In recent decades, many higher education systems around the world have been exposed to institutional mergers. While the rationale for mergers has often been related to issues of improved quality, effectiveness and/or efficiency at the institutional level, fewer studies have analysed how mergers may affect institutional diversity within the higher education landscape. Focusing on institutional missions, the current study analyses the strategic plans of both merged and non-merged institutions in Norway. The key finding is that mergers may not necessarily reduce system level diversity, although mergers indeed may affect the organisational mission of individual institutions.

中文翻译：

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合并与使命：调查系统多样性的后果

近几十年来，世界各地的许多高等教育系统都受到机构合并的影响。虽然合并的理由通常与提高机构层面的质量、有效性和/或效率的问题有关，但很少有研究分析合并如何影响高等教育领域的机构多样性。本研究侧重于机构使命，分析了挪威合并和非合并机构的战略计划。关键的发现是合并不一定会降低系统层面的多样性，尽管合并确实可能影响单个机构的组织使命。