scholarly journals Prevalence of POE in UK higher education institutions

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Riley ◽  
Alison Cotgrave ◽  
Noora Kokkarinen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the extent to which Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is understood and applied within higher education institutions across the UK and identify users’ perceptions of its efficacy. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methodology was applied to this research. Part one consisted of an online survey intended to generate an overview of the extent of POE use across the sector. The second phase, intended to develop greater insight and understanding of users’ perceptions of POE, relied upon in-depth interviews with a smaller sample drawn those who had completed the survey in part one. Findings – Differing models of POE are used within higher education institutions with varying degrees of complexity. Models exist that are based on standard structures and templates, whilst entirely bespoke options have been developed by some institutions. The work found that there is a clear preference for applying bespoke methods rather than standardised ones. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a sample of Directors of Estates (DOEs) from UK Universities. The conclusions relate specifically to that sector and context. The extent for broader generalisation is limited by the research sample. Practical implications – The work shows that POE is understood to have differing purpose and effectiveness in individual Universities. As a result there has been a proliferation in the number of models developed and applied. This leads to the conclusion that more coherent and consistent understanding should be promoted within the sector. Social implications – The work has implications for the effective management of university buildings to support user satisfaction. Originality/value – This paper indicates that there is prevalence of applying POE processes in higher education institutions and that specific models have been developed for the sector. However, the extent to which the process is valued and understood is highly variable.

Characteristics of UK higher education institutions that disclose sustainability reports

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1279-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remmer Sassen ◽  
Dominik Dienes ◽  
Johanna Wedemeier
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to focus on the following research question: Which institutional characteristics are associated with sustainability reporting by UK higher education institutions? Design/methodology/approach To answer the aforementioned research question, this study uses logistic regression. Findings The results show that 17 per cent of the UK higher education institutions report on their sustainability (July 2014). In line with legitimacy and stakeholder theory, logistic regressions provide evidence that the larger the size of the institution, the higher the probability of reporting. By contrast, high public funding decreases this probability. Research limitations/implications The findings show characteristics of higher education institutions that support or hamper sustainability reporting. Overall, the findings imply a lack of institutionalisation of sustainability reporting among higher education institutions. Originality/value Although a lot of research has been done on corporate sustainability reporting, only a small number of studies have addressed the issues of sustainability reporting of higher education institutions. This study covers all sustainability reports disclosed among the 160 UK higher education institutions. It is the first study that investigates characteristics of higher education institutions that disclose a sustainability report.

scholarly journals The culture of scientific research

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Joynson ◽  
Ottoline Leyser
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Nuffield Council ◽  
The World ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Of Research

In 2014, the UK-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics carried out a series of engagement activities, including an online survey to which 970 people responded, and 15 discussion events at universities around the UK to explore the culture of research in the UK and its effect on ethical conduct in science and the quality of research. The findings of the project were published in December 2014 and the main points are summarised here. We found that scientists are motivated in their work to find out more about the world and to benefit society, and that they believe collaboration, multidisciplinarity, openness and creativity are important for the production of high quality science. However, in some cases, our findings suggest, the culture of research in higher education institutions does not support or encourage these goals or activities. For example, high levels of competition and perceptions about how scientists are assessed for jobs and funding are reportedly contributing to a loss of creativity in science, less collaboration and poor research practices. The project led to suggestions for action for funding bodies, research institutions, publishers and editors, professional bodies and individual researchers.

scholarly journals Employability in higher education: a review of key stakeholders' perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Cheng ◽  
Olalekan Adekola ◽  
JoClarisse Albia ◽  
Sanfa Cai
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Employment Rate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
The Uk

PurposeEmployability is a key concept in higher education. Graduate employment rate is often used to assess the quality of university provision, despite that employability and employment are two different concepts. This paper will increase the understandings of graduate employability through interpreting its meaning and whose responsibility for graduate employability from the perspectives of four key stakeholders: higher education institutions, students, government and employers.Design/methodology/approachThere are two stages to this literature review which was undertaken across bibliographic databases. The first stage builds a conceptual understanding of employability, relating to definition and how employability can be achieved and enhanced from the perspective of stakeholders. A structured search employing Boolean searches was conducted using a range of terms associated with key stakeholders. The second round of review drew on documentary analysis of official statements, declarations, documents, reports and position papers issued by key stakeholders in the UK, available online.FindingsIt reveals that responsibility for employability has been transferred by the UK government to higher education institutions, despite clear evidence that it needs to be shared by all the key stakeholders to be effective. In addition, there is a gap between employers' expectation for employability and the government's employability agenda.Originality/valueThis article highlights that solely using employment rate statistics as a key indicator for employability will encourage the practice of putting employers' needs above knowledge creation and the development of academic disciplines, with the consequence that higher education will become increasingly vocation driven.

scholarly journals Integrated reporting in UK higher education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 844-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeer Hassan ◽  
Mahalaximi Adhikariparajuli ◽  
Mary Fletcher ◽  
Ahmed Elamer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
International Integrated Reporting Council ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose This paper aims to examine trends in the content of reporting within 135 UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It explores the extent to which integrated reporting (IR) content elements, reflecting integrated thinking, are disclosed voluntarily and whether HEI-specific features influence the resulting disclosures. Design/methodology/approach Existing IR guidelines given by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and the adoption of content analysis have provided the opportunity to examine the trend and extent of IR content elements associated in HEI corporate reports. The evidence was obtained from 405 UK HEI annual reports covering the period 2014-2016. Findings The results indicate a significant increase in the number of IR content elements embedded in HEI annual reports. The HEI-specific characteristics examined, such as the establishment of HEI (before or after 1992), adoption of IR framework and size of HEI, are all significantly and positively associated with IR content elements disclosure. This paper argues that institutional theory, isomorphism and isopraxism are relevant for explaining the changes in the contents of HEI annual reports. The findings also suggest that universities are beginning to adopt an integrated thinking approach to the reporting of their activities. Research limitations/implications The study is based on IR content elements only and could be extended to include the fundamental concepts and basic principles of the IR framework. There are other factors that have a potentially crucial influence on HEI core activities (such as teaching and learning research and internationalisation) which have been omitted from this study. Practical implications The findings will allow policymakers to evaluate the extent to which integrated thinking is taking place and influencing the UK HEI sector in the selection and presentation of information. A further implication of the findings is that an appropriate a sector-wide enforcement and compliance body, for instance, the British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG), may consider developing voluntary IR guidance in a clear, consistent, concise and comparable format. Also, it may pursue regulatory support for this guidance. In doing so, it may monitor the compliance and disclosure levels of appropriate IR requirements. Within such a framework, IR could be used to assist HEIs to make more sustainable choices and allow stakeholders to better understand aspects of HEI performance. Social implications The research has implications for society within and beyond the unique UK HEI sector. Universities are places of advanced thinking and can lead the way for other sectors by demonstrating the potential of integrated thinking to create a cohesive wide-ranging discourse and create engagement among stakeholder groups. Specifically, IR builds on the strong points of accounting, for instance, robust quantitative evidence collecting, relevance, reliability, materiality, comparability and assurability, to explain the sustainability discourse into a “language” logical to HEIs organisational decision makers. Consequently, IR may generate better visibility and knowledge of the financial values of exploiting capitals (financial, intellectual, human, manufactured, social and natural) and offer a multifaceted approach to reassess HEIs organizational performance in various sectors that support the growth of integrated thinking. Originality/value This is the first known study to explore HEI characteristics and link them with the level of voluntary IR content elements disclosed in UK HEIs.

Exploring personal definitions of sustainability and their impact on perceptions of sustainability culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Alexander ◽  
Jessica Jacovidis ◽  
Deborah Sturm
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Community Member ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Campus Community ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Sustainability ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory analysis of campus community member (i.e. students, faculty, staff) definitions of sustainability, their perceptions of select elements of sustainability culture and the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach Researchers implemented a cross-sectional design where participants from two higher education institutions in the USA completed an online survey. The 352 respondents from James Madison University and 349 respondents from Wofford College included students, faculty and staff members. Descriptive statistics were used to examine patterns in the quantitative data, and an inductive theme approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Findings This study provides evidence that sustainability is often viewed from an environmental lens, and personal definitions of sustainability may impact perceptions of campus sustainability culture elements. Generally, the highest rated elements of culture examined (i.e. university actions, signs and symbols and institutional commitments) were all aligned with the environment dimension of sustainability and consistent across sustainability definitions. However, respondents with a more integrative definition of sustainability expected to see elements of culture that aligned with the social dimension of sustainability at a considerably higher rate than the respondents who reported more narrow definitions of sustainability. Research limitations/implications Lack of generalizability, low response rates and self-selection bias are some of the limitations of the study. Practical implications Personal definitions of sustainability may impact campus community member perceptions of sustainability culture and progress on their campuses. Practitioners may use this study to inform development of more effective strategies for creating and assessing the culture of sustainability that colleges and universities are pursuing. Originality/value The empirical analysis of campus community members on two very different campus communities responds to Owens and Legere (2015) who argue for further studies to understand the concept of sustainability at other higher education institutions that are at different stages of pursuing sustainability. This paper links research about sustainability definitions to the emergent research on campus sustainability culture, filling a gap between these two areas.

Graduates' Work

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 287-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Harvey ◽  
Vicki Geall ◽  
Sue Moon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Change ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Operating Systems ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Depth Interviews

This paper discusses the findings of ‘Graduates' Work’, a major survey carried out in the UK to assess the future needs of employers in the context of widespread organizational change and to define what attributes graduates will now need to succeed in their careers. With supporting quotations from in-depth interviews conducted with managers and recent recruits in a wide range of organizations, the authors discuss the key changes in the work environment and organizational cultures and sets out the specific personal and interactive skills and characteristics that employers are looking for in graduates. It is argued that employers want employees who can be variously ‘adaptive’, ‘adaptable’, and ‘transformative’. Finally, the implications of the research findings for higher education institutions at the levels of the teaching/learning interface, the curriculum, and operating systems are addressed.

scholarly journals From “clientilism” to transformational leadership? An autoethnographic journey from Soviet Georgia to the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-344
Author(s):  
Liana Beattie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Environments ◽  
Critical Autoethnography ◽  
Current Leadership ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ethnographic tradition in the educational leadership literature through providing an autoethnographic critical analysis of the idiosyncrasies of leadership across two different socio-political environments: a Soviet educational establishment and a contemporary UK higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach In a previous issue, Doloriert and Sambrook (2012) argued that autoethnographic approach could help to uncover some experiences and voices that previously were silenced due to the discomfort they caused. In response to this claim and with consideration of three epistemological possibilities of autoethnography as suggested by Doloriert and Sambrook (2012), the author uses narrative accounts of personal experiences of leadership in Soviet Georgia and in the UK as the main source of data in the attempt to demonstrate how the three epistemological positions overlap and complement each other in the context of a critical autoethnography. Findings The paper argues that autoethnographic approach can provide a unique opportunity for a simultaneous analysis of the particularities of leadership practice across different socio-political environments, whereas the “three positions” approach could be used as an expedient template for further exploration of educational leadership. The paper also suggests there are some parallels between current leadership practice in the UK higher education and Soviet system of “clientilism”. Originality/value This paper is one of the first attempts to use autoethnography as an analytical tool for comparing leadership patterns in two contrasting socio-political structures.

Financing universities through waqf, pious endowment: is it possible?

Humanomics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Mashitoh Mahamood ◽  
Asmak Ab Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Board Of Trustees ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Financing Higher Education ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of waqf in financing higher education. Nowadays, higher education is costly and this has prevented students, especially those who are self-financed, from accessing such learning environments. This paper offer an alternative solution to relieve such a situation, namely, through the application of an endowment-based or waqf educational institution. The study suggests a way to establish an endowment university by concentrating the discussion on the concept and principles of its establishment, as well as sharing the experiences of the Malaysian waqf universities and the Turkish Foundation Universities/Vakif Üniversitesi in financing their universities using waqf, i.e. a pious endowment instrument. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were mainly collected using in-depth interviews with the universities’ higher management authorities and some of the members of the board of trustees. Findings – The findings show that the role of waqf or pious endowment is significant in providing financial assistance to their communities as well as strengthening their academic quality. In addition, tawhidic epistemology together with morality and ethics have influenced waqf donors or founders to donate their wealth and property to enrich and sustain universities and higher education. Originality/value – This article provides the experiences of the Malaysian Waqf Universities and the Turkish Foundation Universities/Vakif Üniversitesi in financing their universities using waqf. It also contains some good examples from the experience of several earlier Islamic civilizations, in particular those of the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. In addition, examples of the implementation of waqf and endowment-based universities in the UK and USA as well as the Al-Azhar University of Egypt is also included.

scholarly journals Sustainability practices at higher education institutions in Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis ◽  
Subarna Sivapalan ◽  
Halima Begum ◽  
Theam Foo Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Sustainability Challenges

Purpose It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD. Design/methodology/approach The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student’s t-test. Findings The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study. Practical implications Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.

scholarly journals Current Status of International Cooperation in Higher Education Institutions in the Arts

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ling Ding ◽  
◽  
Ambrose Field ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
Institutional Barriers ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This article provides current statues of international cooperation between the UK and China in the arts, from the perspectives of UK higher education institutions in particular. The aim is to demonstrate the potential cultural, communication and language barriers from three UK case studies, which extend and contradict the existing literature. In doing so, the article identifies the advantage of conducting international cooperation, and the affects of political issues, environment uncertainties, institutional barriers that would cause problems for UK- China relationships in HEIs. Overall, it argues that mature understanding of working styles and cultural cognition are vital for cooperation in the arts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document