Research Trends In Good University Governance At Private Higher Education Institutions Following Mergers: A Bibliometric Analysis For 2015–2026
Abstract
This study aims to map research trends on good university governance (GUG) in the context of university mergers using a bibliometric analysis approach. Data were sourced from Scopus and Google Scholar via Publish or Perish, covering the period 2015–2026. A total of 36 scientific documents were identified and analyzed using VOSviewer and R Bibliometrix. The analysis covers annual scientific output, average citations per year, the most productive authors, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and research cluster mapping. Results show a highly significant upward trend in publications from 2024 to 2026, peaking at 14 articles in 2026. The highest average citations occurred in 2019–2020 at 16.5 citations per article. The most productive author is CG Lirios with 2 documents. Keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals four main research clusters: (1) institutional- -governance and higher education policy, (2) sustainable development and adaptive innovation, (3) digital transformation, and (4) sustainability of institutional services. These findings provide a comprehensive picture of research developments and gaps at GUG following the merger, serving as a basis for future research in Indonesia.
References
Barrier, J., & Musselin, C. (2016). DRAW ME A UNIVERSITY: ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN. Research in the Sociology of Organization, 46 , 361–394. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0733-558X20160000046012
Benner, M., & Geschwind, L. (2016). Conflicting rationalities: Mergers and consolidations in Swedish higher education policy. In Mergers in Higher Education. Higher Education Dynamics (pp. 45–62). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21918-9_3
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Marc, W. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133 (March), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Frølich, N., & Caspersen, J. (2015). Institutional Governance Structures. In M. S.-O. Jeroen Huisman, Harry De Boer, David D. Dill (Eds.), The Palgrave International Handbook of Higher Education Policy and Governance (pp. 379–380). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-45617-5_21
Harman, G., & Harman, K. (2015). Strategic Mergers of Strong Institutions to Enhance Competitive Advantage. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300172
Lin, W., & Yang, C. (2026). Demographic Change and Higher Education Governance: Evidence from Departmental Restructuring and Enrollment Dynamics in Taiwan’s TVET Institutions. 1–23.
McCann, L., Granter, E., Hyde, P., & Aroles, J. (2020). “Upon the Gears and Upon the Wheels”: Terror Convergence and Total Administration in the Neoliberal University. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507620924162
Ngcamu, B. S., & Teferra, D. (2015). Leadership Features Influencing Transformation in the Post-Merger and Post-Incorporation Era: A Case of the University of Durban. 4(4), 400–407.
Perttu Vartiainen. (2017). Campus-based tensions in the structural development of a newly merged university: the case of the University of Eastern Finland. Tertiary Education and Management, 23 , 53–68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2016.1205123
Stork, H., & Astrin, J. J. (2014). Trends in Biodiversity Research — A Bibliometric Assessment. (May), 354–370.
Sziegat, H. (2022). Research in Educational Administration & Leadership: Transforming the Governance of German Higher Education Institutions. (September). https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1164190

















Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com