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Hybrid Decision Structures in Transnational Alliances of Higher Education

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Title: Hybrid Decision Structures in Transnational Alliances of Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Rómulo Pinheiro, Stefan Gänzle, Christel Claussen
Source: Higher Education Forum. 2025 22:17-41.
Availability: Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University. 1-2-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima City, Japan 739-8512. Tel: +81-82-424-6240; Fax: +81-82-422-7104; e-mail: k-kokyo@office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp; Web site: https://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/journals/HighEduForum
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: International Cooperation, Institutional Cooperation, Higher Education, Decision Making, Models, Participative Decision Making, Foreign Countries, Governance, Partnerships in Education, Problem Solving, Trust (Psychology), Power Structure, Conflict Resolution
Geographic Terms: European Union
ISSN: 2432-9614
Abstract: Since 2019, the European Union has encouraged the establishment of 'new' university alliances, that is transnational strategic groupings involving more than three hundred higher education institutions in the European Union and associated partner countries. This paper treats the European Universities Initiative (EUI) as an instance of a meta-organization and investigates how decision-making processes have unfolded thus far reflecting four 'classic' decision-making models (i.e., the rational actor model, the collegial model, the political model and the garbage can model). More specifically, the study investigates two main stages in the alliances--the initiation stage and the consolidation stage--in more depth. The paper benefits from several (internal) documents and semi-structured interviews conducted with key staff from the selected alliances, the Circle U. and FORTHEM European alliances. The findings ultimately demonstrate the prevalence of key features associated with three of the four decision models, all except for garbage can, eventually resulting in hybrid decision dynamics. The data clearly show that most decisions are made by consensus, and that resource dependency, soft power, trust, and tensions underpin these decision-making processes. The paper provides insights on the mechanism underpinning alliance-level value frameworks, focusing on how different logics and values are blended, negotiated, and/or legitimized.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479166
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1479166
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  Data: Hybrid Decision Structures in Transnational Alliances of Higher Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rómulo+Pinheiro%22">Rómulo Pinheiro</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stefan+Gänzle%22">Stefan Gänzle</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christel+Claussen%22">Christel Claussen</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Higher+Education+Forum%22"><i>Higher Education Forum</i></searchLink>. 2025 22:17-41.
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  Data: Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University. 1-2-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima City, Japan 739-8512. Tel: +81-82-424-6240; Fax: +81-82-422-7104; e-mail: k-kokyo@office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp; Web site: https://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/journals/HighEduForum
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  Data: 25
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Cooperation%22">International Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Cooperation%22">Institutional Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Participative+Decision+Making%22">Participative Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Governance%22">Governance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Partnerships+in+Education%22">Partnerships in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trust+%28Psychology%29%22">Trust (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+Structure%22">Power Structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conflict+Resolution%22">Conflict Resolution</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22European+Union%22">European Union</searchLink>
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  Data: 2432-9614
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Since 2019, the European Union has encouraged the establishment of 'new' university alliances, that is transnational strategic groupings involving more than three hundred higher education institutions in the European Union and associated partner countries. This paper treats the European Universities Initiative (EUI) as an instance of a meta-organization and investigates how decision-making processes have unfolded thus far reflecting four 'classic' decision-making models (i.e., the rational actor model, the collegial model, the political model and the garbage can model). More specifically, the study investigates two main stages in the alliances--the initiation stage and the consolidation stage--in more depth. The paper benefits from several (internal) documents and semi-structured interviews conducted with key staff from the selected alliances, the Circle U. and FORTHEM European alliances. The findings ultimately demonstrate the prevalence of key features associated with three of the four decision models, all except for garbage can, eventually resulting in hybrid decision dynamics. The data clearly show that most decisions are made by consensus, and that resource dependency, soft power, trust, and tensions underpin these decision-making processes. The paper provides insights on the mechanism underpinning alliance-level value frameworks, focusing on how different logics and values are blended, negotiated, and/or legitimized.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1479166
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1479166
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 25
        StartPage: 17
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: International Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Participative Decision Making
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Governance
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      – SubjectFull: Partnerships in Education
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      – SubjectFull: Problem Solving
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      – SubjectFull: Trust (Psychology)
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      – SubjectFull: Power Structure
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      – SubjectFull: Conflict Resolution
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      – SubjectFull: European Union
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      – TitleFull: Hybrid Decision Structures in Transnational Alliances of Higher Education
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