From Brand Success to Soft Power: How Post-1992 UK Universities Generate Resources of Global Influence.

Abstract

Introduction/problem: HE soft-power scholarship privileges national policy and elite/research intensive universities; we know less about how everyday institutional brand experience in post-1992 universities generate potential soft-power resources. Methods: three English post-1992 case studies; 24 semi-structured interviews; students, academic and brand managers; purposive sampling; recursive abstraction. Result: five mechanisms—values, culture, inclusivity, nurturing, innovation—corresponding to credibility/legitimacy, belonging/relational influence, accessibility/opportunity, human development/attachment and progress/future orientation. Discussion/contribution: soft power need not orientate only in elite prestige; post-1992 universities can potentially generate soft-power resources through credible institutional experiences, with implications for institutional branding, internationalization and educational practice.