Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Excellence, Quality And The Diversity Of Higher Education Systems

  • Chapter
Questioning Excellence in Higher Education

Part of the book series: Higher Education Research in the 21st Century Series ((CHER,volume 3))

Abstract

Excellence is one of the many usable concepts in the area of higher education that are precise enough to evoke a number of positive and sometimes negative emotions, yet vague enough to offer fertile ground for theoretical development as well as empirical research. This chapter argues that there has been a movement in the last thirty years during which the concepts of excellence and its close kin, quality, have changed meaning and content. While they used to refer to an individual quality, or a virtue if one prefers, expressed by the (outstanding) quality of an academic’s work, they have increasingly come to refer to two different organizational characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

REFERENCES

  • Bleiklie, I. (1998). Justifying the Evaluative State. New Public Management Ideals in Higher Education. European Journal of Education, 33(3): 299–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I. (2001). Towards European Convergence of Higher Education Policy? Higher Education Management, 13(3): 9–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I. (2007). Systemic Integration and Macro Steering. Higher Education Policy, 20: 391–412,(Special issue edited with Philippe Laredo and Sverker Sörlin).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I. & H. Byrkjeflot (2002). Changing Knowledge Regimes – Universities in a New Research Environment. Higher Education 44(2–3): 519–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I., Enders, J., Lepori, B., & Musselin, C. (2010). New Public Management, Network Governance and the University as a Changing Professional Organization. In T. Christensen & P. Lægreid (Eds.), Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I. & Lange, S. (2010). Competition and Leadership as Drivers in German and Norwegian University Reforms. Higher Education Policy, 23(2): 173–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bleiklie, I., Høstaker, R. & Vabø, A. (2000). Policy and Practice in Higher Education: Reforming Norwegian Universities. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B.R (1983). The Higher Education System. Berkley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B.R (1998). Creating Entrepreneurial Universities: Organizational Pathways to Transformation. Oxford, New York, Tokyo: IAU Press/Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dill, D. & B. Sporn (1995). Emerging Patterns of Social Demand and University Reform: Through a Glass Darkly. Oxford: IAU Press/Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (1997) (Eds.). Universities and the Global Knowledge Economy: A Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations. London: Cassell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gellert, C. & Rau, E. (1992). Diversification and Integration: the Vocationalisation of the German Higher Education System. European Journal of Education, 27(1/2): 89–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, M., Limoges, C., Nowotny, H., Schwartzman, S., Scott, P. & Trow, M. (1994). The New Production of Knowledge. The Dynamics of Science and Research in Contemporary Society. London - Thousand Oaks – New Dehli: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halvorsen T. & Michelsen, S. (Eds.) (2002). Faglige forbindelser, Oslo: Fagbokforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hood, C., James, O., Peters, B.G. & Scott, C. (Eds.) (2004). Controlling Modern Government. London: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogan, M., Bauer, M., Bleiklie, & Henkel, M. (Eds.) (2006). Transforming Higher Education. A Comparative Study (2nd edition). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, A. (2001). Higher Education as a Mature Industry. In P. Altbach, P.J. Gumport, & D.B. Johnstone (Eds.). In Defense of American Higher Education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamoure, J. & Lamoure Rontopoulou, J. (1992). The Vocationalisation of Higher Education in France: Continutity and Change, European Journal of Education, 27(1–2): 45–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, B.R. & H. Etzkowitz (2000). The Origin and Evolution of University Species. VEST Journal for Science and Technlogy Studies, 13(3–4): 9–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meek, V.L., Goedegebuure, L., Kivinen, O., & Rinne, R. (Eds) (1996). The Mockers and Mocked: Comparative Perspectives on Diversity, Differentiation and Convergence in Higher Education. Oxford: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musselin, C. (1999). State/University Relations and How to Change Them: The Case of France and Germany. In M. Henkel & B. Little (Eds.) Changing Relationships Between Higher Education and the State. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musselin C. (2007). Are universities specific organizations? In G. Krücken, A. Kosmützky & M.Torka (Eds.) Towards a Multiversity? Universities between Global Trends and National Traditions. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neave, G. (1992). On Instantly Consumable Knowledge and Snake Oil. European Journal of Education, 27(1–2): 5–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nowotny, H., P. Scott & M. Gibbons 2001. Re-Thinking Science. Knowledge and the Public in an Age of Uncertainty. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paradeise, C., Reale, E., Bleiklie, I. & Ferlie, E. (eds.) (2009). University Governance. Dordrecht: Springer

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, J. (1992). Unification of Higher Education in the United Kingdom. European Journal of Education, 27(1–2): 29–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slagstad, R. (2006). Kunnskapens hus Oslo: Pax.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slaughter, S. & Leslie, L. (1997). Academic Capitalism: Politics, Policies and the Entrepreneurial University. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teichler, U. (1988). Changing Patterns of the Higher Education System. The Experience of Three Decades. London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teichler, U. (2005). New Patterns of Diversity in Higher Education: Towards a Convergent Knowledge. In I. Bleiklie & M. Henkel (Eds.) Governing Knowledge: a study of continuity and change in higher education. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vabø, A. (1994). Universitet og samfunn: Et spenningsforhold sett i lys av yrkesrettingsprosessen. Bergen: LOS-senterRapport 9405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wedlin, L., (2006). Ranking Business Schools. Forming fields, identities and boundaries in international management education. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Bergen

    Ivar Bleiklie

Authors
  1. Ivar Bleiklie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pavia, Italy

    Michele Rostan

  2. University of Pavia, Italy

    Massimiliano Vaira

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Sense Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bleiklie, I. (2011). Excellence, Quality And The Diversity Of Higher Education Systems. In: Rostan, M., Vaira, M. (eds) Questioning Excellence in Higher Education. Higher Education Research in the 21st Century Series, vol 3. SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-642-7_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Societies and partnerships

Search

Navigation