Extending the Theory of Academic Capitalism to Students: University Marketing of Pathways to Industry

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 69
  In Roundtable Session: Higher Education Branding as a “Sea of Sameness” Demands Actions by Institutional Leadership and Management

Abstract

Objective

This paper draws on academic capitalism to illuminate universities’ marketing to prospective students pathways from academe to industry. It suggests that portrayals of student engagement on campus could be construed as a form of knowledge-transfer and mechanism for economic development and represent personal gains/benefits for students. Here we examine the relationship between academic capitalist dynamics and marketing to prospective students, contributing to understandings of (1) which students seem to benefit most, (2) which industry-careers seem most valued, and (3) the extent to which regional communities (e.g., the local public good) is emphasized over urban centers.

Theoretical Framework

Academic capitalism accounts for market-like and market behaviors of universities (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004). In market-like efforts, institutions engage in competitions for additional revenues (e.g., from students vis-à-vis tuition and fees, private industry, philanthropic foundations, federal research funding, etc.). For market initiatives, institutions aim to profit from intellectual property via patents, trademarks, logos, and so forth. This paper extends the theory to students and how academic capitalist processes inform marketing, arguing that institutions are likely to privilege portrayals of private rather than societal benefits from higher education and with those benefits stratified across various dimensions. Specifically, entrepreneurial students seeking careers in high-technology in U.S. cities will be targeted over others.

Data and Method

Our study data encompass 48 websites from 16 U.S. research universities (~3 websites per institution). We collected data in spring and fall 2013, searching home pages and admissions websites for key words such as “entrepreneurship,” “entrepreneurship center,” and “entrepreneurial curriculum.” We employed content analysis to identify themes and their frequencies across textual and visual data and followed Krippendorff’s (2004) strategy of reduction and sampling and inferring and unitizing themes. We then used discourse analysis and related rubrics for systematic analyses and criteria by which to classify and code data.

Findings

Three core themes emerged: Institutions promoted organizational structures for economic gain from entrepreneurship, highlighting academic programs in departments and centers positioned to support the achievement and legitimacy of entrepreneurial goals. The institutions presented processes for training/certifying entrepreneurs and business leaders. Here, the academic core was infused with industry- and market-goals and imagery. Curricula and instruction were means of helping students acquire skills—and credentials—for employment. Institutions also illuminated pipelines to markets and industry by way of social networks. These pipelines included student organizations, competitions, events, and career development activities to connect students with distinguished alumni and recruiters/contacts.

Implications

This paper contributes to the literature by extending the theory of academic capitalism to marketing and branding and to students. This study’s findings suggest that academic capitalism works on and for select universities, industry, students, and geographic regions, with marketing messages privileging white men who pursue high-technology entrepreneurship in metropolitan centers. Additionally, this paper suggests implications for campus leaders to reevaluate “truth-claims” in marketing that set expectations for students, the distribution of equity among undergraduates, and service to the local public good.

Author

• Jarrett B. Warshaw, Florida Atlantic University