Machine Learning for Strategic Decision Making during COVID-19 at Higher Education Institutes

The current dynamic business landscape has compelled all organizations worldwide to innovate and strategize continually to remain competitive and achieve an edge in the market. Information technology has often made lofty promises to assist such endeavors. This chapter explores the management of large, integrated, and packaged software suites collectively called enterprise systems (ES) to enable innovation and strategic decision making in organizations. In particular, this chapter explains how a globally renowned and highly ranked university manages its enterprise-systems-based IT platform to offer new services, develop new processes, and make astute strategic decisions – all in an attempt to retain and improve its position in the global higher education market.

Download Full-text

The use of information management towards strategic decision effectiveness in higher education institutions in the context of Bahrain

The Bottom Line Managing Library Finances ◽

10.1108/bl-11-2020-0072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Esra Saleh Al Dhaen

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Decision Making ◽

Information Management ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Small Sample ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Strategic Decision Making ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Decision Importance

Purpose Strategic decision importance has rarely been investigated as a decision-specific characteristic in the strategic decision-making process (SDMP) literature taking into consideration information management while taking important strategic decisions. Here, the ability of decision importance to predict decision effectiveness as an outcome of SDMPs in higher education institutions (HEIs) is examined in the context of Bahrain. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model is developed relating decision importance to decision effectiveness indirectly via the SDMP characteristics intuition, rationality and decentralization. Data from a cross-sectional questionnaire completed by leaders of HEIs and academics involved in strategic decision-making in Bahrain are used to test the model and hypotheses via correlation analysis. The paper also considers a literature review of the use of information management while taking a strategic decision. Findings Decision importance is shown to positively influence decision effectiveness in Bahraini HEIs mediated by rationality and by decentralization in decision-making, although negative effects of decentralization are also demonstrated. However, decision importance does not influence decision effectiveness mediated by intuition. Research limitations/implications Due to the small sample size, the results cannot be generalized to contexts beyond HEIs in Bahrain. Additional SDMP characteristics of significance in the context of HEIs could be future investigated, for instance, political behaviour and lateral communication, are not included in the model. Future research exploring the latter two aspects could provide deeper insight into the findings. Practical implications The findings of this paper could be considered by HEIs senior management and members of the governing body while strategic decision-making, which could be at different levels, including strategic planning or assessing a strategic decision in terms of effectiveness. This paper will also provide insight one the use of information while considering strategic decision-making. Social implications A model leading for effective strategic decision-making could be used by leaders of HEIs and regulators including licensing bodies and QA agencies to set standards for HEIs for sustainable performance and quality education in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Initiative. Strategic decision-making will have an impact on the overall performance of HEIs and serve all relevant stakeholder’s including parents, students, employers and industry. Originality/value Little research conducted in relation to strategic decision-making in the Gulf Cooperation Council therefore, this research will add original findings and the outcome of this study will lead to future research related to SDMP and the use of information management in the overall strategic decision-making.

Download Full-text

The application of a Business Intelligence tool for strategic planning in a higher education institution: a case study of the University of the Witwatersrand

The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa ◽

10.4102/td.v7i1.254 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Vincent Nyalungu

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Decision Making ◽

Knowledge Management ◽

Data Warehouse ◽

Business Intelligence ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Strategic Decision Making ◽

Technology Knowledge ◽

The University

This article presents a discussion on the importance of business intelligence (BI) and the role that a specific BI tool, Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, plays in the strategic decision-making processes in an organisation. The University of the Witwatersrand, often referred to as Wits, was used as a case study. The main objective of a business intelligence tool is to improve the quality and timeliness of the input of data to the organisational decision-making process. The quality of the data, which is an organisational asset, is therefore of the utmost importance. Approaches for the identification of business intelligence from corporate information and knowledge management were also assessed. A questionnaire was administered among key informants within the university in order to address some of the pertinent issues at higher education institutions. In addition, the role of a data warehouse within the business intelligence framework was presented. The paper itself covers a wide range of disciplines from information technology, knowledge management to decision sciences. The article also presents a proposed framework to be used in line with the best practices in the implementation of business intelligence solutions.Keywords: Business Intelligence (BI), Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (BIEE), Data Warehouse, Strategic Decision Making, Strategic Planning, Higher Education Institutions and Knowledge Management.Disciplines: Information Technology, Knowledge Management, Management Sciences, Decision Sciences & Management

Download Full-text