Using Institutional Theory to Reframe Research on Academic Drift

In an attempt to better understand patterns of academic drift in higher education and to demonstrate the usefulness of institutional theory as a lens through which to use these patterns, the authors examine patterns of drift in multiple higher education systems and test the concept of "isomorphism in organizational fields", as discussed in institutional theory. The authors argue that the theoretical framework provided by institutional theory presents a useful lens through which to examine and to explain why academic drift occurs in higher education systems.