Session Information
SES C 07, Paper Session
Paper Session
Contribution
In the context of globalisation and internationalisation of higher education (HE), this paper focuses on the role of cultural and organisational change in HE systems, using the example of Bologna Process (BP) implementation in Russia and Ukraine. The BP is an intergovernmental agreement that aims to establish a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) based on democratic principles by 2010. The EHEA will facilitate international cooperation, encourage academic exchange and broaden labour market destinations for students.
The objective of the paper is to analyse what factors account for the differences in the implementation of the BP, given that the pressures facing the HE sectors in Russia and Ukraine are similar. How useful is the BP in enabling HE cultural and organisational change in Russia and Ukraine when it is a non-binding, voluntary intergovernmental agreement?
The research questions are:
1. What are the cultural and organisational practices of HE systems in Russia and Ukraine?
2. What are the pressures facing these HE systems, and in particular, how does the BP fit into this scheme?
3. How do HE workers (academics and administrative staff) respond to changes brought by the BP in Russia and Ukraine? How do these reactions differ?
4. Can the above findings be used to generalise about the effects of the BP on other HE systems that are very different to those on which the BP concept is based?
To conceptualise the different pressures facing HE systems in Russia and Ukraine, Vaira’s (2004) conceptual framework of institutional allomorphism is used. The concept is borrowed from linguistics, and is employed in the HE organisational context to mean that although organizations adapt in the face of different pressures, 'it is possible to identify a common set of institutionalized patterns [...] which structure the organizational arrangements and behaviors' (p.483). This approach is grounded in institutional analysis, and is useful in identifying homogenisation processes on the one hand, and pluralistic and localised responses on the other. Vaira looks at the pressures of globalisation and their effects on HE, but it is fruitful to apply his approach to a more specific case. In particular, the differentiated outcomes are of interest. To investigate these further, we will carry out internet surveys and interviews with HE workers in Russia and Ukraine to analyse how their response to the BP policy pressures.
The research will help to clarify the effectiveness of the BP in bringing about real organisational change at the level of HE institutional culture, as informed by the responses of the HE workers. This will help to evaluate the potential success of wider European initiatives for a European Research Area and other collaborative HE developments.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Seawright, J. and Gerring, J. (2008) ‘Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of Qualitative and Quantitative Options.’ Political Research Quarterly, 61 (2), pp. 294-308. Vaira, M. (2004) Globalization and Higher Education Organizational Change: A Framework for Analysis, Higher Education, 48 (4), pp. 483-510.
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