Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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based on matte and it can be realized through experience. Plato, Kant, Hegel and many others
worked on the development of theory of idealism. The philosophical concepts of idealism are
employed to other philosophies that deal with ideas.
According to idealist school a nation‟s moral and ethical considerations are more important than
national interests because in the world values, not matter, represent reality. According to this
school the creation of organizations is also based on mutual values rather than materialistic
benefits. IGOs are structured by human thought so the only way to fully understand them is to
investigate into the way states perceive the moral and ethical values. Since idealists are interested
in human welfare and conflict management thus they consider the existence of IGOs not only
necessary but the most viable option for nations. As idealists emphasize on minimizing conflict
and maximizing cooperation among nations so they give great importance to IGOs, legal and
formal platforms to achieve mutual objectives and to protect and promote human right. In the
history of IOs the philosophy of idealism played a key role in the development of IGOs.
3.4.4 Institutionalism
The institutional or institutionalist school, unlike realist, considers IGOs-IGOs and IGOs-States
cooperation as completely rational and complementary. The basic premise of institutionalism is:
in the international politics interests of states are neither mutually exclusive nor harmoniously in
agreement. Instead, international politics is distinguished by sets of interests in which states,
being a part of an international institution, have a common interest in reaping joint gains or
avoiding joint losses (Keohane, 1984).
Institutional theory deals with the deeper and more resilient aspects of social construction and
edifice by considering the process by which structures become authoritative guidelines (Scott,
2004). This theory attends to social structure of institutions or organizations. Its scope
encompasses the structure, construction and plans of organizations. Institutional theory helps us
understand the complex configuration and functions of organization by explaining why are
organizations the way as they are: structure, practices, role, values etc., and how these elements
are fashioned, transmitted, adopted and adapted. Institutionalists stress that the institutional
environment can influence the development of formal structures in an organization. Its main
focus is the progress towards, and preservation of, isomorphic institutional environments based
upon institutional norms: coercive, mimetic, and normative processes.