Universities in multiple competition: changes in job advertisements for professorships, 1990 to 2020

Prof. Dr. Peter Walgenbach (University of Jena)

Lisa Marie Gerhardt (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

The aim of the project is to analyse the effects of multiple competition in the higher education system against the background of its increasing internationalization. To this end, changes in job advertisements for professorships will be examined. The filling of professorships plays a decisive role in the strategic positioning of universities in multiple competition. It can be assumed that the requirements of the various competitions in which universities find themselves are reflected in job advertisements for professorships. Empirically, the research project focuses on the analysis of job advertisements for professorships in various disciplines at German universities between 1990 and 2020. Based on a detailed content analysis of these job advertisements, the research project aims to show how various competitions in the higher education system and, in particular, the increasing internationality of these competitions are reflected in job advertisements over time. Furthermore, the project aims to explain the alignment that occurs in the job advertisements of different disciplines and types of higher education institutions as well as the observable variation with the help of various contextual factors. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used. Theoretically, the project is based on institutionalist theories, in particular on arguments from neo-institutionalism (with particular reference to world society theory and the glocalization perspective), as well as imprinting theory. As a result, contributions to research on multiple competitions in the higher education system, on the strategic positioning of universities and on institutionalist theories of organization are expected.