Universities as Agencies

This book discusses how modern universities increasingly use reputation management in relation to internal and external challenges. Universities are increasingly characterized by social embeddedness, relating to many external stakeholders and international markets of students, researchers and research projects. This implies global pressure to standardize, formalize and rationalize their internal organization. The book uses data from China, Norway and US to show how reputation symbols are used and balanced, based on their web pages. Further, it uses extensive data from US universities to show how their internal organization structure is developing over time, related to three types of units/positions - development, diversity and legal offices and roles.

Shows that universities are increasingly influenced by globalization. Argues that managing their reputation is of increasing importance for universities. Stresses that the increasing organizational differentiation of universities is connected to interaction with external stake-holders.

Autorentext
Tom Christensen is Professor of Public Policy and Administration at Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway.
Åse Gornitzka is Professor of Public Policy and Administration at Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway.
Francisco O. Ramirez is Professor of Education and (by courtesy) Sociology, Stanford University, USA.

Inhalt

1. Reputation Management, Social Embeddedness and Rationalization of Universities. T.Christensen, Å.Gornitzka and F.O.Ramirez.- 2. Reputation Management in Nordic Universities Profiles and Development over Time. T.Christensen and Å.Gornitzka.- 3. Reputation Management Revisited: U.S.Universities Presenting Themselves Online. S.G.Gavriela and F.O.Ramirez.- 4. Reputation profile of Chinese universities converging with global trends or national characteristics? M.Liang and T.Christensen.- 5. Social Science Disciplines in Complex Development Contexts the Professionalization Dimension of Reputation Management. T.Christensen and L.Klemsdal.- 6. What We Stand for: Reputation Platforms in Scandinavian Higher Education. A.Wæraas and H.L. Sataøen.- 7. Marketing the American University: Professionalization of Development in Entrepreneurial Universities. N.A.Skinner and F.O.Ramirez.- 8. Enacting Diversity inAmerican Higher Education. N.Kwak, S.G.Gavriela and F.O.Ramirez.- 9. The Legal Rationalization of American Higher Education. J.Furuta and F.O.Ramirez.- 10. Socially embedded universities and the search for meaning B.Stensaker.