Inter-Organizational Collaboration Effectiveness: A Study of the International Joint Programs between Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions and Foreign Partners

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine inter-organizational collaboration (IOC) effectiveness in the field of higher education. The study focuses on the relationship between Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and foreign academic partners in international joint programs. The study seeks to answer the question: what are the main determinants of the effectiveness of interorganizational collaboration in international joint programs between Vietnamese higher education institutions and foreign partners? Can modern management theory, organization theory and empirical knowledge in education field be employed to understand and explain the factors that affect effectiveness of interorganizational collaboration? Survey data was collected from key informants in 106 Vietnam Higher Education Institutions. Multiple regression and path analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings show that institutional factors and internal resource supply largely influence the effectiveness of joint programs, while size of city has a negatively significant relationship with IOC effectiveness.