Transnational degree program franchising and the challenge of commercial franchisees

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Juusola ◽  
Lee Rensimer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Degree Program ◽  
Higher Education Research ◽  
Mba Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transnational Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelationship of branding practices and legitimacy-building of commercial degree program franchising within transnational higher education (TNHE). It aims to understand how commercial franchisees’ branding practices employ discursive and symbolic strategies for building legitimacy, and how these practices impact both organizational development and stakeholder perception. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study uses document and visual content analysis, supported by discourse analysis, as the methods in analyzing commercial franchisees’ branding practices of their franchised programs. The sample of the study consists of five commercial franchisees offering primarily Western MBA programs in the United Arab Emirates. The data were obtained through franchisees’ websites, marketing materials, student prospectuses, visiting campuses and their marketing events, and through interviews with franchise managers. Findings The findings of this study indicate that growing a sustainable brand for a commercial franchisee requires successful building of its legitimacy in the host country. Legitimacy in such arrangement however involves two paradoxes: the “self-promoter’s paradox” where the franchisees often engage in legitimacy-building practices that decrease their legitimacy, and the “legitimacy-borrowing paradox” that happens when the commercial franchisee initially borrows its legitimacy from the franchised program, but simultaneously this borrowing of legitimacy prevents it from becoming a fully legitimate higher education institution. Originality/value This study contributes to the research on management of TNHE by exploring the branding practices of franchised programs, which so far has been a neglected area in research. Furthermore, interconnections of legitimacy-building and branding practices are underrepresented within the broader higher education research.

Engaging with arranged marriages: a lesson for transnational higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-297
Author(s):  
Carrie Amani Annabi ◽  
Amanda L. McStay ◽  
Allyson Fiona Noble ◽  
Maha Sidahmed
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Arranged Marriages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Transnational Higher Education ◽  
University Policies ◽  
Familial Obligations

Purpose High levels of absenteeism have been observed amongst male students attending two transnational higher education (TNHE) institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One reason offered is an obligation to attend engagement ceremonies. Many ceremonies are linked to arranged marriages. The purpose of this paper is to contradict assumptions that suggest that higher education reduces arranged marriages, and to highlight that university policies overlook cultural nuances. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 male postgraduate students aged between 22 and 45. Content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data. Findings Several interviewees chose to have an arranged marriage and some saw their postgraduate studies as an opportunity to have a better chance of securing a wife. Equally, several students felt that university policies were unsympathetic to cultural obligations. Research limitations/implications This research was restricted to male students from two TNHE institutes in the UAE. Practical implications This research provides insight for TNHE managers by providing student-centric research into cultural reasons that prevent student attendance. Social implications TNHE is not fully responsive to familial obligations within collective societies. In consequence, there has been a lack of sympathy within policies regarding students’ requirement to fulfil cultural commitments. Originality/value The paper explores the challenges of creating culturally sensitive educational policy and practices.

Moving beyond the rhetoric on faculty diversity in higher education: an interview with diversity expert Dr Bailey Jackson

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica C. Gavino
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Diversity ◽  
Full Inclusion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Diversity In Higher Education ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe aim of this article is to provide Dr Bailey Jackson's perspective on institutional and systemic barriers to full inclusion of diverse faculty in higher education through the lens of the multicultural organizational development (MCOD) model. Dr Jackson is renowned for his work on social justice, diversity and multiculturalism.Design/methodology/approachThis is a personal interview with Dr Bailey Jackson. This interview provides insight on institutional level change efforts through the MCOD framework, a perspective on why institutions get stuck on the way to becoming a healthy multicultural institutions, and the effect on moving the needle on faculty diversity in institutions of higher education.FindingsThe institutional obstacles and barriers tend to be centered around misalignment with mission, vision and core values, how those are formulated to include diversity and inclusion. Faculty diversity is only one component in dealing with the health of any organization or the academy as a whole. If institutions focus on diversity faculty in an unhealthy system, they will encounter limitations on how much the institution will develop on the MCOD continuum. The health of the overall system is going to affect the approach to faculty diversity.Practical implicationsDr Jackson provides insight on his work with the MCOD framework and specifically the overall health of the institution as critical to faculty diversity initiatives. Questions to help institutions begin to assess themselves and identify changes required to move toward Multicultural within the context of faculty diversity are provided.Originality/valueThrough a series of questions, insight from Dr Jackson on why institutions get stuck in moving the needle on faculty diversity through the lens of the MCOD framework is gained.

The challenge of work based learning: a role for academic mentors?

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Stephens ◽  
Oran Doherty ◽  
Billy Bennett ◽  
Michael Margey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the key challenge(s) experienced by employers, employees and academics during work based learning (WBL) programmes at undergraduate level. The idea of academic mentors is proposed as an aid to addressing the challenges common to WBL programmes. Design/methodology/approach – The case study presented in this paper involves a large multinational organisation and a higher education institution, both of which are based in Ireland. Interviews were used to explore the outcome(s) of a WBL programme. Findings – The challenges associated with WBL place demands on the design of curriculum, pedagogy and accreditation. The use of academic mentors can help translate academic knowledge into workplace practice; and address challenges which are common in WBL programmes. Practical implications – The understanding of best practice in the design of WBL programmes is enriched. A role for academics as mentors is identified and the implications explored. Originality/value – The success of WBL can be linked to the relationships that form between employers, employees and academics. There is evidence that the academic is central to the development of these relationships.

The use of MOOCs in transnational higher education for accreditation of prior learning, programme delivery, and professional development

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 959-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Amani Annabi ◽  
Stephen Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Prior Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Branch Campuses ◽  
International Branch Campuses ◽  
Transnational Higher Education ◽  
Programme Delivery

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how, and the extent to which, massive open online courses (MOOCs) might be used in the accreditation of students’ prior learning, in programme delivery at international branch campuses, and for lecturers’ professional development (PD) in transnational higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The data were obtained from two international branch campuses in the United Arab Emirates. The research adopted a qualitative methodology that involved 20 lecturers participating in semi-structured interviews and ten lecturers participating in a focus group. A rigorous process of content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the data. Findings – Lecturers in transnational higher education perceived that MOOCs were not suitable for accredited prior learning but that they might be useful as a supplementary resource for student learning and for personal PD. There was a strong belief that as international branch campuses offered a commodified product, MOOCs were unlikely to be adopted as a replacement for traditional programme delivery methods, as students strongly prefer face-to-face teaching and support. Practical implications – The research has identified a number of recommendations for higher education institutions operating in transnational settings, which might improve both institutional and individual performance. Institutions that intend to use MOOCs in programme delivery should consider how their students and staff would react to such a move, and how this might impact upon institutional image and reputation. Originality/value – Surprisingly, there has been little academic research published on the use of MOOCs in higher education, and to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in a transnational education setting. The uniqueness of the environment in which international branch campuses operate, as well as their different objectives and student profiles, provide the rationale for this research.

Cultural influences on the design and management of transnational higher education programs in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-283
Author(s):  
Lan He ◽  
Ersi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Degree Program ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Management Mode ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Transnational Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of cultural differences on the design and management of two franchise programs and one joint degree program run by a Chinese university in partnership with a British university and a French university. The cross-cultural challenges and the differences in the strategies taken by the managers in both types of program to deal with such challenges are analyzed. The frameworks for such strategies are also proposed. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was used for the analysis. Participatory observation and interview were adopted to collect information in combination with the written reports on the programs. The interviewees included managers, faculty members, and students. Thematic analysis was conducted to find out the common themes from the coded data. Findings For franchise programs, the British university takes a “collaborating” strategy focusing on globalization, which is combined with the “compromising” strategy of the Chinese partner university focusing on localization. Both parties keep their different styles of management and combine them into one new management mode. By contrast, in the joint degree program, the French management mode can be described as a “collaborating” strategy toward the management of the Chinese students and curriculum, while the Chinese managers are seeking to progressively “accommodate” the needs of the French students. Originality/value Few studies in the current literature are targeted at the cultural influences on the design and management of transnational higher education (TNHE) programs as well as the proper management strategies to deal with such cultural differences. The result of this study will provide useful advice for researchers and practitioners in cross-cultural management of TNHE programs.

Innovation-centric courses in hospitality management education in Dubai

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-172
Author(s):  
Sanjay Nadkarni ◽  
Stephanie Morris
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Iterative Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Level

Purpose This paper aims to provide an overview of how a Dubai-based higher education institution in hospitality management has leveraged the enabling macro-environment for building innovation-centric courses in hospitality pedagogy. The policy-level initiatives focusing on innovation adopted by the UAE, and Dubai, in particular, are analyzed along with their impact on the higher education landscape. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory research design with an experimental component based on iterative approach has been adopted in this paper. Findings The synthesis of the exploratory analysis with the outcome of the experiment for developing innovation-centric courses and assessments which integrates elements of sustainability underscores the necessity for a scalable roadmap for developing an innovation-driven ecosystem. Implications for stakeholders in deploying the proposed roadmap are discussed. Originality/value The experience curated from the design development and delivery of innovation-focused courses with the mandated framework in a specific geography (in this case Dubai, UAE) attests to the originality. The research adds value by proposing an implementable roadmap for stakeholders to foster an innovation-driven socio-economic ecosystem that encompasses elements of sustainability.

Internal marketing in a higher education context – towards an enriched framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prakash Vel ◽  
Aakash Shah ◽  
Sunita Mathur ◽  
Vijay Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Internal Marketing ◽  
Global Marketplace ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Do So

PurposeThe concept of “internal marketing” (IM) has gained the attention of researchers over the past three decades. Though a lot of research has been carried out on this topic, it remains a concept yet to be completely understood and captured, with ambiguity in terms of its definition and scope. The purpose of this paper is to utilise the higher education (HE) context in an emerging country, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to argue that the term “IM” needs more unbundling and hence the authors propose an enriched framework with a renewed and relevant identity, which the authors term as “corporate fusion” (CF).Design/methodology/approachThe authors do so with a renewed framework and philosophy that tries to capture new constructs and dimensions of IM in line with the emerging corporate milieu and has been applied to the HE sector of the UAE in this paper.FindingsThe proposed new conceptual framework identifies a CF philosophy building on the existing literature and captures the essence of IM orientation, albeit with its new constructs, dimensions and justifications. Furthermore, the authors argue that this new model is relevant to the contemporary environmental trends surrounding present day HE organisations, more so ever in emerging markets such as the UAE, given their growth needs in a competitive global marketplace.Originality/valueIn this paper, the authors take a close introspection at the contemporary role of IM in the HE landscape available in the UAE using a renewed framework titled “Corporate Fusion”.

scholarly journals Rethinking competition-based entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh Watson ◽  
Pauric McGowan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Business Plan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Model ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus with the university-based business plan competition (BPC) and proposes how the theory of effectuation might inform a new model. Such a purpose is timely given the under-challenged nature of the BPC methodology. Design/methodology/approach Extant literature pertaining to business planning and the business plan within entrepreneurship education and effectuation is reviewed; numerous conceptual issues which undermine BPC provision in its traditional form are then identified. In response to these identified issues, a series of principles which could underpin the introduction of an effectuation-led business coopetition (EBC) are outlined. Findings Strong emphasis on business plan production within a conventional BPC model raises questions about its capacity to release the entrepreneurial potential of the higher education institution student and provide them with an authentic and relevant entrepreneurial learning experience. Through using the ideas of effectuation to rethink provision, the action of business plan production can usefully be replaced with the action of business implementation. As well as facilitate a beneficial shift from competition to coopetition-based entrepreneurship education. Originality/value This paper valuably critiques the efficacy of a commonly employed yet under-challenged methodology for entrepreneurship education; the BPC. The propositions offered can guide competition provision in a more authentic, realistic and relevant way that is potentially better suited to inspiring and supporting entrepreneurial new venturing amongst students and graduates now rather than in the future. The paper thus has practical value to those designing and delivering competition-based entrepreneurship education.

Replacing exams with research papers: chronicles of a higher education institution (HEI) amidst COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noha El-Bassiouny ◽  
Ehab K.A. Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Business School ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Exam administration during the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge for most schools. This paper aims to document the experience of a business school in a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual in its approach highlighting how exam administration was handled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings Notably, exams were replaced by research assessments. This paper presents best practices and lessons learnt in this domain. Originality/value This practice paper represents one of the few research studies that highlighted the mechanisms underlying the replacement of exams with research projects during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Circular economy, sustainability and teacher training in a higher education institution

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1351-1366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anxela Bugallo-Rodríguez ◽  
Pedro Vega-Marcote
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Educational Levels ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
The University

Purpose Higher education institutions have a valuable dual role in disseminating the circular economy (CE) as a new sustainability paradigm. First, the university teaches students about this subject. Second, it prepares future teachers to incorporate sustainability into other educational levels. This paper aims to present the results of implementing a set of activities designed to improve the attitudes and actions of students to reduce their daily impact on campus and to be active agents for change to the CE. Design/methodology/approach The participants were students enrolled for the Degree in Primary Education at the University of Corunna. Following a qualitative approach, students’ proposals were analyzed using the key indicators identified by the European Commission to measure progress toward the CE. Findings The results demonstrate that these activities make students reflect and act on their daily impact. They propose and develop diverse solutions on campus, such as increased paper-, water- and energy-saving activities and discover the benefits of teaching for action. However, the indicators show that they do not apply the three principles of the CE in a balanced way. Research limitations/implications An improvement should analyze the same students in the following year to verify progress. Originality/value This experience with preservice teachers may help to extend the values and knowledge associated with integral sustainability and provide CE solutions on campus and in schools throughout the country.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document