Search

This volume is the outcome of an Academia Europaea conference in Uppsala in the spring of 2022. After an introudction by the editor to the topic and the volume, Hans de Wit, Simon Marginson and Ellen Hazelkorn provide perspectives on internationalization. In a second part Ravit Mizrahi-Shtelman and Gili Drori, Marijk van der Wende, Mette Ginnerskov-Dahlberg and Karen Valentin, elaborate on obstacles to internationalization such as language, security concerns, barriers in labour markets and climate effects. In a following third part, Robert J. Coelen; Ashley Gunter, Markus Roos Breines, F. Melis Cin and Purvati Rahuram, and Christine T. Ennew discuss three alternative modes of internationalization: internationalization at home, distance education and branch campuses. A final chapter by the editor draws conclusions from the earlier chapters and provides some thoughts for the future.

This is an introductory chapter to an edited volume on the internationalization of higher education and research. It points out differences between scientific fields regarding the conditions for international publishing. The chapter also elaborates on different modes of internationalization in education, its drivers and possible issues. Finally, the chapter presents the chapters of the volume.

This is the final concluding chapter in an edited volume on internationalization of higher education and research. The chapter brings together the conclusions from the three earlier sections of the book. As for Perspectives, the chapter elaborates on definitions of internationalisation, role models and the role of rankings. In terms of Obstacles, it points to the significance of language, challenges of mobility and environmental concerns. Regarding Alternative Modes, the chapter discusses internationalisation at home, distance education and bransch campuses. Looking ahead, the chapter points out that internationalization of higher education and research is in flux not least as a result of political changes in the world towards more authoritarian and nationalistic leadership challenging openness and academic freedom.

Currently, internationalization is a key factor for the growth of cocoa associations in El Oro, because it allows access to other target markets and improve production capacity. The Ansoff matrix can be a strategic guide to expand and diversify the existing exportable supply in new markets to meet international demand, these strategies can improve the local economy of the province. Creating additional value for cocoa and generating additional income to small cocoa producers, having a satisfactory knowledge for their traditional products, contributing income to the country's balance of trade. However, they face challenges in the international market, especially because domestic producers only export cocoa in raw material and thus there is a lack of knowledge in the application of effective matrices to promote internationalization. However, there is a need to innovate in existing markets and in new markets that have not yet been penetrated in order to access new market segments that generate better economic profitability for the associations in the province. The objective of the research is to achieve the internationalization of cocoa associations in El Oro to diversify the exportable supply through the use of the Ansoff matrix. The methodology used was descriptive with a qualitative approach, using the Ansoff matrix., En la actualidad, la internacionalización es un factor clave para el crecimiento de las asociaciones cacaoteras de El Oro, debido que permite acceder a otros mercados objetivos y mejorar la capacidad productiva. La matriz Ansoff puede ser una guía estratégica para expandir y diversificar la oferta exportable existente en nuevos mercados para satisfacer la demanda internacional, estas estrategias permiten mejorar la economía local de la provincia. Creando un valor adicional para el cacao y generando ingresos adicionales a los pequeños productores de cacao, teniendo un conocimiento satisfactorio por sus productos tradicionales, contribuyendo ingresos a la balanza comercial del país. Sin embargo, se enfrentan a desafíos en el mercado internacional, especialmente porque los productores nacionales sólo exportan el cacao en materia prima y de tal manera existe una falta de conocimiento en la aplicación de matrices efectivas para promover la internacionalización. Sin embargo, surge la necesidad de innovar en los mercados existentes y en los nuevos que aun no han tenido una penetración para acceder a nuevos segmentos de mercados que generen una mejor rentabilidad económica para las asociaciones de la provincia. El objetivo de la investigación es lograr la internacionalización de las asociaciones cacaoteras de El Oro para diversificar la oferta exportable mediante la utilización de la matriz Ansoff. La metodología que se utilizó es de carácter descriptivo con un enfoque cualitativo, dónde se aplicó los métodos teóricos como el histórico-lógico, el analítico-sintético, el deductivo- inductivo, abstracción-concreción y métodos empíricos como la entrevista y el estudio de documentos.

Virtual exchanges through the Trans-Atlantic and Pacific Project (TAPP) allow instructors to design collaborations that engage students in global, international, and intercultural (GII) competencies, which are increasingly emphasised through the ongoing process of internationalisation of higher education. This article constitutes a practice report that describes two TAPP virtual exchanges designed by an instructor in Spain and one in the United States between master’s level translation students at a research university in Spain and 1) undergraduate students enrolled in a specialised technical writing course at a research university in the U.S. and 2) students in a graduate editing course at a regional university in the U.S. A content analysis of pre- and postlearning reports authored by the translation students demonstrates that students engaged in GII competencies such as openness, adaptability, and intercultural communication, which further reinforced the internationalisation of the curriculum.

International student mobility has increased significantly, and Sweden is no exception. However, this increase brings challenges, not least when it comes to perceptions of quality in higher education among international students. The purpose of the present study is to gain increased knowledge about how students on English-speaking master's programs at a Swedish university experience the quality of their education, as well as to gain a better understanding of what the students initially expected from the education and their experiences so far. By using a qualitative method, involving a survey (n= 90) and semi-structured interviews (n= 16) conducted in the period of October to December 2023, the expectations and perceptions of international master students are examined. The results show that students’ original expectations are often high, characterized by an expectation of high educational quality and good future career opportunities. However, many experience challenges related to linguistic and cultural adaptation, which affects their perception of the quality of education. Furthermore, the study shows that a considerable portion of international students particularly value practical elements within the education, and they express a strong desire for the course content to be more clearly linked to concrete professional skills useful in future career ambitions. The discussion highlights the need for improved support structures and adapted educational strategies to enhance the academic and social experiences of international students. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of the internationalization process and its impact on educational quality, which is important for policy development and quality assurance in higher education.

Debates around internationalisation-at-home (IaH) focus on the benefits accrued to students from the integration of internationalisation dimensions in their studies, curricular developments and interactions with international students, but, with scant attention to how these vary in different subject areas. In this article, we focus on the disciplinary experiences and framings of internationalisation from the perspectives of students in two Swedish universities. Drawing on 67 interviews with students sampled across different subject areas, we examine how the disciplinary definitions of study objects and pedagogic approaches filter the students’ experiences and shape their views around IaH, and their ambitions for the future. Our findings suggest first, a discipline-specific set of positionings regarding the nature of subject areas as lenses through which internationalisation is understood. Second, the students hold strong views around the contribution of IaH in strengthening the disciplines themselves. In addition, the student voices paint a dynamic picture of internationalisation positions, not always consistent with disciplinary stereotypes.

Debates around internationalisation-at-home (IaH) focus on the benefits accrued to students from the integration of internationalisation dimensions in their studies, curricular developments and interactions with international students, but, with scant attention to how these vary in different subject areas. In this article, we focus on the disciplinary experiences and framings of internationalisation from the perspectives of students in two Swedish universities. Drawing on 67 interviews with students sampled across different subject areas, we examine how the disciplinary definitions of study objects and pedagogic approaches filter the students’ experiences and shape their views around IaH, and their ambitions for the future. Our findings suggest first, a discipline-specific set of positionings regarding the nature of subject areas as lenses through which internationalisation is understood. Second, the students hold strong views around the contribution of IaH in strengthening the disciplines themselves. In addition, the student voices paint a dynamic picture of internationalisation positions, not always consistent with disciplinary stereotypes.

Ce texte présente une réflexion qui prend place dans le cadre du projet d’université européenne NEOLAIA se donnant pour objectif – parmi d’autres – l’élaboration d’une Charte commune sur la politique linguistique plurilingue et interculturelle des universités partenaires, et d’une certification commune pour l'enseignement plurilingue et interculturel. Après avoir présenté les contours de ce projet et de sa mise en œuvre, les choix adoptés sont situés en regard de l’histoire des notions de plurilinguisme et de compétence plurilingue dans l’espace européen. Le propos développé vise ainsi à expliciter les arrière-plans théoriques mobilisés pour une réflexion sur l’internationalisation des universités qui prenne au sérieux les enjeux de la diversité linguistique et culturelle en contexte formatif, au-delà d’une seule vision technique et économique de la gestion des langues dans l’enseignement supérieur. Enfin, une forme de mise en œuvre des réflexions menées est présentée à partir du récit d’une recherche portant sur les discours d’enseignants et leurs représentations de la diversité présente dans les formations universitaires, du point de vue de leur discipline et des étudiants présents, ainsi que de la façon dont ils y envisagent le(s) rôle(s) des dimensions linguistiques et discursives., This text presents a reflection that falls within the framework of the NEOLAIA European university project, with the aim – among others – of drawing up a common Charter on plurilingual and intercultural language policy for the partner universities, and a common certification for plurilingual and intercultural teaching. After outlining the NEOLAIA project and its implementation, the choices adopted are situated in relation to the history of the notions of plurilingualism and plurilingual competence in Europe. The aim is to clarify the theoretical backgrounds for a reflection on the internationalization of universities that takes seriously the challenges of linguistic and cultural diversity in a training context, going beyond a purely technical and economic vision of language management in higher education. Finally, we present an example of how these ideas can be put into practice, based on a study of teachers' discourses and representations of the diversity present in university training, from the point of view of their discipline and the students involved, as well as the way in which they envisage the role(s) of linguistic and discursive dimensions., Peer Reviewed

Debates around internationalisation-at-home (IaH) focus on the benefits accrued to students from the integration of internationalisation dimensions in their studies, curricular developments and interactions with international students, but, with scant attention to how these vary in different subject areas. In this article, we focus on the disciplinary experiences and framings of internationalisation from the perspectives of students in two Swedish universities. Drawing on 67 interviews with students sampled across different subject areas, we examine how the disciplinary definitions of study objects and pedagogic approaches filter the students’ experiences and shape their views around IaH, and their ambitions for the future. Our findings suggest first, a discipline-specific set of positionings regarding the nature of subject areas as lenses through which internationalisation is understood. Second, the students hold strong views around the contribution of IaH in strengthening the disciplines themselves. In addition, the student voices paint a dynamic picture of internationalisation positions, not always consistent with disciplinary stereotypes.

Debates around internationalisation-at-home (IaH) focus on the benefits accrued to students from the integration of internationalisation dimensions in their studies, curricular developments and interactions with international students, but, with scant attention to how these vary in different subject areas. In this article, we focus on the disciplinary experiences and framings of internationalisation from the perspectives of students in two Swedish universities. Drawing on 67 interviews with students sampled across different subject areas, we examine how the disciplinary definitions of study objects and pedagogic approaches filter the students’ experiences and shape their views around IaH, and their ambitions for the future. Our findings suggest first, a discipline-specific set of positionings regarding the nature of subject areas as lenses through which internationalisation is understood. Second, the students hold strong views around the contribution of IaH in strengthening the disciplines themselves. In addition, the student voices paint a dynamic picture of internationalisation positions, not always consistent with disciplinary stereotypes.

Over the past decade there has been an increase in scientific publications addressing intercultural competence (IC) of students. The sheer volume of publications available makes it difficult to determine the extent, breadth, and nature of research within the area. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the state of peer reviewed research related to IC, including academic disciplines addressing the issue, regions of the world conducting research, types of interventions used to foster IC and how outcomes are being evaluated. Six databases were searched, resulting in 15,128 articles. A total of 464 met the inclusion criteria. A trend was observed towards studying IC in interdisciplinary student populations as well as a post-COVID-19 trend towards more online interventions. Most research was conducted in North America (n = 198; 42.7%) within the discipline of education (n = 87; 18.8%). The most common intervention was pedagogical approaches delivered at the students’ home institution (n = 161; 34.7%). Results highlight a gap in research from the Global South and a lack of consensus regarding appropriate tools for evaluating IC. Continued work is required to determine the effects of specific interventions and to support educators in identifying appropriate tool(s) for measuring outcomes.

International student mobility has increased significantly, and Sweden is no exception. However, this increase brings challenges, not least when it comes to perceptions of quality in higher education among international students. The purpose of the present study is to gain increased knowledge about how students on English-speaking master's programs at a Swedish university experience the quality of their education, as well as to gain a better understanding of what the students initially expected from the education and their experiences so far. By using a qualitative method, involving a survey (n= 90) and semi-structured interviews (n= 16) conducted in the period of October to December 2023, the expectations and perceptions of international master students are examined. The results show that students’ original expectations are often high, characterized by an expectation of high educational quality and good future career opportunities. However, many experience challenges related to linguistic and cultural adaptation, which affects their perception of the quality of education. Furthermore, the study shows that a considerable portion of international students particularly value practical elements within the education, and they express a strong desire for the course content to be more clearly linked to concrete professional skills useful in future career ambitions. The discussion highlights the need for improved support structures and adapted educational strategies to enhance the academic and social experiences of international students. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of the internationalization process and its impact on educational quality, which is important for policy development and quality assurance in higher education.

This study employed a sequential mixed methods approach to explore the perspectives of academic staff on internationalisation in English Language Centres (ELCs) in a university in Oman. ELCs play a role in internationalisation efforts by offering English language courses to students, but critically establishing students’ knowledge in a co-educational context (Al-Harthi, 2011), exposing them to staff from different nationalities, and promoting understandings and intercultural competencies (Al Ajmi & Al Adawi, 2023). However, research on internationalisation in ELCs is very limited. This study aims to understand opportunities and challenges of internationalisation activities and practices from the perspectives of ELC staff and to inform strategies to enhance internationalisation in this context. In this study, first, qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with staff (n=10) from the ELCs. Then, staff attitudes were explored via a self-designed survey (n=148) distributed to ELC staff on three variables: ethnicity (Arab or non-Arab), place of qualification (completed a qualification abroad or domestically), and gender (male and female). The findings reveal that staff exhibited positive attitudes towards internationalisation activities related to students, staff, and the curriculum. Participants shared some potential benefits regarding the presence of international students and staff, as well as curriculum internationalisation. However, due to the lack of an internationalisation policy and the small number of international students, participants were not informed of the challenges relating to the recruitment and presence of international students. Tensions surrounding the limited awareness of internationalisation suggest a gap between the staff perceptions and actual challenges of internationalisation. Moreover, the participants mainly perceived internationalisation as a one-way benefit, focusing on how it can benefit local staff and stu

Background: “Scale-ups”, characterised by their high growth and significant contribution to economic development, receive increasing attention in today's economies. They are often young and innovative SMEs that grow rapidly across international borders. “Scale-ups” achieve growth and improved performance through an accelerated organisational development process, which is based on their knowledge resources. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore and theorise what constitutes a scaling capability. Specifically, we will study knowledge acquisition and integration in SMEs that scale across international markets. Method: This study has an abductive research approach that considers the current theories on scaling and the knowledge-based view on strategic management and international business. To this end, we completed a multiple-case study of 4 innovative and internationalising scale-ups to accomplish our purpose. Conclusion: The study contributes with a view of scaling as a “scaling capability” that captures how innovative scale-ups manage the internal organisation of experiential knowledge. We develop frameworks that give a generalised understanding of how scale-ups in this particular context acquire and integrate knowledge resources during episodes of growth and improved performance. These frameworks show how scale-ups start their scaling journey with a full acquisition of specialised resources in technical, business and internationalisation knowledge, which they integrate through providing direction and organisational routines to organisational members. We address the importance of having different knowledge capital in symmetry to increase the common knowledge, and we suggest that the scaling capability enables a scale-up to adapt for their changing organisational needs, which is why we liken scaling to developing organisational capability., Contexto: Las "scale-ups", caracterizadas por su elevado crecimiento y su importante contribución al desarrollo económico, reciben cada vez más atención en las economías de hoy. Suelen ser PYMES jóvenes e innovadoras que crecen rápidamente más allá de las fronteras internacionales. Las scale-ups logran crecer y mejorar su rendimiento mediante un proceso acelerado de desarrollo organizativo, basado en sus recursos de conocimiento. Propósito: El propósito de este estudio es explorar y teorizar lo que constituya una capacidad de escalamiento empresarial. En concreto, estudiaremos la adquisición e integración de conocimientos en las PYME que escalan por los mercados internacionales. Método: Este estudio tiene un enfoque de investigación abductiva que considera las teorías actuales sobre el concepto de escalamiento empresarial, o "scaling", y la teoría de la gestión estratégica y los negocios internacionales basada en el conocimiento. Para lograr nuestro propósito, realizamos un estudio de casos múltiples de cuatro scale-ups innovadoras que se internacionalizan. Conclusiones: El estudio contribuye con un enfoque del escalamiento como "capacidad de escalamiento" que capta cómo las scale-ups innovadoras gestionan la organización interna del conocimiento experiencial. Desarrollamos modelos que ofrecen una comprensión generalizada de cómo las scale-ups en este contexto adquieren e integran recursos de conocimiento durante los episodios de crecimiento y mejora del rendimiento. Los modelos muestran cómo las scale-ups inician su proceso de crecimiento con una adquisición completa de recursos especializados en conocimientos técnicos, empresariales y de internacionalización, que integran proporcionando dirección y rutinas organizativas a los miembros de la organización. Abordamos la importancia de contar con diferentes capitales de conocimiento en simetría para aumentar el conocimiento común, y sugerimos que la capacidad de escalamiento permite a una scale-up adaptarse a sus nece

While television has never been fully obtained by national borders, the archives that preserve its heritage have long been positioned within nation-centred frameworks. Through wide-scale digitisation, combined with the internationalisation of our societies, more international users are finding their way to these archives, resulting in a transnational (re)circulation of the collections. This article therefore sets out to understand how transnational flows are visible and findable by tracing a clip of Laika the Soviet dog within three digital television archives: EUscreen, the Internet Archive and the CLARIAH Media Suite. It is shown that television archives should paradoxically emphasise the national borders in their collections in order to facilitate transnational television research. While national demarcations may be debated, defining them clearly will guide researchers between and over them.

In this study we measured the effect of COIL on intercultural competence development using a quasi-experimental design. Our sample consisted of 108 undergraduate students from two universities, one located in the Netherlands (NL) and one in the United States (US). Students’ self-reported intercultural competence was measured using a pre-post survey which included the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Qualitative data were collected to complement our quantitative findings and to give a deeper insight into the student experience. The data showed a significantly bigger increase in intercultural competence for the US experimental group compared to the US control group, supporting our hypothesis that COIL develops intercultural competence. This difference was not observed for the NL students, possibly due to the NL control group being exposed to other international input during the course.

Drawing on the ethico-political framework of hospitality, this paper investigates the communicative practices of three administrative support staff as they attempt to manage the twin challenges of working in adherence to state and institutional language policies while communicating ethically in an internationalising workplace. Academic administrative staff rarely feature in studies on internationalisation yet are crucial to understanding the complex day-to-day realities of contemporary university life. Empirically, this study reports on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork, including observations, interviews, and email records. The data demonstrate language work being carried out on an ethical basis, before the consideration of any particular languages, beyond the participants’ political obligations, and in excess of institutional support. The current national and institutional responses to the multilingual realities of Swedish university life, I argue, are failing to do justice to and facilitate the ethically grounded, bottom-up language policy-making as practised by this study’s participants. This paper thus promises to open up debate on hospitality within language policy and planning for internationalising Higher Education, and, in its re-evaluation of the ethical and political dimensions of hospitality, it emphasises the framework’s critical potential within sociolinguistic research, more generally.

Within higher education, internationalisation is increasingly important for students and academics alike. In this context, English as the lingua franca has gained prominence. The ostensible ubiquity of English rests on a particular rendering of the language as unitary, fixed, and undifferentiated. In this paper, we challenge this notion of English and use a spatial approach to explore the multiplicity of Englishes on display within the higher education context. Increasingly, within higher education outside Anglophone countries, English Medium Instruction (EMI) is seen as a crucial indicator of internationalisation: the term ‘international programmes' is often used as a proxy for programmes taught in English. Hence, the aim of this paper is to explore the role of English in internationalisation of higher education, and to show how a spatial approach can illuminate what English means and how it is experienced in its multiple and shifting forms. We examine Danish higher education to explore the multiple usages of English amongst so-called ‘native' and ‘nonnative' speakers and show the spatial and hierarchical complexity of language. We suggest that a spatial perspective on English in the context of international higher education can help nuance debates about internationalisation and language in important ways – there is not one, but multiple forms of English, displayed at different times and in different places, with differing effects in the creation of spatial hierarchies.

International student mobility is an important dimension of internationalisation in higher education, involving a high percentage of students in certain subject areas. A literature review revealed the absence of studies deepening our knowledge of this group of students in specific contexts and stages. Thus, this survey study was undertaken to gather data on the profiles and academic and professional careers of a sample of students. Specific differences in their intrinsic and extrinsic motives for their choice of degree subject were found. A total of 314 students from 14 Master’s degree programmes at two public universities responded, 42.4% of whom were international students. The data showed differences in reasons for choice between international and Spanish-native students when enroling in a Master’s degree programme. The foreign students had diverse motivations, in many cases related to each other, with no predominance of extrinsic or intrinsic motives. This suggests that, when students are deciding to study abroad, universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students at the stage prior to accessing the Master’s degree.

Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play one of the most important roles in any nation's economic and societal development, especially in developing countries. Around 6.34 crore MSMEs Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India are contributing to around 27% of the GDP and 40% of the country’s exports and are generating more than 11 lakhs of employment. Various government initiatives and the Foreign Trade Policy of the country are being designed aiming at enabling the Indian MSME to have an important place in the Global Value Chain. There are also various bottlenecks in this ambitious process of the internationalization of the Indian MSMEs and those challenges are also being addressed regularly. In the era of financial globalization, internationalization is the way to increase the productivity, output, and income of the country.

Cada vez es más habitual que las cadenas hoteleras opten par estrategias alternativas a la propiedad a la hora de incorporar un nuevo hotel a su cartera en el extranjero, especialmente desde la crisis par el COVID-19. Entre estas estrategias, se encuentran las conocidas como asset-light, siendo los acuerdos de alquiler, gestión y franquicia los más comunes en el sector hotelero. Combinando las ideas de la teoría institucional y de la teoría stewardship, proponemos varias hipótesis sobre la relación entre la distancia institucional y la distancia cultural y la internacionalización empleando estas formas no patrimonialistas que suponen un menor compromiso de recursos. También se analiza cómo puede influir en esa decisión la implicación familiar de las empresas. Los resultados confirman que existe relación entre la distancia institucional y cultural y el régimen en el que las cadenas hoteleras mantienen sus hoteles internacionales, así como que la implicación familiar modera, en parte, dicha relación. Este trabajo aporta nueva evidencia empírica sobre la elección del régimen de gestión de la cartera de hoteles internacionales con datos actuales post-pandemia, demostrando que predominan los modelos asset-light frente a asumir la propiedad. Además, supone una nueva investigación sobre la influencia del carácter familiar en el compromiso internacional de las empresas., Increasingly, hotel chains opt for alternative strategies to ownership when adding a new hotel abroad to their portfolio, especially since the COVID-19's crisis. Among these strategies, are those known as asset-light, with leasing, management and franchise agreements being the most common in the hotel sector. Combining insights from institutional theory and stewardship theory, we propose several hypotheses on the relationship between institutional distance and cultural distance and internationalization using these asset-light forms that involve a lower commitment of resources. We also analyze how the family involvement of the firms may influence this decision. The results confirm that there is a relationship between institutional and cultural distance and the regime in which hotel chains maintain their international hotels, and that family involvement partly moderates this relationship. This paper provides new empirical evidence on the choice of international hotel portfolio management regime with current post-pandemic data, showing that asset light models predominate over assuming ownership. In addition, the paper provides new research on the influence of family character on the international commitment of firms.

The thesis examines how health technology SMEs utilise entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) in their business and internationalisation. Entrepreneurship is a cornerstone for economic growth in many countries and recently the EE concept has gained increasing attention as the systemic framework used for describing and explaining entrepreneurship development. An EE provides a supportive environment for new start-ups to emerge and grow and especially small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) can find this kind of environment beneficial to their business. Health technology can be identified as an emerging, fast-growing and strategically important business field that can offer numerous new business opportunities to different actors. Therefore, health tech SMEs provide a timely and fruitful context to study the different, lesser-known aspects of EEs. To increase our understanding of how SMEs benefit from the ecosystem around themselves, this thesis focuses on how research on EEs has evolved over time, what motivates health tech SMEs to engage in the EE, the orchestrator roles and related capabilities in the EE, and finally, what kind of role the EE plays in health tech SMEs’ internationalisation. The thesis consists of a literature review paper and three empirical papers. The empirical data comprises 19 semi-structured interviews conducted with the top management of health tech companies and members of the local ecosystem in northern Finland. The first paper was analysed using a systematic literature review, the second and third papers used the Gioia method, and the final paper used the content analysis method. The results of the thesis show that the entrepreneurial ecosystem is continuously emerging and gaining popularity among academics, practitioners and policymakers. Health tech SMEs are motivated to engage in ecosystems to benefit from various social, resource and cognitive benefits. The thesis discovers different orchestration roles and related capabilities in the, Tiivistelmä Tässä väitöskirjassa tutkitaan miten pienet ja keskisuuret terveysteknologiayritykset hyödyntävät yrittäjyysekosysteemiä liiketoiminnassaan ja kansainvälistymisessään. Yrittäjyys voidaan nähdä taloudellisen kasvun kulmakivenä ja viime aikoina yrittäjyysekosysteemi-käsitettä on alettu käyttää systeemisenä viitekehyksenä yrittäjyyden kasvun ymmärtämiseen. Erityisesti pk-yrityksille yrittäjyysekosysteemi tarjoaa hyödyllisen ympäristön kasvattaa liiketoimintaa. Terveysteknologia on eräs merkittävä, nopeasti kasvava ja strategisesti tärkeä liiketoiminta-alue, joka luo lukuisia uusia liiketoimintamahdollisuuksia eri toimijoille, erityisesti pk-yrityksille. Näin ollen pienet ja keskisuuret terveysteknologiayritykset tarjoavat tälle työlle ajankohtaisen ja hedelmällisen kontekstin tutkia yrittäjyysekosysteemejä. Jotta ymmärrettäisiin paremmin pk-yritysten mahdollisuuksia hyödyntää ympäröivää yrittäjyysekosysteemiä, tässä väitöskirjassa tutkitaan, miten yrittäjyysekosysteemikirjallisuus on kehittynyt ajan myötä, mikä motivoi terveysteknologiayrityksiä liittymään yrittäjyysekosysteemiin, millaisia orkesterointirooleja ja niihin liittyviä kyvykkyyksiä yrityksillä on sekä lopuksi millainen rooli ekosysteemillä on näiden yritysten kansainvälistymisessä. Työ koostuu kirjallisuuskatsausartikkelista ja kolmesta empiirisestä artikkelista. Empiirinen aineisto on kerätty pohjoissuomalaisen terveysteknologiaekosysteemiin kuuluvien 19 yritysjohtajan haastattelusta ja sitä on analysoitu käyttäen menetelminä Gioia-menetelmää ja sisällönanalyysiä. Työn tulokset osoittavat, että yrittäjyysekosysteemit ovat jatkuvasti kasvavassa ja tärkeässä roolissa niin tutkimuksen kuin käytännön liiketoiminnankin kannalta. Pk-yritykset ovat motivoituneita liittymään ekosysteemiin useiden eri sosiaalisten, resurssi- ja kognitiivisten hyötyjen takia ja ekosysteemissä voidaan tunnistaa erilaisia orkesterointirooleja- ja kyvykkyyksiä, joiden avulla liiketoimintaa on mahdollista kehittää edelleen.

Sweden has actively pursued internationalisation policies at national level, in parallel to the pursuit of internationalisation strategies of individual universities. Thisarticle focuses on university responses towards internationalisation, and the inter -play between external higher education environments and institutional positioning.We draw on empirical qualitative research in two of Sweden’s largest universities, toexamine institutional responses to internationalisation, expressed through documen-tary material and interviews with 32 senior leaders. Our findings suggest that theglobal research environment acts as a strong discursive driver for internationalisa-tion actions, manifested in the strategic partnerships pursued by the two institutions.An equally powerful driver, is the national higher education sector as a context ofconstant comparisons and competition but also as a source of collaborative learningand exchange. The two universities exhibit strategic autonomy in their reading ofthe internationalisation imperative, and in constructing their actions and responses,although these are significantly framed by size and geography. In the Swedish highereducation landscape, these two dimensions constitute a constraining physical anddiscursive context, underpinning the links between a global, internationalised envi-ronment, and the universities’ self-image and positioning.

Sweden has actively pursued internationalisation policies at national level, in parallel to the pursuit of internationalisation strategies of individual universities. Thisarticle focuses on university responses towards internationalisation, and the inter -play between external higher education environments and institutional positioning.We draw on empirical qualitative research in two of Sweden’s largest universities, toexamine institutional responses to internationalisation, expressed through documen-tary material and interviews with 32 senior leaders. Our findings suggest that theglobal research environment acts as a strong discursive driver for internationalisa-tion actions, manifested in the strategic partnerships pursued by the two institutions.An equally powerful driver, is the national higher education sector as a context ofconstant comparisons and competition but also as a source of collaborative learningand exchange. The two universities exhibit strategic autonomy in their reading ofthe internationalisation imperative, and in constructing their actions and responses,although these are significantly framed by size and geography. In the Swedish highereducation landscape, these two dimensions constitute a constraining physical anddiscursive context, underpinning the links between a global, internationalised envi-ronment, and the universities’ self-image and positioning.

Debates around internationalisation-at-home (IaH) focus on the benefits accrued to students from the integration of internationalisation dimensions in their studies, curricular developments and interactions with international students, but, with scant attention to how these vary in different subject areas. In this article, we focus on the disciplinary experiences and framings of internationalisation from the perspectives of students in two Swedish universities. Drawing on 67 interviews with students sampled across different subject areas, we examine how the disciplinary definitions of study objects and pedagogic approaches filter the students’ experiences and shape their views around IaH, and their ambitions for the future. Our findings suggest first, a discipline-specific set of positionings regarding the nature of subject areas as lenses through which internationalisation is understood. Second, the students hold strong views around the contribution of IaH in strengthening the disciplines themselves. In addition, the student voices paint a dynamic picture of internationalisation positions, not always consistent with disciplinary stereotypes.

Background: Internationalisation for businesses has been researched for decades and has been well understood. However, new types of organisations have emerged in the digital age, disrupting the organisational landscape. One of these disruptive organisations is born digitals (BD), which have become more prominent in recent years. Some of the biggest companies today are BDs, including Google and Spotify. However, how they internationalise and their processes look is not well understood. Because of this, it is of interest to understand how these organisations internationalise as they have been such a disruptive force in the international market. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the internationalisation process of a BD firm, to recognise what internal and external factors influence their decision-making and whether specific strategies are being used. It aims to utilise prior internationalisation theories to provide a further understanding of these organisations and the way they work. The goal of the study is also to provide a framework that BDs can use to internationalise successfully. Method: This study implemented a qualitative research design with an inductive approach and a single case study for the research design. The case company works with search engine optimisation (SEO) within the online service providers (OSP) industry. It included interviews with six employees from the company, with a total of nine interviews. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner to create flexibility in the interview design. Conclusion: The key points of the study results were the following: (i) several internal and external factors and how they influenced BDs' internationalisation were identified, and which factors had a more significant impact on their processes. (ii) It was identified that they do not plan for specific internationalisation strategies, however, it was see

The aim of this study is to understand what factors influence companies to customise products international customers and markets. A qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews was conducted at one multinational corporation to gain insights into its product customisation strategy. The findings demonstrate how internationalisation can impact product customisation and identify four factors in the customisation process: culture, internationalisation, knowledge transfer, and product strategy. Tailored marketing strategies that influenced the international product customisation strategy (IPCS) were used. This study augmented on our understanding of how product customisation impacts internationalisation and vice versa, revealing the importance of knowledge transfer in IPCS and its growing impact due to digitalisation. It also shows how both B2B marketing and a tailored marketing strategy are overarching themes in international product customisation, making it one of few studies to recognise the relevance of omnichannel strategy in the B2B market segment.

International student mobility is an important dimension of internationalisation in higher education, involving a high percentage of students in certain subject areas. A literature review revealed the absence of studies deepening our knowledge of this group of students in specific contexts and stages. Thus, this survey study was undertaken to gather data on the profiles and academic and professional careers of a sample of students. Specific differences in their intrinsic and extrinsic motives for their choice of degree subject were found. A total of 314 students from 14 Master’s degree programmes at two public universities responded, 42.4% of whom were international students. The data showed differences in reasons for choice between international and Spanish-native students when enroling in a Master’s degree programme. The foreign students had diverse motivations, in many cases related to each other, with no predominance of extrinsic or intrinsic motives. This suggests that, when students are deciding to study abroad, universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students at the stage prior to accessing the Master’s degree.

The role of academics is crucial to ensure successful and sustainable internationalisation of higher education. Internationalisation is a term that is widely used in higher education institutions but is rarely questioned or analysed in depth in a specific context. Few studies investigate how academics understand internationalisation, and how this in turn affects their motivation regarding internationalisation activities. This paper investigates how academic staff members conceptualise internationalisation. Stier’s (2006) ideologies of internationalisation are employed as a heuristic device to explore academic’s conceptualisations of internationalisation in a Lithuanian university. Results of a qualitative study of multiple focus groups with 27 academics showed that the majority conceptualise internationalisation as a means to achieve a specific goal which reveal an instrumentalist view. Internationalisation was often conflated with good quality of education and vice versa but the impact internationalisation has on students and the society at large was described vaguely and incidentally.

The aim of this study is to understand what factors influence companies to customise products international customers and markets. A qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews was conducted at one multinational corporation to gain insights into its product customisation strategy. The findings demonstrate how internationalisation can impact product customisation and identify four factors in the customisation process: culture, internationalisation, knowledge transfer, and product strategy. Tailored marketing strategies that influenced the international product customisation strategy (IPCS) were used. This study augmented on our understanding of how product customisation impacts internationalisation and vice versa, revealing the importance of knowledge transfer in IPCS and its growing impact due to digitalisation. It also shows how both B2B marketing and a tailored marketing strategy are overarching themes in international product customisation, making it one of few studies to recognise the relevance of omnichannel strategy in the B2B market segment.

The aim of the study is to identify the resources required for the internationalization process for small and medium sized enterprises (SME) s in Sweden., HARisi

The objective of this study is to map the international networks of research, circulation, and scientific communication in the history of education, at a global level. In order to do so, we analyse the activity of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE). The focus is placed on the following: the make-up and organisation of the community of education historians; the arenas set up to encourage collaboration, debate and consensus in research in the field; collaboration among researchers, and the influence of transnational perspectives; avenues of research and areas of focus; and the communication channels by which ideas and findings are published and exchanged. The documentary sources used are the minutes of ISCHE annual congresses and general assemblies, alongside other research and previous studies. The main variables are: the language in which papers are published; the countries from which the authors come; international collaboration among authors; the historical period analysed; and the country or region being studied. After examining over 3600 contributions, we conclude that, globally, the international network in history of education is in good health, and there is an appetite for research with an international focus. However, there is room for improvement by promoting more extensive international collaboration among researchers, expanding the scope of research to take a supranational or even global view, and extending the study of the history of education to pre-modern times.

International student mobility is an important dimension of internationalisation in higher education, involving a high percentage of students in certain subject areas. A literature review revealed the absence of studies deepening our knowledge of this group of students in specific contexts and stages. Thus, this survey study was undertaken to gather data on the profiles and academic and professional careers of a sample of students. Specific differences in their intrinsic and extrinsic motives for their choice of degree subject were found. A total of 314 students from 14 Master’s degree programmes at two public universities responded, 42.4% of whom were international students. The data showed differences in reasons for choice between international and Spanish-native students when enroling in a Master’s degree programme. The foreign students had diverse motivations, in many cases related to each other, with no predominance of extrinsic or intrinsic motives. This suggests that, when students are deciding to study abroad, universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students at the stage prior to accessing the Master’s degree

Auxiliar Conservera (AC) is one of the most experienced companies in the manufacture of light metal containers and packaging (CNAE, 2592) for foodstuffs at international level. The company is of Spanish origin, founded in 1961 in the industrial food district of Molina de Segura, Murcia Region, where its headquarters are currently located.

Purpose-The Chinese market represents an increasingly popular destination for wine firms and recent opportunities derive from the growth of e-commerce. The aim of this paper is to understand the impact of digital platforms on wine firms' internationalisation in China by adopting the service ecosystems approach. Design/methodology/approach-The authors carried out a case study of Italian premium wine firms from the Valpolicella area by collecting 27 semi-structured interviews with key informants that operate at the micro-, meso-and macro-levels of the internationalisation ecosystem. Italian wine firms were selected as the focus of the analysis, given the recent sales growth of their products in the Chinese market. Findings-Results show that digital platforms hold a key role in the wine firms' internationalisation in China, intervening with resource integration mechanisms, alignment to the cultural context and mediating firms' digital presence in the market. The platformisation dynamics also reveal the existence of enablers and constraints in the firm internationalisation through digital platforms. Research limitations/implications-The authors aim to contribute to the marketing literature by analysing how digital platforms influence the wine firms' internationalisation in China through an original perspective, i.e. the service ecosystems lens. Originality/value-The study adopts the service ecosystems approach to understand the internationalisation of wine firms in the Chinese market through digital platforms.

The internationalisation of Higher Education (HE), as part of the European integration programs, has become a priority not only for governments but also for universities. The Faculty of Economics and Business (Complutense University of Madrid) has promoted the European mobility as part of the internationalisation strategy through the Erasmus programs for students' mobility since its beginning. However continuous endeavour must be made. The objective of the present research is to study the internationalisation of HE. For this purpose a survey was designed to measure the degree of outgoing Erasmus students’ satisfaction. Multivariate statistic techniques were run to observe that variables such as academic and cultural experiences in the host Universities determine the students´ overall satisfaction. Multiple maps of relationships within variables were found demonstrating that students perceive as most important they develop academic and socio-cultural competences together with linguistic skills when studying abroad., La internacionalización de la Educación Superior como parte de los programas de integración europea actualmente es una prioridad para Gobiernos y Universidades. La Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid ha promovido la movilidad internacional desde el principio. Sin embargo, su mejora continua debe proseguir. El objetivo de este artículo es estudiar la internacionalización de la Educación Superior. Para ello se ha diseñado un cuestionario para los alumnos que han recibido una beca Erasmus donde se miden diferentes aspectos. Se han aplicado técnicas multi-variantes para descubrir y diseñar mapas de relaciones entre las variables. Se ha observado que los aspectos académicos y socio-culturales son los que determinan la satisfacción global sobre la experiencia de movilidad en Europa., Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales, TRUE, pub

Innovation is a process that faces several market failure situations. For this reason and for being considered one of the main drivers of economic growth, a large number of governmental and supranational policies are designed to foster technological progress. Along with these policies, there is an increasing concern with their continuous evaluation aiming at providing valuable feedback for these program’s adaptation and adequacy to the firm’s needs. The paper develops an evaluation of the influence of innovation-focused programs in firm´s innovation and economic performance by means of a comparative analysis of the results obtained by Spanish firms that have participated in R&D national programmes and those achieved by Spanish firms participating in EUREKA international program. Findings show that the programmes were effective in achieving their objective of promoting technological innovation but, as regards the economic effects, the results were less conclusive since some differences were observed depending on the programme. The EUREKA companies displayed better behaviour, with positive differences in their returns on assets and labour productivity. The results also confirm the importance of designing more detailed and rigorous evaluation processes, taking into account the risk variable, in order to draw a more realistic picture of the impact of national and international programmes., El objetivo de este artículo es contribuir al conocimiento del impacto que tiene en las empresas su participación en programas públicos de apoyo a la innovación tecnológica, introduciendo como importante novedad el análisis comparado de los resultados obtenidos por las empresas españolas que han participado en programas de I+D de ámbito nacional (proyectos empresariales de I+D gestionados por el CDTI) frente a las que lo han hecho en programas internacionales (programa EUREKA). Los resultados muestran que ambos programas son eficaces en el logro de su objetivo de promover la innovación tecnológica, pero, en cuanto a sus efectos económicos, los resultados son menos concluyentes., Depto. de Economía Aplicada, Estructura e Historia, Fac. de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, TRUE, pub

International student mobility is an important dimension of internationalisation in higher education, involving a high percentage of students in certain subject areas. A literature review revealed the absence of studies deepening our knowledge of this group of students in specific contexts and stages. Thus, this survey study was undertaken to gather data on the profiles and academic and professional careers of a sample of students. Specific differences in their intrinsic and extrinsic motives for their choice of degree subject were found. A total of 314 students from 14 Master’s degree programmes at two public universities responded, 42.4% of whom were international students. The data showed differences in reasons for choice between international and Spanish-native students when enroling in a Master’s degree programme. The foreign students had diverse motivations, in many cases related to each other, with no predominance of extrinsic or intrinsic motives. This suggests that, when students are deciding to study abroad, universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students at the stage prior to accessing the Master’s degree

This study aims to address the question of why the efforts of family Small and Medium Enterprises (family SMEs) to develop international partnerships fail. In particular, it draws on the network theory of internationalisation and SEW perspective and explores how family managers’ interpretation of the behaviour of potential international partners can lead to the failure of the attempt to develop an international partnership in the context of family SMEs internationalisation. To do so, it conducts a multiple case study of four internationalised Greek family SMEs in the food and beverages sector. The findings suggest that family managers set strict criteria, regarding their expectations about international partners’ behaviour when evaluating the potential international partners, which emerge from family managers’ effort to fulfil family goals (e.g., the preservation of family harmony and family reputation), and reveal that the family managers’ priority on the fulfilment of family goals can hinder the international partnership development process. These findings build upon the limited, yet important, family SMEs literature on international partnership failures and enrich previous networking theories about family SMEs’ internationalisation., Este estudio tiene como objetivo abordar la cuestión de por qué fracasan los esfuerzos de las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas familiares (PYMEs familiares) para desarrollar alianzas internacionales. En particular, se basa en la teoría de la red de internacionalización y la perspectiva SEW y explora cómo la interpretación de los gerentes familiares sobre el comportamiento de los socios internacionales potenciales puede conducir al fracaso del intento de desarrollar una asociación internacional en el contexto de la internacionalización de las PYMEs familiares. Para ello, lleva a cabo un estudio de caso múltiple de cuatro PYMEs familiares griegas internacionalizadas en el sector de alimentos y bebidas. Los hallazgos sugieren que los gerentes familiares establecen criterios estrictos con respecto a sus expectativas sobre el comportamiento de los socios internacionales al evaluar a los socios internacionales potenciales, que surgen del esfuerzo de los gerentes familiares para cumplir con los objetivos familiares (por ejemplo, la preservación de la armonía familiar y la reputación familiar), y revelan que la prioridad de los gerentes familiares en el cumplimiento de las metas familiares puede dificultar el proceso de desarrollo de alianzas internacionales. Estos hallazgos se basan en la literatura limitada, pero importante, de las PYMEs familiares sobre los fracasos de las asociaciones internacionales y enriquecen las teorías de redes anteriores sobre la internacionalización de las PYMEs familiares.

Swedish Fika is more than a cup of coffee and a way of meeting. It is deeply rooted in cultural, inherited values with signals on a relaxed atmosphere and non-hierarchical organizational structures. It also creates large opportunities for Sweden as a tourism destination and for exporting products linked to the notion of Sweden. Yet, it has many different characteristics and carry variances related to a) the meal, b) the context, c) the time of the day, and d) with whom you have a fika. This paper discusses various dimensions of fika to create knowledge on how values are created in fika in terms as a cultural meal practice and its relation to sensory taste. tourism and branding. The paper thereby is a broad introduction to fika as a research field and contributes to past research through hypothesising about fika as a multidisciplinary research interest.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face significant barriers during internationalisation. This paper aims to examine how formal industry clusters, defined as groups of similar firms in a specific geographic area, can reduce these barriers and enable successful global expansion for SMEs. It highlights the role of legitimacy within these clusters, a crucial aspect that can directly influence SMEs' ability to attract global partners and investors. The paper focuses on the life sciences industry within the developed contexts of Scotland and Denmark, through a qualitative approach involving interviews with 17 CEOs and founders of SMEs in this industry. The findings offer valuable insights by extending legitimacy theory, highlighting how industry clusters facilitate SMEs' legitimacy, and addressing challenges like resource accessibility, adaptations, and partnerships. It emphasises the dynamic relationship between internationalisation and legitimacy, noting its variability across different internationalisation stages., LNETN - Legitimation of newness for change

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what happens when the management idea of internationalisation becomes a management strategy for organisational change. Academic operations are a key driving force and concern colleges imitating universities and wanting to become universities. This is the case because a university provides more benefits and is perceived as more attractive in society. Internationalisation is thus being used as a tool to change the status of the institution from college to university. The starting point of applying the management idea of internationalisation as a management strategy for organisational change is that academia has inherent international features. To develop on those, the academics in this study propose that internationalisation must fit with current practice and that international activities must be enjoyable to engage in. Instead, if the management rolls out a strategy aimed at altering the international practice of the academics, a strategy infused with specific content aimed at changing the academics’ identity, then the academics perceive this as the annexation of their work. There are two reactions, loyalty and resistance, both driven by identity reinforcement, which involves emphasising that one’s identity is rational, appropriate and correct within the context in which the work is performed. As a result of identity reinforcement, identity as part of the work is given more emphasis than before. The initial reaction of loyalty from academics involves staying employed at the organisation, despite dissatisfaction. Loyalty thus fosters various forms of resistance, that is, actively antagonising the management, with a focus on its strategy of identity work. Academics may employ five forms of resistance: distancing and dissent, discursive resistance, pseudo-loyalty, humour, and professional reinforcement. These resistance forms are aimed at safeguarding the academics’ integrity and autonomy., Dette er en studie om endringsprosesser i høyere utdanning, sett fra akademikernes ståsted. Studiens formål er å undersøke hvordan ledelsens strategier og verktøy for endringsprosesser virker på ansatte og hvordan ansatte reagerer med motstand for å ivareta egen integritet og autonomi i arbeidet. Det er to sentrale begreper som beskriver ledelsens handlinger på den ene siden og akademikernes reaksjoner på den andre: annektering og identitetsforsterkning. Annektering handler om hvordan ledelsen tar eierskap til akademikernes praksis gjennom identitetsarbeid. I denne studien introduserer jeg begrepet identitetsforsterkning. Identitetsforsterkning innebærer å vektlegge at ens egen identitet er rasjonell, hensiktsmessig og riktig innenfor den konteksten som arbeidet utføres. Forsterkning betyr at identitet som en del av arbeidet blir tillagt større vekt enn før. Studien er et bidrag til å forstå ledelsesutøvelse fra et ansattperspektiv og hvilke virkemidler ansatte tar i bruk ved misnøye.

This research is part of the Erasmus+ Project F&F4Sustainability - Project number KA220-HED-1A225A8C. Part of the extreme complexity surrounding the topic of sustainability is because it not only affects global areas and societies, but also involves cross-cutting disciplines and knowledge, on multiple levels. For this, Education for Sustainability (EfS) is faced with the challenging demand to be up-to- date and flexible, capable of consistently developing new methods and tools. Within this context, the role played by universities is particularly relevant. They bring together different disciplines, approaches and geographical contexts, contributing to the production and dissemination of knowledge. Also, they educate the professionals destined to direct the policies that will have to address the environmental, economic, social and cultural challenges of sustainability. Digitisation, internationalisation and interdisciplinarity, especially when combined, seem to have a major impact on EfS; they foster the development not only of knowledge, but also of practical expertise and soft skills. These three elements seem to be the main drivers of EfS but, although research has largely focused on the contribution of digital tools, interdisciplinary approaches and highly internationalised contexts to learning, it has not sufficiently highlighted the possibilities of combining them. Indeed, literature has either focused on the capacity of digital teaching methods to internationalize students, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19, or it has highlighted the need for an interdisciplinary approach to develop transversal competences in EfS. This contribution questions how the combined approach of digital and interdisciplinary teaching methods in international educational contexts can affect students' knowledge, behaviour and attitudes towards sustainability. To this end, the paper analyses data collected during the testing of two learning modules developed within the Erasmu

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what happens when the management idea of internationalisation becomes a management strategy for organisational change. Academic operations are a key driving force and concern colleges imitating universities and wanting to become universities. This is the case because a university provides more benefits and is perceived as more attractive in society. Internationalisation is thus being used as a tool to change the status of the institution from college to university. The starting point of applying the management idea of internationalisation as a management strategy for organisational change is that academia has inherent international features. To develop on those, the academics in this study propose that internationalisation must fit with current practice and that international activities must be enjoyable to engage in. Instead, if the management rolls out a strategy aimed at altering the international practice of the academics, a strategy infused with specific content aimed at changing the academics’ identity, then the academics perceive this as the annexation of their work. There are two reactions, loyalty and resistance, both driven by identity reinforcement, which involves emphasising that one’s identity is rational, appropriate and correct within the context in which the work is performed. As a result of identity reinforcement, identity as part of the work is given more emphasis than before. The initial reaction of loyalty from academics involves staying employed at the organisation, despite dissatisfaction. Loyalty thus fosters various forms of resistance, that is, actively antagonising the management, with a focus on its strategy of identity work. Academics may employ five forms of resistance: distancing and dissent, discursive resistance, pseudo-loyalty, humour, and professional reinforcement. These resistance forms are aimed at safeguarding the academics’ integrity and autonomy., Dette er en studie om endringsprosesser i høyere utdanning, sett fra akademikernes ståsted. Studiens formål er å undersøke hvordan ledelsens strategier og verktøy for endringsprosesser virker på ansatte og hvordan ansatte reagerer med motstand for å ivareta egen integritet og autonomi i arbeidet. Det er to sentrale begreper som beskriver ledelsens handlinger på den ene siden og akademikernes reaksjoner på den andre: annektering og identitetsforsterkning. Annektering handler om hvordan ledelsen tar eierskap til akademikernes praksis gjennom identitetsarbeid. I denne studien introduserer jeg begrepet identitetsforsterkning. Identitetsforsterkning innebærer å vektlegge at ens egen identitet er rasjonell, hensiktsmessig og riktig innenfor den konteksten som arbeidet utføres. Forsterkning betyr at identitet som en del av arbeidet blir tillagt større vekt enn før. Studien er et bidrag til å forstå ledelsesutøvelse fra et ansattperspektiv og hvilke virkemidler ansatte tar i bruk ved misnøye.

We are very pleased to bring you this Special Issue (SI) for the Journal of Virtual Exchange entitled Virtual Exchange and the Development of Transferable Skills : A Review of Practices Across Disciplines. The overarching theme of the papers, each one integrating online pedagogical practice within a Virtual Exchange (VE), is the development of participants’ transferable skills to other work and study contexts. While there is no one universally-accepted definition of what transferable skills are, or consensus on what they include or exclude, they are as a blanket-term increasingly sought after by employers in recruitment and job descriptions to complement professional knowledge. O’Dowd in the Foreword provides a succinct discussion of the term. We understand transferable skills as a concept embracing a wide spectrum of cognitive, affective and behavioural competencies; examples featuring in the manuscripts below include intercultural communication and global citizenship, digital literacies, critical-thinking and mentoring. Expanding the concept of transferable skills, the newer term transversal skills can include ICT, language and cognitive skills (e.g., collaboration, negotiation and information-sharing) (Goggin et al., 2019), and these learning outcomes can also be seen in the Special Issue.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what happens when the management idea of internationalisation becomes a management strategy for organisational change. Academic operations are a key driving force and concern colleges imitating universities and wanting to become universities. This is the case because a university provides more benefits and is perceived as more attractive in society. Internationalisation is thus being used as a tool to change the status of the institution from college to university. The starting point of applying the management idea of internationalisation as a management strategy for organisational change is that academia has inherent international features. To develop on those, the academics in this study propose that internationalisation must fit with current practice and that international activities must be enjoyable to engage in. Instead, if the management rolls out a strategy aimed at altering the international practice of the academics, a strategy infused with specific content aimed at changing the academics’ identity, then the academics perceive this as the annexation of their work. There are two reactions, loyalty and resistance, both driven by identity reinforcement, which involves emphasising that one’s identity is rational, appropriate and correct within the context in which the work is performed. As a result of identity reinforcement, identity as part of the work is given more emphasis than before. The initial reaction of loyalty from academics involves staying employed at the organisation, despite dissatisfaction. Loyalty thus fosters various forms of resistance, that is, actively antagonising the management, with a focus on its strategy of identity work. Academics may employ five forms of resistance: distancing and dissent, discursive resistance, pseudo-loyalty, humour, and professional reinforcement. These resistance forms are aimed at safeguarding the academics’ integrity and autonomy., Dette er en studie om endringsprosesser i høyere utdanning, sett fra akademikernes ståsted. Studiens formål er å undersøke hvordan ledelsens strategier og verktøy for endringsprosesser virker på ansatte og hvordan ansatte reagerer med motstand for å ivareta egen integritet og autonomi i arbeidet. Det er to sentrale begreper som beskriver ledelsens handlinger på den ene siden og akademikernes reaksjoner på den andre: annektering og identitetsforsterkning. Annektering handler om hvordan ledelsen tar eierskap til akademikernes praksis gjennom identitetsarbeid. I denne studien introduserer jeg begrepet identitetsforsterkning. Identitetsforsterkning innebærer å vektlegge at ens egen identitet er rasjonell, hensiktsmessig og riktig innenfor den konteksten som arbeidet utføres. Forsterkning betyr at identitet som en del av arbeidet blir tillagt større vekt enn før. Studien er et bidrag til å forstå ledelsesutøvelse fra et ansattperspektiv og hvilke virkemidler ansatte tar i bruk ved misnøye.

Swedish Fika is more than a cup of coffee and a way of meeting. It is deeply rooted in cultural, inherited values with signals on a relaxed atmosphere and non-hierarchical organizational structures. It also creates large opportunities for Sweden as a tourism destination and for exporting products linked to the notion of Sweden. Yet, it has many different characteristics and carry variances related to a) the meal, b) the context, c) the time of the day, and d) with whom you have a fika. This paper discusses various dimensions of fika to create knowledge on how values are created in fika in terms as a cultural meal practice and its relation to sensory taste. tourism and branding. The paper thereby is a broad introduction to fika as a research field and contributes to past research through hypothesising about fika as a multidisciplinary research interest.