The role of the organisational dimension in university positioning: a case-study approach

This paper argues that university strategic positioning is influenced by the organisational dimension, operationalised along the variables of organisational structure, identity and centrality. A comparative case study is presented including two English and two Italian universities and drawing on a set of sixty interviews with academic leaders, managers and administrators. The analysis of the trajectory of the four universities from 2004 to 2018 illustrates the articulation of the link between the three organisational variables and positioning and how this has changed over time. Finally, the paper outlines six propositions on the expected impact of the organisational structure, identity and centrality on positioning processes of universities.