Experience of lean application in higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrita Simonyte ◽  
Roma Adomaitiene ◽  
Darius Ruzele
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Lean Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the concept of Lean; however, the Lean concept in higher education institutions (HEIs) is still not very popular, and these institutions face challenges in implementing Lean activities. The purpose of this study is to identify worldwide experiences of Lean implementation in HEIs and to share best practices of Lean implementation. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted by surveying 34 Lean practitioners from HEIs. Findings This study outlined the importance of the complexity of the community and its processes as the main barrier for Lean implementation in the HEI. The study highlighted that Lean determined positive change in the institutions and that strong leadership, commitment of top management as well as good communication and teamwork were the keys to successful implementation of Lean. Research limitations/implications This study provides valuable insights and aspects of implementation and maintenance of Lean initiatives in HEIs around the world; however, a detailed analysis would require a larger number of respondents. Practical implications This study proposes that practitioners implementing Lean in HEIs should identify barriers, plan their activities and take into account success factors. According to the results of this study, managers of HEIs should deal with the main barrier – the complexity of the community and its processes. In addition, they should carry out employees’ and Lean facilitators’ training on Lean and ensure that the main success factors such as strong leadership practices, senior management’s commitment, good communication and teamwork are present. Originality/value This study adds to the existing knowledge on global experiences of applying Lean in HEIs.

Using enterprise social networks as a knowledge management tool in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Corcoran ◽  
Aidan Duane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Social Networks ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The management of organisational knowledge and the promotion of staff knowledge sharing are largely neglected in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to examine how enterprise social networks can enable staff knowledge sharing in communities of practice in that context. Design/methodology/approach The study is framed as an Action Research project, covering three cycles over a 12-month period. During the Diagnosing phase, a conceptual model was developed for empirical testing. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews and a number of focus groups. This was supplemented by content analysis and reflective journaling. Findings The findings support the conceptual model and provide insight into the antecedents necessary for the creation of an enterprise social network-enabled knowledge-sharing environment, the motivators for and barriers to participation, and the perceived organisational and individual benefits of increased staff knowledge-sharing activity. Research limitations/implications As the study has a higher education focus, all of the findings may not be generalizable to other types of organisation. Further development of the conceptual model and testing in other contextual settings will yield greater generalizability. Practical implications A number of findings have practical implications for the management of higher education institutions, such as the evidence of a divide between faculty and other staff. In general, the study findings provide an opportunity for educationalists to better understand the scope and impact of employing social media platforms for knowledge sharing. Originality/value This paper adds to the growing body of work on organisational implementations of social media, and should be of interest to practitioners and researchers undertaking similar projects.

Proposal for sustainability action archetypes for higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Elíseo Fernandes Sanches ◽  
Matheus Leite Campos ◽  
Luiz Eduardo Gaio ◽  
Marcio Marcelo Belli
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Business Models ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should assume their role as leaders in the search for a sustainable future. Consequently, such institutions need to incorporate sustainability into their activities. However, this needs to be done holistically and not with isolated and independent actions. Therefore, this study aims to develop a structure of sustainability action archetypes to help HEIs holistically incorporate sustainability in their strategies. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature was conducted focusing on the subject of sustainability in HEIs. Findings A structure of sustainability action archetypes for HEIs was proposed. Further, based on scientific literature, examples of actions were presented within each archetype. Practical implications This study provides HEI administrators and other organizations with a practical structure to enable the systemic incorporation of sustainability objectives and actions into institutional activities. Originality/value This study adapts the tool “sustainable business model archetypes” for a new purpose. This tool was initially developed to classify innovations of sustainable business models.

Prioritised challenges and critical success factors for delivering quality education in Malaysian private higher education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-492
Author(s):  
Azilah Anis ◽  
Rafikul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hierarchical Model ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a hierarchical model to rank the challenges faced by the private Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs) in the provision of quality education and subsequently their corresponding critical success factors (CSFs) to address those challenges. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mix method was adopted in this study. Semi-structured interviews with 29 participants were initially conducted to identify the challenges and CSFs. This was followed by a questionnaire survey involving 158 respondents to prioritise the identified findings. Thematic analysis was conducted in the qualitative stage, uncovering the challenges and their corresponding CSFs. Data for both stages were accumulated from internal and external stakeholders of Malaysian private HEIs. Finally, the four stages of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) were applied to rank the challenges and CSFs. Findings The qualitative stage identified eight challenges, i.e. “academics”, “facilities”, “students”, “programmes and curriculum”, “competition”, “accreditation”, “finance” and “research” together with their corresponding CSFs. The AHP enables the ranking of these challenges. “Finance” has been found to be the most crucial challenge and “high competency in managing the institution’s finance” as the most important CSF to address this challenge. Research limitations/implications As the study restricted its focus on Malaysian private HEIs, the results may not be generalised for public HEIs and foreign private HEIs operating in Malaysia. Originality/value The hierarchical model developed in this study is deemed important for implementation to resolve the prioritised challenges. It spells out the specific areas in which the resources of Malaysian private HEIs need to be prudently disbursed and properly managed.

Student preferences for slogans of higher-education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-669
Author(s):  
Andriy Kovalenko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Prospective Students ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Student Preferences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Promotional Materials ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The slogans adopted by higher-education institutions usually target all college stakeholders without differentiation, even though these stakeholders may have quite different connections to the organization. The purpose of this paper is to understand whether there is a relationship between students’ cultural backgrounds and their preferences for slogans of higher-education institutions. Design/methodology/approach The study utilized a survey for data collection. In total, 295 participants answered questions about preferences for slogans appealing to purchase or product involvement, and individualistic or collectivist values. Findings The results suggest that participants from both collectivist and individualistic societies prefer slogans that appeal to the values pertinent to their respective cultures. Representatives of both groups preferred slogans referring to the benefits of education over slogans describing features of particular institutions. Practical implications Slogans with messages appealing to people from collectivist and individualistic messages cultures should be included in promotional materials and distributed among corresponding audiences. Slogans for prospective students should refer to the advantages of studying in a particular institution, while current students should be targeted with slogans that encourage dedicated studying in general. Originality/value The findings contribute to the understanding of factors increasing effectiveness of higher-education slogans. It is also one of the first studies of how students from India (Punjab and Kerala states) and the Philippines process promotional materials from western educational institutions.

Career dynamics in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 825-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehuda Baruch ◽  
A. Uday Bhaskar ◽  
Bijaya Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
National Level ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Career Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a career-orientation and employability-focused model in the Indian context in order to understand: factors influencing employability of graduates factors influencing expected salary gain. Design/methodology/approach The researchers adopted a quantitative method using a two-wave survey with a sample of MBA graduates from two prominent business schools in India. The total sample size for Wave I was 250, while for Wave II it was 161. The model was tested via hierarchical regression with MBA contribution as a moderator. Findings Results indicate the relevance of protean career orientation (PCO) to reaching career outcomes such as employability, with MBA contribution as a moderator. Practical implications The study provides a new perspective that would enhance graduates’ employability. This makes it relevant for both individuals and higher education institutions as it will help both individuals and higher education institutions to attain competitiveness at the national level. Originality/value The career theory was extended to the diverse socio-cultural and economic context of India, representing the BRICS economy.

Synergizing education, research, campus operations, and community engagements towards sustainability in higher education: a literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1015-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Menon ◽  
M. Suresh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Universities And Colleges ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Sustainability In Higher Education ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The UN proclamation of 2005–2014 as the decade of education for sustainable development has been instrumental in creating awareness and driving higher education institutions (HEIs) in integrating sustainability into their system. The purpose of this paper is to explore and encapsulate practices adopted by universities and colleges across the globe in integrating sustainability in education (here refers to curriculum and pedagogy), research, campus operations and outreach programs. Design/methodology/approach The review analyzed 229 peer-reviewed research studies in the time period 2005–2018 selected from 44 journals. The literature review was done in phases. The first phase was the selection of the database, the second phase was refining the database by eliminating irrelevant studies and the last phase was distributing selected studies on the basis of the journal, year and country of publication, research paradigm, sustainability integration in higher education, teaching techniques adopted by HEIs and research focus in publications. Findings This study contributes to the literature review of sustainability in higher education. From the literature review, it is evident that sustainability has made inroads into HEIs, but only a few universities have been successful in implementing it holistically, integrating all the triple bottom line dimensions in balance. Practical implications The study has practical implications for HEIs planning to integrate sustainability into teaching and learning and other aspects of educational practices. The findings and the examples of successful implementation of sustainable education by institutions around the world would help universities and colleges in formulating policies, strategies and practices that would promote sustainability on campuses. Originality/value The literature reviews on sustainability in higher education so far have focused either on curricula, pedagogical approaches, assessment and reporting or barriers and solutions. This study attempts to offer a comprehensive view of the initiatives adopted by the institutions in incorporating sustainability in education, research, campus operations and outreach programs.

The intellectual capital of higher education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénia Pedro ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Core Components ◽  
Type Of Institution ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an innovative operational proposal for measuring the intellectual capital (IC) of higher education institutions (HEIs) through a strategic prospective lens of analysis.Design/methodology/approachAfter providing a literature review on the methods for measuring IC that focuses on the organisational IC of HEIs, four case studies applied to Portuguese HEIs are presented, using a matrix of cross-referenced impacts – multiplications applied to a classification (MICMAC) approach.FindingsThe empirical findings reveal how human capital, structural capital and relational capital make up the core components and provide a fairly diversified list of the measurement indicators for the operational evaluation of the IC of HEIs.Practical implicationsIt contributes into the literature of strategic prospective analysis of HEIs by: analysing the measurement systems for the organisational IC interrelated with HEIs; identifying the key components to the organisational IC of HEIs and their respective measurement indicators; and draufting a new method for operationally implementing organisational IC through the systematic application of the components and indicators identified.Originality/valueThrough an innovative vision, the present study reconciles and systematically structures the methods already proposed by other authors before presenting an innovative operational approach and an alternative to the already existing methods. In addition, the structure of this proposal itself enables HEIs to choose from among the various indicators proposed for IC, correspondingly those that best align with the type of institution under evaluation.

Role ambiguity in entrepreneurship education: expectation gaps between educators and students in venture creation courses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aki Harima ◽  
Agnieszka Kroczak ◽  
Martina Repnik
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Role Ambiguity ◽  
Role Theory ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Venture Creation ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aims to explore expectation gaps concerning the roles between educators and students in the context of venture creation courses at higher education institutions by investigating their mutual perspectives. The authors seek to answer the following research questions: (1) how is the role expectation toward the entrepreneurship education of teachers different from that of students and (2) what are the consequences of these expectation gaps in entrepreneurship education?Design/methodology/approachThis study applies an explorative qualitative approach. As the research setting, the authors selected an entrepreneurship education course for advanced management students at a German public university. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with both educators and students to examine how role ambiguity emerges in venture creation courses.FindingsThis study identified discrepancies between educators and students in their fundamental assumptions regarding the role of educators and students. Such discrepancies are the autonomy-level assumption gap, capacity assumption gap and learning outcomes expectation gap. Based on the findings, this study develops a framework of expectation gaps between educators and students as sources for role ambiguity in entrepreneurship education by extending the role episode model developed in role theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the extant literature on entrepreneurship education in several ways. First, this study reveals that students in venture creation programs can encounter role ambiguity due to differing expectations about their role between educators and students, which can negatively affect the students' perception of their learning outcome. Second, this study discovered that the possible discrepancies regarding the fundamental assumptions about the role of educators and students pose a challenge to educators. Third, the findings illuminate the importance of understanding the complex identity of students in the context of student-centered entrepreneurship education.Practical implicationsThis study offers several practical implications for entrepreneurship educators in higher education institutions. First, this study reveals the confusion among students concerning their role in entrepreneurship education. As such, it is recommended that educators explain to students the purpose of the student-centered pedagogical approach and the expected role of students in acting as independent entrepreneurial agents. Second, while student-centered entrepreneurship education is based on the fundamental assumption that students are motivated to develop their own startup projects, educators must consider the nature of students' motivation and their overall student-life situation. Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of creating an active feedback loop so that entrepreneurship teachers can be aware of such perceptional gaps between educators and students and understand the sources of these gaps.Originality/valueWhile the extant literature indicates the existence of perceptual gaps between educators and students in the context of entrepreneurship education, how these gaps emerge and influence the outcome of entrepreneurship education remained unclear. One critical reason for the under-investigation of this issue was that existing studies predominantly emphasize the educators' perspectives, although such expectation gaps can only emerge through the discrepant views of two different parties. This study tackled this research gap by considering the mutual perspective of educators and students by applying role theory.

scholarly journals A framework for work-based learning: basic pillars and the interactions between them

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reina Ferrández-Berrueco ◽  
Tauno Kekale ◽  
David Devins
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Programme Planning ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – European policy is placing an increasing emphasis on involving employers and labour market institutions in the design and delivery of higher education (HE) programmes that match curricula to current and future needs of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the curriculum development process for work-based learning (WBL) programmes and to connect it to the basic pillars, organizational and pedagogical strategies and key stages that enable higher education institutions (HEIs) to foster students’ learning, employability and innovation. Design/methodology/approach – Case studies of 14 European WBL programmes in HE are reported using interviews and document analysis. These case studies are used to develop a final framework and examples of practice. Findings – A framework was designed to develop WBL programmes that include three basic pillars and the interactions between them to enhance learning quality (doctrine), provide authentic experiences (authenticity) and respect the ways of developing and delivering WBL (culture). Research limitations/implications – While selecting the cases on this “best practices” basis, some important pitfalls were not discussed. Thus, rather than offering a definitive theory, the authors provide a framework of issues that should at least be taken into account in the different stages of planning, delivery and reflection. Practical implications – The framework is simultaneously a kind of “checklist” for WBL curriculum developers. Originality/value – The research presents 14 case studies from programmes recognized in six European countries and develops an original WBL programme planning, delivery and evaluation framework that can also be used as a checklist for HEIs offering WBL programmes.

Benchmarking towards excellence in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 617-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Tasopoulou ◽  
George Tsiotras
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Academic Excellence ◽  
Educational Organizations ◽  
Performance Measurements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which higher education institutions can benefit from the implementation of benchmarking practices. Thus, the aim of this research is to point out the structure and applications of quality improvement, by providing evidence for understanding the implementation of benchmarking as a competing tool for excellence in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach The methodology followed in this paper is based on a method approach, including both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Research is based on 20 case studies of universities committed to excellence around the world. Data collection was accomplished by a well-designed questionnaire on how quality improvement can be accomplished through benchmarking practices. Findings The findings of this research indicate that benchmarking can improve academic excellence by means of comparison and assessment. The study finds that process performance measurements can bring considerable outcomes of enhancement, improvement and transformation in higher education systems. Practical implications This research on benchmarking in higher education institutions provides exemplar standpoints and practices for the pursuit of excellence in educational organizations, in order to gain additional knowledge and paradigm on quality improvement that can lead to excellence. Considering the population of rankings worldwide, the main idea is linked to benchmarking and the acceptance of being compared to others in the sector. Originality/value The value of this paper lies in the identification and presentation of several ideas and tools which can successfully be applied to higher education institutions in order to achieve excellence by using benchmarking practices.

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