Physical Space and the Resource-Based View of the College

Abstract

Space serves as a key resource for colleges and universities, and institutions exchange information about it with each other and with prospective students. Using content analysis to examine several widely circulated publications, this study looked for differences in the value attributed to space when institutional leaders present it to students and to other institutions. More broadly, I hope to suggest how differences in the presentation of space could indicate divergent priorities that can damage institutional trustworthiness.Key words physical space . strategy . resource-based view . competition This article draws on two broad literatures, those of higher education and management, in order to apply concepts from management to higher education practice. The higher education literature suggests that space fosters mission fulfillment (e.g., Fugazzotto 2009;Harris and Holley 2008;Loughlin and Suina 1982;Spooner 2008;Temple and Barnett 2007). Using insights from management, I will also show how higher education institutions behave like for-profit firms, as they compete with each other and use physical space as a strategic resource. Two motivators-mission and attainment of competitive advantage-thus inform institutions' use of space. I will examine how these motivators play out as institutions present physical space in two different arenas: student recruitment and inter-institutional communication. Specifically, I seek to determine the different values that institutions attribute to space depending on whether they communicate with prospective students or with other institutions.