posted on 2021-04-19, 08:43authored byNigel Martin Healey
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges of managing transnational education (TNE) partnerships from the perspective of the home university managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a qualitative, “insider researcher” methodology’. It uses a sample set of eight mangers who operate from the home university and 13 “in-country” managers who are seconded to head up the overseas TNE partnerships. The samples are all drawn from UK universities to standardise for other variables (e.g. legislative framework).
Findings
It finds that the managers based at the home campus report a generally negative attitude, emphasising the riskiness and the lack of scalability, sustainably and profitability, as well as the general resistance to TNE from staff on the home campus. The in-country managers, in contrast, experience the same lack of empathy from their peers at home, but this group tends to more closely associate themselves with their local colleagues and to be drawn into building relationships with local stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this research is that it is based on a sample of managers from the same country.
Practical implications
In practical terms, the findings suggest that universities need to do more to increase awareness and commitment to their TNE partnerships amongst staff at the home campus, while providing better professional development and more frequent rotations for their in-country managers.
Originality/value
This paper extends the very limited literature on the management of TNE partnerships.
History
Publication
International Journal of Educational Management;32 (2), pp. 241-256
Publisher
Emerald Publishing Ltd
Note
peer-reviewed
Rights
This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://ulir.ul.ie. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.