We Don’t Work That Way: Aligning the Ways of Working Between a Higher Education Institution and an OPM Provider

This chapter explores the relationship between online program management (OPM) and higher education institutions (HEIs) as a form of a strategic alliance to contribute to effectively understanding how to lead online program management partnerships (OPMPs). The chapter is a positional piece that will reflect on the process undertaken within an OPMP at an Australian University to align the ways of working between an HEI and an OPM company. The case exposes problems that can occur during a partnership including issues related to partnership governance academic quality, autonomy, and alignment. Then using a strategic alliance framework, it describes strategies and processes implemented in an OPM-HEI partnership to address these problems including how to build trust, value-creation activities, overcoming cultural differences, and differences in objectives. Overall, this chapter provides insights into ‘how to’ and ‘how not to’ develop ways to work within an OPMP. These complex strategic alliances bring with them many challenges, but the benefits of driving the digital transformation of higher education cannot be understated.