Transnational higher educational alliances in China: An analysis from three theoretical perspectives.

摘要

This research examines the development of three transnational higher educational alliances in China in light of three theoretical perspectives: resource dependency theory, social capital theory, and fragmegration theory. The overarching research question is: What can different theories tell us about how transnational higher education alliances are developed? Resource dependency analysis examines the changing nature of organizational environments and management's role in adapting programmatic operations to meet environmental constraints, and in securing resource and power bases for programmatic survival and growth. Social capital analysis directs attention to various forms of relationships encapsulated within educational partnerships and highlights the importance of trust building in enhancing partnership collaboration. It contends that sustainable partnerships rely primarily on a proper combination of social relationships at both micro and macro levels. Fragmegration theory examines the dynamic interactions between globalization and localization, including how those interactions transform modes of governance and the multiplication of knowledge types. Each of these theories offers a unique explanation of how transnational educational ventures are initiated and sustained. By grounding the analysis in these three theories, this study provides new insights about transnational higher education alliances and explores how multiple theoretical analyses can enrich one another.