The role of transnational networking for higher education academics

Abstract

Amidst rapid socioeconomic change, higher education academics across the world face major challenges to its organisation, finance and management. This paper discusses the role of transnational networking in higher education. Data from 40 interviews with geographically distributed academics engaged in learning and teaching transnational networks were analysed using a grounded methodological approach. The findings show that in an increasingly globalised higher education system, transnational networking goes beyond conference attendance to entail multiple combinations of offline and online activities. We do not think that current concepts of communities of practice or networks of practice accurately describe these phenomena. Instead, we suggest that these activities entail different and varying levels of tangibility, more accurately defined by us as transnational networks (TNN). Moreover, we argue that the term 'network' in this context facilitates the individualistic pursuit of a career increasingly essential in a pressurised higher education environment.

Academic Conferences as Learning Sites: A Multinational Comparison of Doctoral Students’ Perspectives and Institutional Policy

“…departments, research centers) by collaborating crossinstitutionally, and internationally (Hugo, 2005a;McAlpine, 2012;Walker, 2015;Willis & Strivens, 2015). These efforts are often supported through university travel schemes/systems to attend domestic and international conferences, international collaborations towards or for grant applications and joint research projects, and short to long-term job postings at foreign institutions (Higher Education Funding Council for England [HEFCE], 2010; Hugo, 2005b;Wakefield & Dismore, 2015). Critical across all these activities is the ability of the academic to effectively interact and work with others.…”

“…To this end, networking is considered (i) a key aspect of the doctoral student experience (McAlpine, 2012), and (ii) important for "the development and use of personal and professional contacts (academics and non-academics), with a view to maintaining and furthering academic careers and projects…within, between or outside departments and institutions" (Blaxter et al, 1998, p. 285). However, the networking behaviors and support structures for doctoral students remain an under researched area (Goel & Grimpe, 2013;Wakefield & Dismore, 2015). This is surprising considering there is evidence that doctoral students recognize the importance of developing relationships and networks, in addition to their studies.…”

Constructive and negative aspects of social capital in work-related learning networks

“…Even network co-ordinators within prominent networks show little understanding of how these work or the approach needed to ensure their success (Sousa et al , 2013). Nevertheless, a successful network can lead to benefits for all the organisations and individuals involved such as capital enhancement and collaborative advantage (Connolly et al , 2007; Wakefield and Dismore, 2015). Collaborative advantage is defined by Huxham (1996) and Huxham and Vangen (2005) as a collective beneficial outcome resulting from two or more organisations collaborating that may not have been achieved otherwise.…”

“…These are manifested at an individual level and include the opportunity for career choices, support and skills development (Baum and Rowley, 2008; Donert et al , 2011; Wei et al , 2012). These latter advantages result from individuals experiencing learning or professional development because of constructing, accessing and exchanging knowledge with one another within a network (Muijs et al , 2010; Donert et al , 2011; Wakefield and Dismore, 2015). This informal learning occurs as a by-product of interaction between employees within a working group, and it relies on participation in work processes and developing relationships with others that have an action focus (Eraut, 2007).…”

Blending Formal and Informal Learning Networks for Online Learning

“…Through a mixed-methods study of academics across nine global, learning-or teaching-centered networks, Wakefield and Dismore (2015) established three major motivations behind academics' reasons for networking: "an intrinsic interest in pedagogy, pursuing collaborative public and career promotion" (p. 8). Through a collection of interviews, Pataraia, Margaryan, Falconer, and Littlejohn (2015) suggested it is access to and feedback from a diversified network of their peers, in part due to the perceived benefit in the inclusion of social networks in PLNs as a means of reinforcing desired qualities like "trust, reciprocity and community values" (p. 341) but also because academics may see the joining of these networks as a way to fit perceived norms or expected roles within their field or university.…”