Stakeholder Influence on the Positioning of Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences

Higher education institutions are environmentally dependent coalitions of stakeholder’s divergent interests, which are steered by higher education managers at the centre of the nexus. They effect reconciliations among stakeholders, take into account the organisation’s dynamic capabilities and strategic capacity. Ultimately, they align action with the organisation’s identity. In applying organisational theories (neo-institutionalism, resourcebased view, organisational capablilites stakeholder theory), this paper sheds light on complex organisationallevel dynamics and decision making patterns of higher education management that is partly influenced by system-level dynamics. It zooms in on stakeholder’s salience and how internal and external stakeholders influence and affect academic interests as well as HEI's affairs. Thus, this study provides important insights into the scope for strategic actions at HEIs.