Determinants of effectiveness in public higher education-students’ viewpoint

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1135-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harpreet Kaur ◽  
G.S. Bhalla
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Public Colleges ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of effectiveness in public colleges of Punjab (India) from the students’ perspective and the impact of these determinants on the satisfaction level of students. The study further explores the difference in the overall satisfaction of students’ toward college effectiveness on the basis of demographic variables.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a survey approach. The sample comprises of 369 students from 19 public/government general degree colleges of Punjab (India). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been used to explore the determinants of public colleges and structural equation modeling (SEM) has been used to analyze the impact of these determinants on the satisfaction of students.t-Test and ANOVA have been used to examine the difference in students’ satisfaction on the basis of their demographic variables.FindingsThe research instrument has been tested for both reliability and validity. The findings showed that the eight determinants of the satisfaction of students toward public colleges, namely academic environment, college administration, students support services, learning material, infrastructure facilities, placement services, extracurricular activities and financial administration. These, eight independent variables have been entered into SEM. The SEM model shows that infrastructure facilities, academic environment, learning material, college administration, extracurricular activities and financial administration have a positive and significant impact on the students’ satisfaction. On the basis of demographic variables, significant differences in overall satisfaction have been found for gender and level of education.Practical implicationsPublic higher education sector in Punjab suffers from many limitations. Students are the internal customers of educational institutions and their satisfaction toward higher educational institutions will make every learner’s mind and policymakers in the field of education think seriously about bringing reforms in the higher education sector in Punjab.Originality/valuePunjab, a well-known state of northern India is a leader in providing higher education. But, it is a fact that public higher education sector in Punjab has been facing many challenges. Student satisfaction is the central goal of any institution and this research helps to develop new insight in the quality of public higher education.

Demographic Factors in the Evaluation of Students’ Satisfaction towards Quality in Higher Education: A Study of Government Colleges of Punjab (India)

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-246
Author(s):  
Harpreet Kaur ◽  
G.S. Bhalla
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Placement Services ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
Financial Administration

The Punjab education system has witnessed significant expansion in public higher education, both in terms of number of institutions as well as the students’ enrolment with 10 state universities and 48 government colleges. But higher education sector in Punjab still confronts various problems. The extent of various factors of higher educational institutions effectiveness depends on individual features such as demographic variables. This article investigates the difference in the satisfaction of students towards college effectiveness on the basis of demographic variables. The sample of the study comprised of 369 students from the various government colleges of Punjab, and the data was analysed using mean value, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that on the basis of gender significance, differences were found in the case of infrastructure facilities, extracurricular activities, financial administration and placement services of the colleges. In the case of level of education, bachelor’s students were most satisfied for infrastructure facilities, placement services, student support services and financial management of the colleges. On the basis of course stream, arts group and commerce group were significantly different on responding towards the academic environment. In the case of college administration, significant differences were found between commerce and science groups, and for extracurricular activities differences were found among arts, commerce and science groups. According to the location of the colleges, significant differences were found in extracurricular activities and financial administration of the colleges.

The role of junior enterprises in the development of students' entrepreneurial skills

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Dias Daniel ◽  
João Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Attitudes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Education Courses

PurposeThis study assesses the effects of junior enterprises (JEs) on the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of engineering higher education students, compared to a group of social sciences students.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyses a sample of 132 students enrolled in engineering higher education courses in Portugal and Brazil, while 83 of the respondents being involved in a JE and 49 not. The authors compare this group to another group of 176 social sciences students from several higher education courses, while 93 being enrolled in JE and 83 not.FindingsThe results show that students enrolled in JEs show higher levels of entrepreneurial intention (EI), as well as their antecedents such as attitude towards the behaviour (ATB), perceived behavioural control (PBC) and social norms (SN) , and the impact of this extracurricular activity is higher on engineering students than on social sciences students. Also, country and gender differences were found in some variables.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies are needed to confirm the results in a broader population and in other countries. Also, the study addressed attitudes and intentions but not actual behaviour due to the time lag problem. There is also the risk of self-reported bias on the answers due to social desirability bias, for example. Finally, because JEs have their own recruitment process, there is a possible “self-selection problem” of students who might have previously developed some of entrepreneurial attitudes and skills assessed by the questionnaire.Practical implicationsThe results have important implications for engineering higher education institutions. Despite many of them provide entrepreneurship training courses, they should also encourage students to join extracurricular activities or even create their own at their institution to complement their skills' development. Also, teachers should be encouraged to integrate these activities into their subjects, avoiding a major barrier to the participation in extracurricular activities which is the students' time constraints. Finally, participation in extracurricular activities can be promoted by institutions in many ways, such as allowing students to obtain academic credits or through supporting financially or logistically the organisations that promote these activities.Social implicationsThis study contributes to the discussion on how to promote the development of entrepreneurial competences in young people that soon will enter the labour market.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the discussions on the value of extracurricular activities, such as the enrolment in JEs, to the development of entrepreneurial attitudes and intention on the training of the next generation of engineers capable of facing future worlds' challenges.

scholarly journals Happiness among higher education academicians: a demographic analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Ritu Gandhi Arora
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Happy Person ◽  
Younger Generation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose To deal with highly energetic younger generation patiently, need academicians who can spread happiness while teaching/mentoring are needed. This is possible when an academician himself is a happy person. This paper aims to explore the factors that generate happiness among academicians, studies the impact of demographic variables on academicians’ happiness and examines the relationship between academicians’ happiness and their performance. Design/methodology/approach Convenience purposive sampling method was used to obtain data through self-administered survey questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale, delineating the research purpose and assurance of confidentiality. For data analysis, statistical techniques like mean, percentage method, Levene’s test, t-test and analysis of variance were used. To study the relationship between performance and happiness, the attitude, motivation and outcome theory was applied and happiness index was developed. Findings After analyzing the various factors impacting academicians’ happiness, this study found that except for work–life balance, research activities and working environment, all other factors are available to academicians according to their ranked importance assigned to them. This study also obtained a happiness index using matrix and has developed an equation which can be applied to find out the relationship between happiness and performance in future. Research limitations/implications This study has certain limitations, first, this study has been conducted on academicians working in higher education institutes situated in Delhi/NCR and thus entails a specific socio-cultural environment that may limit the potential level of generalization. Practical implications The results of this research might help institutes/higher education bodies to make rules and policies which may further augment academicians’ happiness to accomplish their desired goals. Social implications An academician who is happy, satisfied and motivated can easily deal with today's enthusiastic younger generation and can spread happiness amongst them. so it is very much necessary for an academician to be happy and energetic all the time. Originality/value This study found the factors impacting higher education academicians’ happiness and its impact on their teaching performance.

scholarly journals The magnificent “I” in business education: evidence from Greece

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-270
Author(s):  
Loukas N. Anninos ◽  
Alexandra Paraskevi Chytiri ◽  
Leonidas Chytiris
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the level of narcissism and its individual traits in students who study business, in the particular context of a regional country such as Greece; and, second, to test how several demographic variables are related to narcissism levels. Design/methodology/approach The study consists of a theoretical part on narcissism in business education and an empirical part that was based on a survey conducted with the use of a questionnaire. The analysis includes hypothesis testing and basic statistical tests. Findings Findings suggest that sex, study levels, years of business experience and (personal/family) income do impact specific narcissistic dimensions, which may be a cause for concern both for employers and higher education providers. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in a regional country, the participants were students of public higher education institutions only and the questionnaire was self-reported, which could lead to likely social desirability effects. Practical implications The investigation of narcissism in the Greek business education might be of interest to business education providers (for providing curriculum that help future managers/leaders to deploy the positive characteristics of narcissism and avoid or not to develop the negative ones) and to future employers to apply more effective human resource practices, i.e. selection, training, rewarding. Originality/value The study at hand aimed to investigate the presence of narcissism and its individual (narcissistic) behavioral dimensions in students studying business in Greece.

scholarly journals Consequences of KPIs and performance management in higher education

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Therése Kairuz ◽  
Lynn Andriés ◽  
Tracy Nickloes ◽  
Ilse Truter
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The core business of universities is learning. Cognitive thinking is critical for learning and the development of new knowledge which are essential in higher education. Creative, reflective and critical thinking are negatively affected by unrealistic demands and stress. The purpose of this paper is to argue that key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance management are detrimental in the higher education sector, as they cause undue stress which impacts negatively on an essential criterion of academia, cognitive thinking. Design/methodology/approach – To explore this issue, the authors discuss the impact of stressful demands in the context of Australian higher education. The paper draws on literature that describes managerialism and on neuroscientific evidence to develop a hypothesis that supports a more holistic approach to human resources management of academics. Findings – Performance management and measures (including KPIs) add to the complex demands of academic work despite a lack of evidence that they are appropriate in the higher education sector. Originality/value – Performance management systems and KPIs undermine creative, reflective and critical thinking. Principles governing education should supersede the ever-growing emphasis that is being placed on quantitative measures and bureaucratic demands in higher education.

Universities as inclusive learning organizations for women?

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Gouthro ◽  
Nancy Taber ◽  
Amanda Brazil
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Learning Organizations ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
Academic Faculty ◽  
Critical Feminist ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of the learning organization, first discussed by Senge (1990), to determine if it can work as a model in the higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach Using a critical feminist framework, this paper assesses the possibilities and challenges of viewing universities as inclusive learning organizations, with a particular focus on women in academic faculty and leadership roles. Findings It argues that, ultimately, the impact of neoliberal values and underlying systemic structures that privilege male scholars need to be challenged through shifts in policies and practices to address ongoing issues of gender inequality in higher education. Originality/value The paper draws attention to the need to bring a critical feminist lens to an analysis of the concept of the learning organization if it is to be perceived as having merit in the higher education sector.

From thinking green to buying green: consumer motivation makes the difference

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marla B. Royne ◽  
Jeff Thieme ◽  
Marian Levy ◽  
Jared Oakley ◽  
Laura Alderson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Marketing Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Motivation ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Targeted Marketing ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need for appropriate green marketing communication strategies to close the gap between consumers’ strong environmental concerns and weak engagement in sustainable behaviors. In doing so, our overarching goal is to provide new direction for creating targeted marketing communication strategies that will more effectively motivate consumer purchasing of green products and services. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a survey approach to collect data and regression analysis to test our hypotheses. Findings The findings suggest that demographic variables (gender, ethnicity and age) as well as concern for waste, concern for health and concern for environmental technology influence five different categories of sustainable behaviors. Research limitations/implications The results suggest that future studies should consider multiple dimensions of environmental concern because each dimension has a different impact on sustainable behaviors. Practical implications The findings contribute to the continued development of a green consumer profile and highlight the need for marketers to carefully select appropriate dimensions of environmental concern to emphasize in their communication strategies. Results also reinforce the need to consider demographics in targeted communications. Originality/value This study considers the impact of different dimensions of environmental concern and demographic variables on different types of sustainable behaviors.

scholarly journals The neoliberal reality of higher education in Australia: how accountingisation is corporatising knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Martin-Sardesai ◽  
James Guthrie AM ◽  
Lee Parker
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Impact

Purpose As accounting academics, the authors know that performance measurement is well-trodden ground in the literature. Yet rarely have they turned their gaze inwards to examine the performance controls which they are subject to in the own everyday working life. Over the past 40 years, the rise of the New Public Management paradigm and neoliberalism has intensified changes in the way universities, disciplines and individual academics justify the quality of their work. This paper aims to explore the impact of accountingisation on the field and the Australian public sector higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach The perceptions of accounting academics in Australia’s 37 business faculties and schools were collected via an online survey. Additionally, a document analysis of annual reports, internal reports, strategy documents and other confidential material were also used. Findings The changes have included the use of corporate and individual research metrics aimed at increasing institutional status, brand reputation and revenue generation. These changes have transformed business schools and universities into commercial enterprises and commoditised education. What this analysis demonstrates is the apparent relationship between various government agendas, the commercialisation of universities and the distortion of the research activities by individual academics. For increased profits and efficiencies, individual scholars have paid the highest price. Practical implications If the accounting discipline is to be sustainable in the long term, business schools in Australia must reconfigure their performance measurement systems. Originality/value To date, research on “accountingisation” has previously been primarily conducted in the health and social services sectors. This research raises rarely heard voices to expose the actual social and human costs of accountingisation in Australia’s higher education sector.

The role of job involvement and career commitment between person–job fit and organizational commitment: a study of higher education sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-130
Author(s):  
Jeevan Jyoti ◽  
Poonam Sharma ◽  
Sumeet Kour ◽  
Harleen Kour
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Career Commitment ◽  
Job Involvement ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeOrganizations try to appoint individuals who fit in with their values and goals. Employees who do not fit in with the organization's core values and goals prefer not to stay on for a longer period of time. The present study is an attempt to explore the impact of person–job (P–J) fit on organizational commitment through job involvement and career commitment with an application of a serial multiple mediation model.Design/methodology/approachData have been collected through a structured questionnaire. The population comprised the teachers, working in the higher education sector. The different constructs used have been duly validated with the help of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further data reliability and scale validity have been checked too. In order to test the serial multiple mediation model, the authors adopted a regression-based approach and bootstrapping method suggested by Hayes (2012; 2013). Accordingly, PROCESS developed by Hayes (2012) has been used.FindingsThe results revealed that job involvement and career commitment mediate the relationship between P–J fit and organizational commitment individually as well as together.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study is confined to government degree colleges only. The element of subjectivity might not have been checked completely as teachers have responded on the basis of their own experience and perceptions regarding the items in the questionnaire. The study is cross sectional in nature.Practical implicationsThe paper addresses the interest of wide spectrum of stakeholders including the management, organizations and employees. So, the authors have extended general implications, which are for all those organizations that want to improve person–organization (P–O) fit and commitment of their employees. These implications will help organizations to take specific initiatives to improve the P–J fit of their employees, which will subsequently enhance their commitment level.Originality/valueThe findings of the present study will help the stakeholders in the higher education sector to identify best employees and undertake the initiatives to generate better job involvement and commitment, which will be a win–win strategy for both (employees as well as the organizations).

scholarly journals Servant leadership and academics outcomes in higher education: the role of job satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Aboramadan ◽  
Khalid Dahleez ◽  
Mohammed H. Hamad
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of servant leadership on work engagement and affective commitment among academics in higher education. Moreover, the paper highlights the role of job satisfaction as an intervening mechanism among the examined variables. Design/methodology/approach Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to academics working in the Palestinian higher education sector. We used structural equation modelling to examine the hypotheses. Findings A positive relationship was found between servant leadership and affective commitment. The relationship between servant leadership and work engagement is fully mediated by job satisfaction, whereas partial mediation was found between servant leadership and affective commitment. Both work engagement and affective commitment have a positive impact on academics’ job performance. Practical implications The paper provides a fertile ground for higher education managers concerning the role of leadership in stimulating work engagement and organisational commitment among academics. Originality/value First, the paper is one of the few studies that empirically examines servant leadership in higher education using data coming from a non-Western context because most of the servant leadership research is conducted in the Western part of the world (Parris and Peachey, 2013). Second, we empirically provide evidence for the argument that servant leadership is needed in higher education. Third, the paper contributes to the limited body of research on work engagement and commitment in the higher education sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document