“Taming the black elephant”: assessing and managing the impacts of COVID-19 on public universities in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry D. Carnegie ◽  
Ann Martin-Sardesai ◽  
Lisa Marini ◽  
James Guthrie AM
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overseas Students ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The Australian higher education sector faces severe risks from the consequences of COVID-19. This paper aims to explore these risks, their immediate impacts and the likely future impacts. The authors specifically focus on the institutional financial and social risks arising from the global pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors collect data using the 2019 annual reports of the 37 Australian public universities and relevant media contributions. The findings of identified sector change are interpreted through Laughlin’s organisational change diagnosis. Findings The sector confronts significant financial and social risks because of its over-reliance on income from fee-paying onshore overseas students resulting in universities primarily undertaking morphostatic changes. These risks include job losses, changing employment conditions, mental health issues for students, scholars, other staff, including casual staff, online learning shortfalls and the student expectations of their university experience. The study reveals how many of these risks are the inevitable consequence of the “accountingisation” of Australian public universities. Practical implications Despite material exposure, the universities provide only limited disclosure of the extent of the risks associated with increasing dependence on overseas student fees to 31 December 2019. The analysis highlights fake accountability and distorted transparency to users of audited financial statements – a major limitation of university annual reports. Originality/value Research on the Australian higher education sector has mainly focussed on the impact of policies and changes. The public disclosure of critical risks taken by these universities are now addressed.

Public universities and impacts of COVID-19 in Australia: risk disclosures and organisational change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry D. Carnegie ◽  
James Guthrie ◽  
Ann Martin-Sardesai
Keyword(s):  
Financial Risk ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overseas Students ◽  
Risk Disclosures

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the COVID-19 pandemic risk disclosures in a sample of annual reports of Australian public universities. These universities rely heavily on fee-paying onshore overseas students. Analysing these risk disclosures is essential to understanding the COVID-19 crisis and the implications for organisational change.Design/methodology/approachDocument analysis and content analysis of the 2019 annual reports of all Victorian public universities were undertaken to identify the disclosure of COVID-19 risk impacts. Applying Laughlin's Habermasian insights of change, the study explores the pathways of change adopted by universities to overcome the risk impacts. However, financial risk disclosures about income from this source were virtually non-existent.FindingsAny risk associated with COVID-19 disclosed was minimal in a qualitative, neutral and constant format. The quality of disclosures was low. Media statements, however, pointed to significant income loss and suggested a strategy of substantial cost-cutting, including employee redundancies, which we identified as morphostatic changes of universities to overcome the risk impacts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study reveals the risk associated with sector's aggressive growth strategy, jeopardising their financial viability and quality of teaching and research.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insights to the Australian higher education sector. The low quality of external risk disclosures of these universities suggests an urgent need for transformation.Originality/valueAustralian public universities play a crucial role in society. This role will be diminished by a failure to disclose and manage significant risks adequately.

scholarly journals ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES ON PROCEDURAL JUSTICE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-239
Author(s):  
Steven Kayambazinthu Msosa ◽  
◽  
Gona Govender ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Purposive Sample

Students in higher education institutions encounter different problems which are normally reported through the appropriate complaints channels. Sometimes institutions and their employees do not address the reported problems on time due to systematic issues such as internal processes or procedures which are cumbersome. This paper assessed the impact of service recovery strategies (speed and empowerment) on procedural justice in higher education institutions. The study was conducted across three public universities in South Africa using a purposive sample of 430 students. The findings showed that speed and empowerment have a positive and significant impact on procedural justice. The findings underpin the importance of fairness in the procedures being used to address student problems. Besides, the study could help faculty and institutional managers to pinpoint areas that are hindering the smooth running of the operations and interface between students and employees of the universities. This study contributes to the literature on procedural justice in the higher education sector and provides an analysis of students' experiences from the developing world where infrastructural and financial challenges contribute to the final recipe.

Organisational change and development towards inclusive higher education

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Louise O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Changing Practice ◽  
Higher Education Culture ◽  
Education Culture ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the impact of organisational policies around inclusion on individual academic practices, and to develop an understanding of the factors which enable or prevent shifts towards inclusion in higher education learning and teaching. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents data from the document analysis phase of a larger research project. To achieve an understanding of the complex process of development towards an inclusive higher education culture within one focal university, the research took a qualitative approach, underpinned by a critical realist perspective which acknowledges and demands the investigation of multiple levels of reality. The documentary analysis presented here used a constant comparative technique. Documents were analysed inductively by the project team, leading to the identification of key emergent themes. Findings – Three themes related to the development of an inclusive higher education culture emerged from the analysis of the data. These were: learner empowerment; changing practice through challenging practice; inclusive practice as good practice. The focal university’s vision for an inclusive culture was expressed inconsistently across data sources, and did not provide clear indications of concrete shifts in practice which would be required in order to enact that vision. Originality/value – The data are analysed and discussed through the lens of socio-cultural theory, allowing for a complex understanding to emerge of the ways in which participation in the valued practices of a university community is affected by the influence of policy and strategy.

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.

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.

scholarly journals What we can learn from elite academic staff publication portfolios: a social network analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-624
Author(s):  
Maria J. Grant ◽  
Robyn R. Lotto ◽  
Ian D. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe study aims to construct an understanding of professional academic writing network structures to inform organisational strategic investment in academic staff development.Design/methodology/approachLongitudinal social network analysis is used to examine the personal-networks evident in the publication portfolios of a purposive sample of four international academics across each quartile of the SCOPUS defined area of General Nursing's top 100 authors.FindingsTrends in the publication portfolios of elite academics across gender, sector and geographic location are presented. In the first years of successful writing for publication, authors collaborate within a single highly connected co-author network. This network will typically expand to include new co-authors, before additional separate co-author collaborations emerge (three- to four- years). Authors experience steady growth in co-author numbers four- to seven- years from first co-authored publication. After a period of rapid expansion, these collaborations coalesce into a smaller number of highly connected groups (eight- to ten- years). Most collaborations occur within the higher education sector and across multiple disciplines including medicine, social sciences and psychology. Male co-authors are disproportionately represented in what is a predominantly female profession.Practical implicationsThe development of extended co-author networks, locally, internationally and across the higher education sector, enable authors to attain the marker of achievement required by universities and government funding bodies, namely sustained output of academic publications. Identified trends support the inclusion of investment in academic time and resources in higher education institutions strategic and operational plans to enable academic staff to develop interdisciplinary professional networks. In focussing this investment on gender equality, female academics will experience parity of opportunity in achieving their organisational and personal goals relating to professional academic writing. Medium-term investment may be required before the impact of that investment becomes apparent.Originality/valueThis is the first example of social network analysis used to determine characteristics of professional academic writing portfolios over time. Findings inform the type and range of investment required to facilitate academic staff writing activities, specifically those publishing in the area of General Nursing.

Examining the relationship between employee indicators of resistance to changes in job conditions and wider organisational change

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seamus McGuinness ◽  
Hugh Cronin
Keyword(s):  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Wage Bargaining ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Job Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Employee Data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use a linked employer-employee data set, the National Employment Survey, to examine the determinants of organisational change and employee resistance to change and, specifically, to examine the influence of employee inflexibility on the implementation of firm-level policies aimed at increasing competitiveness and workforce flexibility. A key finding arising from the research is that while workforce resistance to job-related change often forces firms to seek alternative means of achieving labour flexibility, there appears little that firms can do to prevent such resistance occurring. The presence of HRM staff, consultation procedures, wage bargaining mechanisms, bullying and equality polices, etc. were found to have little impact on the incidence of workforce resistance to changes in job conditions. Design/methodology/approach – The objectives of this paper are twofold: first, the authors model the determinants of a measure of workforce resistance to job-related change and, second, the authors assess the impact of workforce resistance on the probability that firms will implement various wider forms of organisational change using linked employer-employee data. Findings – Workforce resistance to proposed changes in job conditions was found to be lower in organisations employing higher shares of educated workers and also in smaller firms. HRM and employee relations measures were found to have little impact on worker resistance to changing employment conditions, while trade union density was important only with respect to alterations to core terms and conditions. Resistance was found to be important for wider organisational change. Research limitations/implications – From a policy perspective, the key finding arising from the research is that while workforce resistance to job-related change often forces firms to seek alternative means of achieving flexibility, there appears little that firms can do to prevent such resistance occurring or mediating its impacts. The presence of HRM staff, consultation procedures, wage bargaining mechanisms, bullying and equality polices, etc. were found to have little impact on the incidence of workforce resistance to changes in job conditions. Social implications – The results support the hypothesis that the increased use of peripheral workers observed in many aspect of the economy is due, at least in part, to inflexibility among existing workers to take on additional roles and responsibilities. Originality/value – The paper utilises a linked employee-employer data set in a novel way to investigate within firm relationships and tests a number of hypotheses using advanced econometric techniques.

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