Innovation and alliances in international management programmes; redefining and extending the model

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-108
Author(s):  
Mark Thomas ◽  
Patrick O'Sullivan ◽  
Martin Zahner ◽  
Joelle Silvestre

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative international management programme that has been developed across four countries for Master-level students. It first analyses the advantages and disadvantages of two of the most common forms of internationalisation in higher education; the student exchange and full-scale offshore campus model. It then shows how one programme at Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) has been designed to capture the best parts of both models in the creation of a hybrid, transcontinental programme. This has resulted in the creation of high quality international education for a large number of students whilst further developing a stronger alliance network between faculties and the business community. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the advantages and disadvantages of two forms of internationalisation. From there, it draws upon a case study of a hybrid programme based on discussions with faculty and students from four internationally accredited business schools in Vancouver, New York, Grenoble and Beijing. It is supplemented with research on the development of international higher education. Findings – International exchange programmes and offshore international campuses can enrich the learning experience for students. However, there are limitations to both models. A hybrid model, though more complex to develop may have a much deeper impact on student learning and faculty development while also offering graduates a greater number of international employment opportunities. The paper outlines some best practices and preliminary learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications – The transcontinental project is relatively new being in its third year. Initial results are very positive, but the full implications will be understood in the coming years. Practical implications – The paper outlines a framework for joint academic programmes overseas. It demonstrates that by assessing the pros and cons of different forms of international development, a third way can be designed to ensure a richer experience for students, faculty and the business community. Originality/value – The programmes are designed to include a greater number of stakeholders and involve teaching, research and corporate participation. This contrasts with many international ventures in higher education institutions that may deal with only one aspect. The paper gives a clear framework for the creation of such programmes. It will be of value to academics, administrators and directors wishing to innovate in their international development for the benefit of their students and faculty.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary K. Swanson ◽  
Brian A. Swanson

Purpose This paper aims to focus on enhancing the learning experience for both expatriate academics and students in international higher education institutions (HEIs) through understanding students’ cultural perspectives, analyzing student feedback and evaluating faculty placement strategies. The analysis can be used to aid international educational programs in understanding student values and increasing the quality of instructor–student interaction. Design/methodology/approach This research surveyed over 1,300 undergraduate students enrolled in a US and Chinese dual-degree program located in China. A voluntary survey with open and closed questions assessed the cultural values of students, and the cultural values and behavior they believe are important for their instructors to observe in the classroom. Findings The results of this case study suggest that students’ perceived importance of Western cultural values demonstrated only one significant change during their time of enrollment in a US degree program. However, the research indicates that the importance of Chinese cultural values decreased from the students’ first year to their fourth year. Some notable propositions include the importance of culturally competent and experienced faculty in the students’ early US courses and data-driven recommendations for placement, training and development of new foreign faculty to increase the likelihood of a satisfactory experience for both the faculty and students in the cross-border classroom. Originality/value Ultimately, this research can aid international HEI’s by enabling enhanced student and instructor experiences and superior HR practices in the less observed area of faculty placement. These improved practices can contribute to the quality and sustainability of such international programs. In addition, this research provides perspective on the impact of international education on student cultural values and presents student feedback to increase understanding of student expectations and desires in the international classroom.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Venugopal Prabhakar Gantasala ◽  
Swapna Bhargavi Gantasala ◽  
Tareq Na'el Al Tawil ◽  
Prerana Prasad

PurposeThe intention for this study was to explore any relationship that might exist between quality of learning experience (QLE), the second construct student satisfaction (SS) and the third construct perceived overall experience (POE) among undergraduate students within the higher education context. This study also attempts to explain the path direction between QLE, SS and POE.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers utilized structural equation modeling to analyze the variables considered for this study – QLE, SS and POE and for hypotheses testing. Respondents for this study were medical students' coordinators of the undergraduate level of medical colleges in the 28 states of India. Data collected for the study were possible by utilizing a questionnaire that was emailed to these student coordinators. The emailing effort returned 198 (n) filled questionnaires (complete) representing 198 institutions offering undergraduate-level medical programs out of a total of 542 institutions that offer undergraduate medical programs.FindingsFindings from this study confirm the relationship between QLE with SS, and PLE. Interestingly, the findings established a significant relationship between SS and POE.Practical implicationsDecision-makers and administrators of higher education institutions (HEIs) can utilize the findings from this study to focus on strengthening important elements of QLE in ways that positively impact SS and POE of students taking online courses and program offerings. The study reiterates the importance of course content, course structure, lecture-delivery quality, instructor mentoring and student-instructor interactions on SS and POE. The role of SS in reinforcing confirmation, perceived usefulness, perceived openness of the online courses and the perceived reputation was established. This relationship is key to administrators while they focus on improving SS and building on the institutions' reputation in addition to their efforts to support marketing and enrollments during the pandemic.Originality/valueResearchers in the past have examined the relationships between QLE and another construct of this study – SS. Past research has also examined the relationship between QLE and POE. However, there is not enough research exploring the relationship between SS and POE. This study establishes the relationship between SS and POE that benefits decision-makers in higher education.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenggui Duan ◽  
Tracy K. Lee

Purpose Free and open-source software (FOSS) has been used worldwide because of the advantages of user control, cost-saving, flexibility, openness, freedom, more security and better stability. The purpose of this study is to explore the status quo of educational application of FOSS and the trends from international perspectives and its implications for higher education in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The method of cluster analysis was used in this study. The Web of Science database was used as the data source and all relevant literature for the year 2010–2020 on the theme of “FOSS” was collected for analysis. The information visualization software CiteSpace was used for citation visualization analysis, revealing the research results of FOSS worldwide, including hot spots and development trends. Findings This paper found that FOSS has become an important research area and is playing an important role in the reform and development of education. Meanwhile, the development and application of FOSS have regional imbalances and strong differentiation, including the educational sector. The paper also found that although FOSS has entered the stage of interdisciplinary development, the research and development of FOSS in the field of education is insufficient, which poses a huge challenge to decision-makers, teachers and students. Originality/value Implications for higher education in Hong Kong including: attach importance to and vigorously promote FOSS research and practice to benefit more teachers and students; teachers and students need to be trained for acquiring the awareness and skills of FOSS applications and formulate different strategies; the government should provide greater support to formulate and implement a short and middle-term development plan to facilitate the application of FOSS; and Hong Kong higher education institutions may strengthen exchanges and cooperation with counterparts around the world to jointly promote the development of FOSS. It is hoped that the findings will provide a reference for the study and application of FOSS in higher education in Hong Kong.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 209-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Van Allen ◽  
Stacy Katz

Purpose Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning materials openly licensed so that others may retain, reuse, revise, remix or redistribute (the 5Rs) these materials. This paper aims to raise awareness of OER by providing a rationale for using these learning materials and a strategy for educators to get started with OER during the collective crisis and beyond. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad research base and anecdotes from personal experience, the authors make the case that OER improves student access to learning materials and improves the learning experience in both PK-12 and higher education contexts. Findings The authors define and describe the benefits of OER to provide practical suggestions educators can implement during the pandemic and beyond. Practical implications To support educators in finding and using OER, this paper highlights repositories that include a breadth of various learning materials across subject areas and educational contexts. The authors provide specific suggestions for finding, personalizing and contextualizing OER. Originality/value This work not only provides an overview of OER with particular considerations for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic but also makes the case that OER should be integrated into classrooms beyond the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Mac-lean ◽  
Luis Santiago Vargas ◽  
Gonzalo Uribe ◽  
Cristian Aldea ◽  
Lorna Lares ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a panoramic and systematic view of 10 Sustainable Campus Network (SCN) universities’ internal entities in charge of the sustainability effort – such as offices, committees, units, programs, or other, showing how some institutions have gained increasing deployment and momentum. However, their appearance and growth pathways have had significant disparities. Design/methodology/approach Global and local agendas have had a strong influence on Chilean higher education institutions. A relevant signal has been the creation of the SCN, formed by 21 Chilean universities, whose vision is to help shape a fair and environmentally healthy civilization contributing from the higher education realm. This work adopts a survey design methodological approach. It describes the following resulting components obtained from the aggregated data: (a) emergence processes and environments, (b) governance models and operational mechanisms, (c) networks and collaboration, and (d) final products generated, for sustainability governing entities within universities in Chile. Findings The main findings indicate that at the institutional level, the Cleaner Production Agreement for higher education institutions and the creation of the SCN have been key drivers in the formalization of several entities leading the sustainability efforts within Chilean universities. Also, regarding the degree of commitment to sustainability, the most active internal stakeholder corresponds to students. Originality/value The present work represents a pioneering effort in the Chilean context to identify and systematize the challenges, organizational structures, and key accomplishments of sustainability governing entities in higher education nationwide.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamdevula Subrahmanyam ◽  
Bellamkonda Raja Shekhar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the antecedents of student satisfaction and tests the interrelationships between student satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The study used survey research design and collected valid sample 738 from the three oldest public universities in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Findings The study extracted four antecedents: academic facilities, administration services, support services and campus infrastructure. The results established that student motivation serves as a mediation role between satisfaction and loyalty and also proved a direct effect of student satisfaction on student loyalty. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on student satisfaction and motivation, as these two constructs are the most important inputs in the creation of student loyalty. Student satisfaction and motivation have been found to be critical inputs for the development of student loyalty. Practical implications This research helps the management in acquiring a better understanding of the relationship between student satisfaction, motivation and loyalty, to exercise better strategies to improve its own performance and ultimately to well understand student priorities. Social implications The Indian higher education institutions are facing enormous issues related to quality in education. Changes in the requirements of higher education and related services as well as intense competition have necessitated higher performance levels in the realm of Indian higher education (universities). The key issues examined in the course of the authors research along with the findings can help in achieving such levels. Originality/value The present research contribute to the existing field of knowledge by providing support for the contention that student satisfaction is a key influencing factor in the creation of student loyalty and in the development of the mediation role of motivation between student satisfaction and loyalty.


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane Dawson ◽  
Bruce Burnett ◽  
Mark O'Donohue

PurposeThis paper demonstrates the need for the higher education sector to develop and implement scaleable, quantitative measures that evaluate community and establish organisational benchmarks in order to guide the development of future practices designed to enhance the student learning experience.Design/methodology/approachLiterature regarding contemporary Australian higher education policy and community development is critiqued to illustrate the need for universities to adopt scaleable quantitative measures to evaluate stated strategic imperatives and establish organisational benchmarks. The integration of organisational benchmarks guides the implementation of future practices designed to enhance the student learning experience. A current active exemplar methodology is discussed to demonstrate applicability to both higher education administrators and teaching staff across the various organisation levels.FindingsWhile universities are promoting and investing in the concept of community to enhance the student learning experience there are as yet, limited scaleable evaluative measures and performance indicators to guide practitioners. This paper proposes an effective measurement tool to benchmark current pedagogical performance standards and monitor the progress and achievement of future implemented practices designed to enhance the sense of community experienced by the student cohort.Originality/valueThis paper identifies and addresses the current absence of effective scaleable evaluative measures to assess the achievement of stated strategic imperatives implemented as a consequence of reducing government financial support, increasing accountability, and increasing student expectations as result of educational consumerism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireilla Bikanga Ada ◽  
Mark Stansfield ◽  
Gavin Baxter

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate an area of growing importance that is widely recognised in the literature relating to the issue of how to improve ways that assessments and feedback are provided to students within higher education. This paper reports on a study that aimed to explore the views of both educators (n=70) and students (n=540) on feedback and feed-forward at a UK university. The study also investigated their experience and attitudes to social media applications as a means of enhancing access to feedback within the context of mobile learning. Design/methodology/approach The research approach adopted in this study predominately conforms to a quantitative research design though embeds elements of qualitative research via a “mixed methods” approach. The overall methodology of the paper adheres to an exploratory case study in a higher education environment to identify various issues and approaches that could be addressed or enhanced to aid ways that assessments and feedback are disseminated to students within higher education. Findings Participants’ views were sought in relation to students receiving learning materials, as well as feedback from tutors directly to their smartphones and mobile devices. In addition, the study explored possible reasons for students not wanting to use social media and mobile devices for their learning and feedback. Overall, the results indicated a positive attitude on the part of educators and students to using mobile devices and social media applications for teaching and learning purposes. Research limitations/implications The case study presented in this paper draws on findings from one higher educational institution. Further research is required to determine the generalisability of the findings to allow comparison of the findings to be undertaken within other higher education institutions. Originality/value The originality of the paper is that it provides detailed empirical evidence and findings that provide several important implications in relation to enhancing the student learning experience and providing considerable improvements to the way that feedback is provided that make it more likely that students will take more notice to feedback and act upon it. This in turn enables educators to better plan and manage their teaching and student experience online and through students’ mobile devices. The value of this study is that it explores views of both educators and students, whereas many other previous studies tend to focus on the views of either educators or students.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-467
Author(s):  
Helen St Clair-Thompson ◽  
Carla Chivers

Purpose It is well established that there are several benefits of taking a placement year, for example, higher academic attainment, the acquisition of transferable skills and enhanced employability. It is therefore important to understand why students choose to take or not to take a placement. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In the current study, 159 first year students studying psychology were asked about their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of taking a psychology professional placement year. Their responses were analysed using thematic analysis, and the number of participants who provided information relating to each main theme was also tabulated. Findings Students perceived the main benefits of placements as relating to career certainty, future prospects, experience, knowledge and skills. In contrast, they perceived the main disadvantages as practical disadvantages, social/emotional disadvantages, difficulty, and there being no guaranteed benefit of a placement. Practical implications The results are discussed in terms of their potential to inform practices for developing and enhancing psychology placements within higher education. For example, providing further empirical evidence of the benefits of placements may help staff in higher education to further promote placement years. Originality/value The study contributes to the knowledge of perceived advantages and disadvantages of taking a placement in psychology. Placements in psychology are likely to be very beneficial for employability, but are often only available on a voluntary basis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth L. Ayres

Purpose This paper focuses on the importance of impact in higher education from a strategic perspective, exploring its value to institutions, learners and prospective students in today’s higher education context, using the UK as a case study. The increasing prominence of impact assessment in higher education is discussed, with consideration given to the operational structures, tools and approaches which can be adopted to monitor and evaluate the impact of any strategic project or initiative introduced by a higher education provider. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a strategic view of impact assessment in today’s higher education landscape. Findings The significance of impact assessment in higher education is discussed from a strategic perspective, drawing upon relevant studies, UK Government policy and initiatives. Consideration is given to the tools and approaches that can be adopted by higher education providers in assessing the impact of any strategic initiatives and projects that have been implemented. Originality/value The paper is of value to 'any higher education provider that is currently undertaking, or planning to deliver large-scale strategic projects and initiatives which have been designed to enhance the student learning experience.


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