INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS AND NORTH/SOUTH PARTNERSHIPS IN HIGHER EDUCATION : A NEW ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR PRACTICE

This dissertation explores North/South partnerships in higher education, shedding light on their practices and underlying logics. Recognizing the growing importance of these collaborations in addressing global challenges, universities are actively working to strengthen these ties. However, concerns about the potential replication of imperialistic structures in North/South partnerships necessitate a critical examination. This study is a response to these concerns, presenting a new analytical framework for the analysis of collaborative practice within this context that is rooted in the institutional logics perspective. My findings suggest that North/South partnerships are made up of multiple coexisting and competing practice conventions and logics that, once identified, bring the complex social dynamics and cultural contestations of this global academic field to the fore. The study has a twofold purpose: an empirical inquiry into international partnership practices in published articles on North/South collaborations, and a theoretical exploration of the logics underpinning these practices. Analyzing 58 articles published in 2022, the study captures the institutional logics employed by higher education actors to reason different types of partnership practices. Utilizing a constitutive approach within institutional logics and a focus on field-level communication, the study responds to calls by critical scholars to explore how broader cultural structures influences practice, identifying the specific logics and cultural content that define the field. This study makes notable contributions to organizational theory by elucidating the intricate cultural interplay within North/South partnerships and challenges prevailing assumptions of unidirectional trajectories toward cultural hegemony. The findings unveil distinct reasoning schemas and logic-practice combinations, offering a fresh lens to understand the cultural dynamics of North/South partnerships. The proposed analytical framework emerges as a potentially valuable tool for higher education actors seeking to develop more effective strategies for navigating the complexities of these types of collaborations. In the concluding chapter, evidence and practical recommendations tailored for diverse stakeholders are presented, emphasizing the importance of discerning nuanced differences among similar practices and fostering diversity, equity, and innovation. In essence, this dissertation goes beyond a mere exploration of North/South partnership practices; it uncovers a rich tapestry of practices, reasoning schema, logics, and cultural interplay. My findings underscore the spectrum of choices and considerations available to field participants when navigating practice and its expression. The new framework prompts participants to critically reflect on how the language used to explain or reason a practice constitutes its meaning and, consequently, its potential impact. It emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing practice choices, including those often taken for granted. These insights contribute to a nuanced understanding of North/South partnerships in higher education, reconceptualizing them from potential tools of imperialism into a space for actors to collaboratively create more effective partnerships. The outlined analytical framework for practice provides compelling tools to foster a more inclusive and mutually beneficial global higher education landscape.