, L. (2007): “Is a Global Organizational Field of Higher Education Emerging? Management Education as an Early Example.” In: G. Krücken, A. Kosmützky, & M. Torka (eds.): Towards a Multiversity? Universities between Global Trends and National Traditions. Bielefeld: transcript, 154–175.
• Krücken, G., & Meier, F. (2006): “Turning the University into an Organizational Actor.” In: G.S. Drori, J.W. Meyer, & H. Hwang (eds.): Globalization and Organization: World Society and Organizational Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 241–257.
• Mizrahi-Shtelman, R., & Drori, G.S. (2023): “Ivory Tower or Tower of Babel? The challenge of multilingualism for the globally embedded university.” Higher Education, 85 (6), 1357–1379.
• Mizrahi-Shtelman, R., & Drori, G.S. (2024): “Reference universe and competition in higher education: Israeli higher education organizations constituting excellence.” Studies in Higher Education, 49 (10), 1743–1752.
• Ramirez, F.O., & Christensen, T. (2013): “The formalization of the university: Rules, roots, and routes.” Higher Education, 65, 695–708.
• Schofer, E., Ramirez, F.O., & Meyer, J.W. (2021): “The societal consequences of higher education.” Sociology of Education, 94 (1), 1–19.
• Seeber, M., Barberio, V., Huisman, J., & Mampaey, J. (2019): “Factors affecting the content of universities’ mission statements: an analysis of the United Kingdom higher education system.” Studies in Higher Education, 44 (2), 230–244.
• Zapp, M., Jungblut, J., & Ramirez, F.O. (2021): “Legitimacy, stratification, and internationalization in global higher education: the case of the International Association of Universities.” Tertiary Education and Management, 27, 1–15.