Structural Equation Modeling of Factors Related to Organizational Culture Involved in the Internationalization of Iranian Universities

Abstract

Background and Aim The internationalization of higher education is an effective strategy to meet the diverse needs of a society. One of the factors determining the failure or success of internationalization is the organizational culture of universities. The present study aims to investigate the role of organizational culture-related factors in the internationalization of Iranian universities. Methods & Materials This is a quantitative-quantitative study. Participants were 124 Iranian experts in higher education and those involved in internationalization of universities. A researcher-made questionnaire was used as a self-report tool with close-ended questions. In the quantitative stage, structural equation modeling and first- and second-order factor analysis were performed in SPSS and AMOS software. Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the ethics committee of Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch (Code: IR.IAU.RASHT.REC.1400.035) Results The ranking of factors affecting the internationalization of Iranian universities showed that the factor with the highest factor loading was “communication & interaction” (1.03) and the factor with the lowest factor loading was “human/physical/financial resources” (0.87). Conclusion Communication/interaction of universities with other education centers, as an organizational culture-related factor, plays an important role in the internationalization of Iranian universities.

Keywords

• organizational culture
• university culture
• globalization
• internationalization of the university