What kind of universities in Greece invited external evaluation (EUA-IEP)? Isomorphic pressures and leadership: the Greek case

In the absence of any national quality performance monitoring system (until 2006) 8 of 21 Greek public universities voluntarily participated in the European University Association Institutional Evaluation Programme (EUA-IEP). Empirical data were collected through documents (eight evaluators’ reports). This article uses qualitative content analysis to understand the relationships between neo-institutional pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) and university characteristics that influenced the choice for the EUA-IEP. Normative and mimetic pressures were detected through these reports. Coercive pressure did not play a role in the decision to invite the EUA-IEP. Different types of universities engaged in the EUA-IEP but not monothematic and ‘Athenian’ universities.