Beyond institutional compatibility: a typological analysis of collective skill formation system transplantation

Abstract Governments around the world face an urgent challenge: rapidly upskilling their workforces. A skilled workforce is essential to sustaining economic growth and competitiveness in an increasingly complex global market. The German Dual System, characterised by the integration of firm-based training and public vocational schooling, is a prominent model for skill formation globally. However, outcomes of its transnational transplantation vary significantly, ranging from successful adoptions and hybrid systems to outright failures. This article clarifies the different approaches to the transplantation of collective skill formation systems at the conceptual level. It has developed a theoretical framework that integrates actor-network theory, institutional complementarity, and historical institutionalism. Using a typological approach, four ideal types of transplantation were theoretically determined based on the interaction among the actor's ability, willingness, and institutional compatibility. The core viewpoint of this article points out that in a host country with a coordinated market economy, successful transplantation is not automatic. On the contrary, it depends on complex alliances of multi-participant coalitions with sufficient power and motivation, as well as a friendly institutional environment characterized by strong complementarity and weak constraints of historical heritage. This article emphasizes that transplanting complex systems, such as CSFS, is a highly negotiated political process, while simplistic institutional borrowing often neglects the fundamental structure and historical prerequisites for success.