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Isomorphic tendencies in institutional messaging: Analyzing applied learning initiatives in four U.S. public universities
Coleman-Martins, Shelly Joe
Coleman-Martins, Shelly Joe
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2025-05
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Dissertation
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Electronic dissertation
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It is a competitive landscape for higher education, and public universities in the United States are pressured to differentiate themselves through distinctive applied learning models. However, despite claims of distinction, many institutions' applied learning messaging and strategies appear strikingly similar. This study investigates how external pressures influence this convergence and explores public universities’ adoption and promotion of applied learning models within a sector-wide environment.
Using a qualitative multi-case study design, the research examined four U.S. public universities that have adopted institution-wide applied learning strategies. Data was collected through institutional document analysis and semi-structured interviews with university leaders in applied learning. Simon Sinek's Golden Circle and DiMaggio and Powell's Institutional Isomorphism theory were used to guide data collection and analysis.
The findings reveal that significant isomorphic pressures, particularly normative, drive convergence in how applied learning was defined and communicated. Despite institutional efforts to assert distinction, shared terminology and frameworks were pervasive. This study concludes that external pressures and the desire for legitimacy, not competitive advantage, are the primary forces shaping strategy. Three concepts emerged in the analysis of this study. Vocabulary hijacking described how institutions reframe common terms in institutional meanings. Convergence denial, capturing leaders' denial of convergence despite acknowledging sector-wide sameness. Legitimacy differentiation was a goal coexistence strategy. Implications from these conclusions are presented for university leaders, marketing professionals, and policymakers navigating the tension between legitimacy and innovation.
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Thesis (E.dD)-- Wichita State University, College of Applied Studies, Dept. of Intervention Services and Leadership in Education
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Wichita State University
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© Copyright 2025 by Shelly Joe Coleman-Martins
All Rights Reserved.