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.

Communicating science in higher education and research institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-205
Author(s):  
Thorsten Schwetje ◽  
Christiane Hauser ◽  
Stefan Böschen ◽  
Annette Leßmöllmann
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Internal Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Executive Boards ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe paper reports on a research project exploring the change in the organizational context of communicators and communication units in higher education and research institutions (HERIs), the importance of informal processes within their daily work and the great diversity of expectations communicators have to tackle.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, a mixed-methods study combining expert interviews with 54 German HERI heads of communication units, an online-survey and a document analysis of organizational characteristics was conducted. Findings were validated in four focus groups.FindingsThe study illuminates the impact of organizational and operational structures of HERIs on communicators and their boundary spanning activities. Due to varying expectations of stakeholders, communicators constantly have to switch roles. Members of HERIs' executive boards affect status and working conditions for communicators in the organization.Research limitations/implicationsInterviews with other HERI actors, especially members of the executive board, are proposed to get more thorough insights into the organizational context of HERIs and the mutual expectations of different internal stakeholders.Practical implicationsInsights from the project may help HERI actors to reflect their organizational context and to identify potentially contentious structures or processes.Originality/valueCommunicating science sometimes clashes with complex organizational and operational structures. Despite the “organizational turn” in HERI research, there is a lack of data on the relation between communicators, their communication units and the larger organizational context. The exploratory study addresses this gap.

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 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 History of research performance measurement systems in the Australian higher education sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Martin-Sardesai ◽  
James Guthrie ◽  
Stuart Tooley ◽  
Sally Chaplin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
History Of ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

Performance measurement systems (PMSs) are a global phenomenon emanating from new public management (NPM) reforms. While they are now prolific and entrenched, they have attracted criticism based on their design and the manner in which they are applied. The purpose of this article is to explore the history of accounting for research in the Australian higher education sector (HES). It focuses on how successive Australian governments have steered research within the sector through the introduction of PMSs, in line with NPM reforms. Relying on publicly available online policy documents and scholarly literature, the study traces the development of performance measures within the Australian HES from the mid-1980s to 2015. It contributes to literature in management accounting aspects of NPM through the means of management accounting techniques such as PMSs. It also contributes to accounting history literature through an examination of three decades of accounting for research in the Australian HES.

Leadership in universities

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Scott
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
Mass System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider whether recent changes in higher education – notably a tripling of student fees and the withdrawal of most direct public funding for teaching – pose fundamental challenges for the pattern of governance, leadership and management in colleges in universities. It considers the impact not only of these visible, politically‐driven changes but also of less visible and longer‐terms shifts in curriculum, teaching delivery, learning cultures and research organisation.Design/methodology/approachHigher education has changed more than most other publicly funded services. Within the space of two generations it has moved from being a collection of institutions catering for an academically (and socially) selected elite, to become a mass system enrolling almost half of young adults – and an increasing proportion of adult students. Yet its governance and management have been marked by continuity. This paper considers the challenges that this greatly extended role for higher education poses for leadership – but in the context of stable arrangements for governance and management. Higher education leadership is also compared, and contrasted with, leadership in other parts of the public sector.FindingsAlthough higher education has been influenced by the New Public Management, it has changed less than other publicly funded services. Although Vice‐chancellors have taken on many of the trappings of executive leaders, most continue to be drawn from traditional academic backgrounds. Few professional managers have broken through into top leadership roles. Governance arrangements, in particular, have changed little – posing issues of strategic oversight and management accountability. Nevertheless, universities have demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability, experiencing few of the crises (financial and otherwise) common in other parts of the public sector. This apparent paradox may indicate how effective university leadership may be in the context of managing more open and distributed “knowledge” organisations.Originality/valueConventional wisdom, within central government and elsewhere, suggests that higher education may be experiencing a “deficit” in relation to modern leadership cultures. This paper challenges that assumption, suggesting that other parts of the public sector, especially, those employing a large number of expert and autonomous professionals, could learn from the experience of universities.

Student perceptions of the employability of the first degree in Portugal

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 966-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Sin ◽  
Orlanda Tavares ◽  
Alberto Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The paper presents and analyses quantitative data on student perceptions about the employability of the first degree, and their trajectory choices on graduation. The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of the first degree as a positional good in Portugal, further to the degree’s reduced duration after the implementation of the Bologna Process. Design/methodology/approach In total, 828 students responded to an online survey administered between September 2013 and February 2014. Students came from 17 institutions, public and private, universities and polytechnics, across the country. Differences in student perceptions were analysed by higher education sector, study level and gender through descriptive statistics. Findings The majority of surveyed students, across sectors, study level and gender, assessed as negative the impact of the implementation of the Bologna reforms on the employability of the first degree. This had implications for students’ intended choices on graduation, as the majority consider enroling in a master degree (except for polytechnic students). Additionally, a large proportion of students felt unprepared to enter the labour market after the first degree. Research limitations/implications The size and distribution of the sample pose limitations for the generalisation of results to the student population. Practical implications The finding suggest that enrolments in master degrees are likely to keep rising, a valuable piece of information for institutions and policy-makers responsible for regulating higher education in Portugal. Originality/value Opinions about the value of the first degree have generally been based on qualitative research or anecdotal evidence. This study brings a quantitative perspective on the first degree’s value for different groups of students.

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).

Are you my mentor? A study of faculty mentoring relationships in US higher education and the implications for tenure

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-237
Author(s):  
Karen B. Etzkorn ◽  
Ashton Braddock
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Senior Faculty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
Multicampus System ◽  
Higher Education Organizations ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study identifies (1) differences that exist between junior and senior faculty in their beliefs about the impact of mentoring; (2) interest among tenured and tenure-track faculty in participating in a mentoring relationship and (3) the extent to which faculty perceive mentoring as a critical component of the track to tenure.Design/methodology/approachAcross a multicampus system of higher education, 1,017 faculty responded to an anonymous online survey that included both quantitative and open-ended items (response rate 51%).FindingsAlthough all faculty perceive mentoring as valuable, there are significant differences among junior and senior faculty in their beliefs and perceptions about mentoring, as well as their participation in mentoring relationships.Research limitations/implicationsAll five participating campuses operate in the same state under the same governing board, so the findings are not necessarily generalizable to other institutions or populations of faculty.Practical implicationsTo support effective mentoring, it is necessary that higher education organizations institutionalize mentoring and develop a purposeful program in which they train/support mentors and allow for flexibility; it is also critical to solicit input from the faculty at various stages.Originality/valueThis study considered multiple aspects of tenure from multiple institution types within a system of higher education. Furthermore, this study compares junior and senior faculty perceptions and outcomes, which few previous studies have done.

scholarly journals What you see depends on where you look: performance measurement of Australian accounting academics

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1193-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Martin-Sardesai ◽  
James Guthrie ◽  
Basil P. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
University Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
University Leaders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper explores the impact of contemporary calculative practices, termed “accountingisation”, on Australian accounting academics' values. Also, it seeks to understand the rationale underlying the development of various university performance measurement systems (PMSs), and their implementation and evaluation.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach uses accounting academics' responses to an online survey and also semi-structured interviews with senior research-related leaders in a group of Australian universities. This is supplemented by document analysis. A narrative story-telling approach explores and presents the combined data observations, over the period 2010–2018, of two characters: a “typical” accounting academic and a “typical” vice-chancellor.FindingsThe study contributes to the literature on PMSs in understanding “accountingisation”, the rationale behind the development, implementation and evaluation of performance metrics by senior management and its impact on accounting academics. It juxtaposes and unpacks the complexities and nuances of PMSs and provides empirical evidence by highlighting the perceptions of both the Australian accounting academics and senior university management. The findings demonstrate a level of discontent among accounting academics in reconciling the expectations of increased “accountingisation” within university PMSs. These are juxtaposed against the views of senior university leaders who are influential in determining PMSs.Originality/valueThis paper is novel in considering the implications of “accountingisation” in a contemporary setting, focusing on accounting academics, values and individual PMSs within business schools.

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