Internationalizing the Advancement Agenda: A Multi-Case Study of Advancement Practices at Universities with Very High Research Activity

Abstract

Institutions of higher education seek alternative revenue sources due to increasing educational costs and diminished public financing. One potential revenue stream includes philanthropic support from international alumni and donors. This multi-case study investigates the process by which two very high research activity universities, have adapted their institutional advancement strategies to engage international constituents. This study also investigates whether those processes differ by public or private institutional authority. By employing a conceptual framework based on the accumulation of Market Knowledge in for-profit firms, this study extends those concepts into the context of non-profit sphere by providing a foundation for understanding how the internationalization of the advancement agenda aligns with earlier literature on globalization, university internationalization, and institutional advancement. Market Knowledge is explored as three different knowledge domains defined as Business Knowledge, Institutional Knowledge, and Internationalization Knowledge. Each of these domains contributes meaningfully to total amount of Market Knowledge but Business Knowledge, which includes awareness of alumni names, contact information, and philanthropic history, emerged as the most important in the context of international advancement. Internationalization Knowledge, which includes the awareness of internal resources and capacity for this agenda emerged as the least important for moving toward further international commitments, but may be the most efficient in times of resource scarcity. This study also suggests that there are few differences between public and private universities with regard to the actual mechanics of building international relationships, but that public university constituents may find the agenda less defensible, even in times of waning public financing. These findings provide theoretical context for understanding an important component of the campus internationalization strategy that has been previously hidden and underexplored. Furthermore, it provides guidance to both scholars and practitioners on ways in which international partners can be engaged as lifelong supporters and prospective donors to institutions that increasingly rely on external revenue.