Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An investigation of the impact of international branch campuses on organizational culture

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The authors first survey the factors related to globalization that have stimulated the creation of international branch campuses. They then contend that the viability of an international branch campus should not be solely evaluated from a rational choice perspective oriented toward economic self-interest. Rather, the organizational culture of the branch campus and the home campus should also be considered, particularly since institutions are cultural entities with specific symbolic and interpretive ideologies. After analyzing two recent cases concerning New York University’s branch campus in Abu Dhabi and the new Yale-NUS College in Singapore using an organizational culture framework, they suggest that the creation of international branch campuses should be guided by three primary considerations such as (1) the value added by the creation of a branch campus; (2) how the branch campus is reflective of the unique culture of the home campus; and (3) whether faculty members on branch campuses have the same rights, institutional status, and expectations of shared governance that they would have on the home campus. While the text acknowledges that some conflicts are inevitable, the authors suggest that international branch campuses have the potential to foster awareness, enrichment, and understanding with a deeper investigation of these cultural dimensions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. http://hrd.apec.org/index.php/21st_Century_Competencies.

  2. http://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/about/statement-of-labor-values.html.

References

  • Adams, J. (2013). The fourth age of research. Nature, 497, 557–560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G. (2001). Academic freedom: International realities and challenges. Higher Education, 41(1/2), 205–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G. (2010). Why branch campuses may be unsustainable. International Higher Education, 58, 2–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3–4), 290–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aviv, R. (2013). The imperial presidency: Annals of education. The New Yorker, 89, 60–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. (1976). The economic approach to human behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. (1981). A treatise on the family. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, R. (2009). International branch campuses: Markets and strategies. London: Observatory on Borderless Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brew, A., Boud, D., Lucas, L., & Crawford, K. (2013). Reflexive deliberation in international research collaboration: Minimising risk and maximizing opportunity. Higher Education, 66, 93–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carnoy, M. (2000). Globalization and educational restructuring. Paris: International Institute of Educational Planning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, L. (2013). Duke Kunshan University delayed again, following communication and funding problems. The Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2013/02/08/duke-kunshan-university-delayed-again-following-communication-and-funding-problems.

  • Castells, M. (2004). Informationalism, networks, and the network society: A theoretical blueprint. In M. Castells (Ed.), The network society: A cross-cultural perspective. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • C-BERT. (2014). Branch campus listing (Updated May 10, 2014). Global Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.globalhighered.org/branchcampuses.php.

  • Chaffee, E. E., & Tierney, W. G. (1988). Collegiate culture and leadership strategies. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D., & Ng, P. T. (2008). Similar agendas, diverse strategies: The quest for a regional hub of higher education in Hong Kong and Singapore. Higher Education Policy, 21(4), 487–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, D., Austin, A., Farah, S., Wilson, E., & Ridge, N. (2014). Academic staff in the UAE: Unsettled journey. Higher Education Policy, 27, 131–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. (1990). Foundations of social theory. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croson, R., & Gneezy, U. (2009). Gender differences in preferences. Journal of Economic Literature, 47(2), 448–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daquila, T. C. (2013). Internationalizing higher education in Singapore: Government policies and the NUS experience. Journal of Studies in International Education, 17(5), 629–647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ennew, C. T., & Fujia, Y. (2009). Foreign universities in China: A case study. European Journal of Education, 44(1), 21–36.

  • Farrar, L. (2013). Duke seeks final approval for its campus in China. New York Times.

  • Farrugia, C. A., & Lane, J. E. (2012). Legitimacy in cross-border higher education: Identifying stakeholders of international branch campuses. Journal of Studies in International Education, 17(4), 414–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fazackerley, A., & Worthington, P. (2007). British universities in China: The reality beyond the rhetoric. Melbourne: Agora.

  • Findlay, C., & Tierney, W. G. (Eds.). (2010). Globalization and tertiary education in the Asia Pacific: The changing nature of a dynamic market. Toh Tuck: World Scientific.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forss, P. (2007). University of New South Wales Singapore campus to shut in June. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/277897/1/.html.

  • Geertz, C. (1973). Religion as a cultural system. In C. Geertz (Ed.), The interpretation of cultures (pp. 87–125). New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, C. (2012). Freedom from the press: Journalism and state power in Singapore. Singapore: NUS Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gopinathan, S., & Lee, M. H. (2011). Challenging and co-opting globalisation: Singapore’s strategies in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 33(3), 287–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harding, L. M., & Lammey, R. W. (2011). Operational considerations for opening a branch campus abroad. New Directions for Higher Education, 155, 65–78.

  • Harkins, P. J. (2006). Leading the global workforce. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hechter, M., & Kanazawa, S. (1997). Sociological rational choice theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 23, 191–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, F. (2007). Internationalization of higher education in the developing and emerging countries: A focus on transnational higher education in Asia. Journal of Studies in International Education, 3(4), 421–432.

  • Hughes, R. (2011). Strategies for managing and leading an academic staff in multiple countries. New Directions for Higher Education, 155, 19–28.

  • Institute of International Education. (2013). Open doors. Washington, DC: IIE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaminer, A. (2013). Fourth no confidence vote for the president of N.Y.U. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/education/fourth-no-confidence-vote-for-the-president-of-nyu.html.

  • Kaminer, A., & O’Driscoll, S. (2014). Workers at N.Y.U.’s Abu Dhabi site faced harsh conditions. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/19/nyregion/workers-at-nyus-abu-dhabi-site-face-harsh-conditions.html.

  • Kiley, K. (2012). Not your university. Inside HigherEd. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/19/nyu-vote-no-confidence-highlights-divergent-views-faculty-role-governance.

  • Kim, Y.-C. (2010). The Asia-Pacific education market and modes of supply. In C. Findlay & W. G. Tierney (Eds.), Globalization and tertiary education in the Asia Pacific: The changing nature of a dynamic market (pp. 17–38). Toh Tuck: World Scientific.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (2006). Crossborder education: An analytical framework for program and provider mobility. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, 21, 345–395.

  • Knight, J. (2007). Cross-border tertiary education: An introduction. Cross-border tertiary education: A way towards capacity development (pp. 21–46). Paris: OECD, World Bank, and NUFFIC.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (2010). Cross-border higher education: Quality assurance and accreditation issues and implications. In C. Findlay & W. G. Tierney (Eds.), Globalization and tertiary education in the Asia-Pacific: The changing nature of a dynamic market (pp. 73–92). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.

  • Koehn, P. H. (2014). Developments in transnational research linkages: Evidence from US higher education activity. New Approaches in Educational Research, 3(2), 52–58.

  • Kumar, P. (2013). Bridging East and West educational divides in Singapore. Comparative Education, 49(1), 72–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J. E. (2011). Global expansion of international branch campuses: Managerial and leadership challenges. New Directions for Higher Education, 155, 5–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J. E., & Kinser, K. (2011). The cross-border education policy context: Educational hubs, trade liberalization, and national sovereignty. New Directions for Higher Education, 155, 79–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J. E., & Kinser, K. (2012). International branch campuses: One definition to rule them all? Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/worldwise/international-branch-campuses-one-definition-to-rule-them-all/29051.

  • Lane, J. E., & Kinser, K. (2013). Five models of international branch campus ownership. International Higher Education, 70, 9–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J. E., & Kinser, K. (2014). Managing the oversight of international branch campuses in higher education. Higher Education Management and Policy, 24(3), 161–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S. (2013). Innovation management in knowledge intensive business services in China. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Maniyka, J., Bughin, J., Lund, S., Nottebohm, O., Poulter, D., Jauch, S., & Ramaswamy, S. (2014). Global flows in a digital age: How trade, finance, people, and data connect the world economy. McKinsey Global Institute. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/globalization/global_flows_in_a_digital_age.

  • Marginson, S. (2011). Higher education in East Asia and Singapore: Rise of the Confucian model. Higher Education, 61(5), 587–611.

  • Masland, A. T. (1985). Organizational culture in the study of higher education. Review of Higher Education, 8(2), 157–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moynihan, C. (2014). Protesters urge Guggenheim to aid Abu Dhabi workers. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/nyregion/protesters-urge-guggenheim-to-aid-abu-dhabi-workers.html.

  • OECD. (2013). Education at a glance 2013: Highlights. Paris: OECD Publishing. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag_highlights-2013-en.

  • Olds, K. (2007). Global assemblage: Singapore, foreign universities, and the construction of a ‘global education hub’. World Development, 35(6), 959–975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oleksiyenko, A. (2014). Reconciling tensions between excellence, access and equity in multilateral R&D partnerships: A Canadian collaborators’ perspective. Higher Education Policy,. doi:10.1057/hep.2014.5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oleksiyenko, A., & Sá, C. (2010). Resource asymmetries and cumulative advantages: Canadian and US research universities and the field of global health. Higher Education, 59(3), 367–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ou, A. Y., Varriale, L., & Tsui, A. S. (2012). International collaboration for academic publication: Implications from the resource-based view and transaction cost theory. Group Organization Management, 37(4), 407–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redden, E. (2013). Global ambitions. Inside HigherEd. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/11/nyu-establishes-campuses-and-sites-around-globe.

  • Rhode, D. L. (2006). In pursuit of knowledge: Scholars, status, and academic culture. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidhu, R. (2009). The ‘brand name’ research university goes global. Higher Education, 57, 125–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sim, C. (2011). The Singapore chill: Political defamation and the normalization of a statist rule of law. Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, 20(2), 319–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (1998). Singapore as a hub for higher education [Speech]. Fulbright Association Talk at Nuss Orchard Guild House by Teo Chee Hean. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/1998/010898.htm.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2000). Education towards the 21st century—Singapore’s universities of tomorrow [Speech]. Lecture for Alumni International Singapore by Teo Chee Hean. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2000/sp10012000.htm.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2005). Speech by Tony Tan at the signing of agreement between NUS and Duke University for establishment of NUS Graduate Medical School [Speech]. Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2005/sp20050414.htm.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2008a). An expanded university landscape—Greater choice, more room to excel. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2008/06/an-expanded-university-landsca.php.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2008b). Fiscal year 2008 Committee of Supply debate: 2nd reply by Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew on university education: Expanding and enriching Singapore’s university sector. Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2008/03/04/fy-2008-committee-of-supply-de-1.php.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2010a). Speech by Dr. Ng Eng Hen at the grand opening of the National University of Singapore’s business school’s Mochtar Riady building [Speech]. Singapore: NUS Business School. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2010/09/24/speech-by-dr-ng-eng-hen-at-the-grand-opening-mochtar-riady-building-nus.php.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2010b). Yale and NUS in discussion to set up liberal arts college. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/09/yale-and-nus-liberal-arts-college.php.

  • Singapore Ministry of Education. (2011). Fiscal year 2011 Committee of Supply debate: 3rd reply by Mr. S. Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education, on a “Quality Higher Education with Opportunities for All” [Speech]. Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2011/03/07/fy-2011-committee-of-supply-de-3.php.

  • Strambach, S. (1997). Knowledge-intensive services and innovation in Germany. Report for TSER project: University of Stuttgart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, S. (2012). Dangerous liaisons. The Politic. Retrieved from http://thepolitic.org/dangerous-liaisons/.

  • Tierney, W. G. (1988). Organizational culture in higher education: Defining the essentials. Journal of Higher Education, 59(1), 2–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney, W. G. (2008). The impact of culture on organizational decision making. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Välimaa, J. (1998). Culture and identity in higher education research. Higher Education, 36, 119–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verbik, L., & Lasanowski, V. (2007). International student mobility: Patterns and trends. UK: Observatory on Borderless Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verweij, M., & Pelizzo, R. (2009). Does authoritarianism pay? Journal of Democracy, 20(2), 18–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vincent-Lancrin, S. (2007). Developing capacity through cross-border tertiary education. In Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. Cross-border tertiary education: A way towards capacity development. OECD and the World Bank. Retrieved from doi:10.1787/9789264038493-4-en.

  • Wilkins, S., & Huisman, J. (2012). The international branch campus as transnational strategy in higher education. Higher Education, 64(5), 627–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windrum, P., & Tomlinson, M. (1999). Knowledge-intensive services and international competitiveness: A four country comparison. Technology Assessment and Strategic Management, 11(3), 391–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California, 3470 Trousdale Parkway, Waite Phillips Hall, 701D, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-4035, USA

    William G. Tierney & Michael Lanford

Authors
  1. William G. Tierney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Lanford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Lanford.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tierney, W.G., Lanford, M. An investigation of the impact of international branch campuses on organizational culture. High Educ 70, 283–298 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9845-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9845-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation