Higher education institutions in a survey dilemma – General thoughts and organisational solutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are confronted with a dilemma. On the one hand, they need empirical information from student surveys to maintain accountability and enhance quality. On the other hand, scholars have pointed to a growing survey burden placed on students. In fact, the number of student surveys HEIs conduct has increased considerably. Therefore, HEIs are challenged to find a way to coordinate the surveys in a way that minimises the burden on students. In this paper, we discuss four possible modes of governance: the introduction of a formal regulation, club membership, sanctions and the emergence of a social norm of cooperation.