Higher education as object for corporate and nation branding: between equality and flagships

Figures & data

Table 1. Central descriptions regarding Norway and Norwegian higher education institutions in www.studyinnorway.se/.

Descriptions	Latent value/norm
Egalitarian values	Welfare state, equality
Nearness to nature	Environmentalism
Informality	Non-hierarchal
Growth in outlying districts	Welfare state, distributional state
Advocate human rights and humanitarian aid	Peacemaker
Norwegian experience/different student experience	Exploration
One of the world’s highest penetration rates for cellular phones and broadband connections	Technologically advanced
Exploring the unknown	Individualism

Table 2. Central descriptions regarding Sweden and Swedish higher education institutions in www.studyinsweden.se/.

Descriptions	Latent value/norm
‘Get in line’	Patience, collectivism, well-organised
‘Get your shopping done before 17:00ʹ	Regulation
‘Be on time’	Respect, punctuality
‘Many businesses shut down in July’	Well-organised industries, good working conditions
‘Lagom is an important word’	Societal behaviour, which encourages blending in, behaving appropriately without displaying emotion
Competitive edge	Creativity, innovation
Consensus approach	Democracy, deliberation
Think independently	Creativity, independence
History of academic institutions	Excellence
Sustainability	Nature and environmentalism

Table 3. Core values in Norwegian and Swedish higher education institutions.

Core values in Norway	Number	Per cent		Core values in Sweden	Number	Per cent
Openness/transparency	14	36		Openness/transparency	11	31
Respect, respectful	11	28		Quality	8	22
Equality	10	26		Diversity	8	22
Quality	8	21		Democracy	7	19
Critical	6	15		Creativity	6	17
Commitment	5	13		Critical	6	17
Ethics	5	13		New-thinking	6	17
Integrity	5	13		Sustainable development	5	14
Diversity	5	13		International	5	14
Closeness, presence	5	13		Equality	5	14
Cooperation	5	13		Curiosity	5	14
Academic freedom	4	10		Cooperation	5	14
Sustainable development	4	10		Liberal education	4	11
Humanistic values	4	10		Engagement	4	11
Inclusion	4	10		Innovation	4	11
Generous	4	10		Closeness, presence	4	11
Tolerant	4	10		Active teaching	3	8
Independent	4	10		Multidisciplinary	3	8
Academic/liberal education/	3	8		Flexibility	3	8
Creative	3	8		Freedom, academic freedom	3	8
Innovative	3	8		Pioneering, ground-breaking	3	8
Relevance	3	8		Attentive	3	8
				Respect	3	8
				Independence	3	8