A lexicon of inter-institutional cooperation

Recent studies have indicatedthat, while there is a great deal of interestamong both governments and institutions ininter-institutional cooperation, theterminology of cooperation is confused andimprecise. Mergers are sometimes characterizedas being an extension of inter-institutionalcooperation, sometimes they are regarded asseparate, unique, and situated on a plane orcontinuum different from that of suchstructures as federations and consortia. Yet,in generic terms, mergers share a number ofcharacteristics with other forms ofcooperation, and are often pursued for the samereasons. This study investigates the originsand motivations of inter-institutionalcooperation in order to show that the variousforms of cooperation, including merger, arepart of a single evolutionary continuum. Next,it develops a lexicon or taxonomy ofinter-institutional cooperation. Finally, itdiscusses the directions thatinter-institutional cooperation might take inthe future along that continuum.