Rankings dominate higher education policy making, although little is known about the experiences of those involved in perpetuating rankings. This paper explores middle-level academic leaders' sensemaking about university rankings and related policies in East Asia. Since university rankings have affected higher education policies and strategies…

Although universities are often characterised as 'elite', institutions can attain status in multiple dimensions--reputation, research, money and selectivity. We studied 21st century public universities in the United States, using latent profile analysis to identify which universities followed each path to status. Most universities pursued none,…

Initiatives to build research universities to have world-class universities, the creator and the disseminator of scientific knowledge in knowledge-based economies, are among the most important policy reactions in higher education systems. With an increase in demands on greater accountability, transparency, and efficiency, studies investigating the…

Although higher education is positioned as a site of opportunity for young women in the UK, not all female applicants experience straightforward pathways into this arena. This paper focuses on a group of 16 high-achieving girls from working-class backgrounds who are striving for academic success, in the form of top grades and places at high-tariff…

This study analyzes the factors influencing the stakeholder perspectives on of Higher Education Institution (HEI) rankings, reporting data collected from 1232 participants through a survey method and employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model and complementary models for the analyses. Our primary focus was to…

This research article establishes the relationship between key performance indicators and the academic and research quality performance and assessment and quality assurance of any large multidisciplinary academic and research institution or university. The indicators in terms of qualitative and quantitative are being proposed below and are…

Based on a qualitative study of the motivating factors behind the consumption of international schooling by elite Nigerian parents, this article explores what a group of elite parents perceived as the indicators of high-quality education. The findings suggest that these parents did not consider 'good grades' as an indicator of high-quality…

A comprehensive understanding of value creation in higher education institutions (HEIs) and the organisational practices that drive this value is essential for strategic management. Grounded in stakeholder theory, this study adopts Harrison and Wicks' model to examine the perceptions of five stakeholder groups regarding key drivers of value. The…

Pop culture has served as a catalyst for leadership development, both creating and manufacturing culture while also creating the parameters for us to understand culture in a public context. While pop culture has influenced how people engage with leadership development across contexts, celebrities have been the manifestation of pop culture…

"Elite" and "flagship" are two influential groupings used to conceptualize differences among higher education institutions, but rarely defined. We derive common features attributed to these groupings from a content analysis of 40 years of higher education literature. Next, we explore the relationship of these features to other…

Chinese higher education institutions are facing an increasing threat of campus crises, especially the academic and sexual misconduct of faculty members, which have caused severe impacts on the reputation and development of universities and colleges. Crisis communication strategies are one of the critical measures for universities and colleges to…

The rise of social media has opened countless opportunities to explore social science questions with new data and methods. However, research on socioeconomic inequality remains constrained by limited individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) measures in digital trace data. Following Bourdieu, we argue that the commercial and entertainment…

Student recruitment is essential for higher education institutions. There are various strategies to consider when organising student admissions and meeting recruitment objectives. Coopetition, which can be defined as cooperating with competitors, is one of them. Our qualitative study examines the elements at stake for French business schools that…

Private master's comprehensive institutions (PMCIs) in the United States navigate pressures to expand college access and equity while striving for prestige in the academic hierarchy. To strive for prestige entails competing for world-class status of greater selectivity, research intensity and resources, but such a pathway to excellence may,…

This article explores leadership lessons that can be drawn from popular sport icons. These lessons reveal how athletes leverage their status to drive social change or how they inspire others through performance-based practices that align with effective modern-day leadership skills. We present four cases to illustrate key leadership competencies…