Premises, promises, and perils of the Academic Potemkin Village

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Lund Dean ◽  
Charles Fornaciari ◽  
Regina Bento ◽  
Carlos Asarta
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Core Values ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Impact

Increased competition for students and financial resources has contributed to a managerialist perspective in higher education. In this competitive landscape, institutional decision-making may prioritize choices perceived as rational imperatives to the forces buffeting higher education, bringing unintended consequences when they are driven mostly by short-term, marketing-based, revenue-enhancing considerations. In their efforts to “look good,” such institutions risk becoming Academic Potemkin Villages where symbolic façades are erected to impress relevant stakeholders at the risk of overshadowing core missions of learning and research. Exploring the Academic Potemkin Village metaphor, we examine its premises (factors that are pressuring higher education), its promises (the seduction of building various symbolic façades to respond to those pressures), and its perils (the impact on institutions, faculty, and students). We then suggest ways of building out Academic Potemkin Villages into lasting and unique collaborations, re-focused on the core values of higher education.

scholarly journals Analyzing Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Land Management Practices in Mecha Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7007
Author(s):  
Habtamu Nebere ◽  
Degefa Tolossa ◽  
Amare Bantider
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
The Impact

In Ethiopia, the practice of land management started three decades ago in order to address the problem of land degradation and to further boost agricultural production. However, the impact of land management practices in curbing land degradation problems and improving the productivity of the agricultural sector is insignificant. Various empirical works have previously identified the determinants of the adoption rate of land management practices. However, the sustainability of land management practices after adoption, and the various factors that control the sustainability of implemented land management practices, are not well addressed. This study analyzed the factors affecting the sustainability of land management practices after implementation in Mecha Woreda, northwestern Ethiopia. The study used 378 sample respondents, selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were qualitatively and concurrently analyzed with the quantitative data. The sustained supply of fodder from the implemented land management practices, as well as improved cattle breed, increases the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. While lack of agreement in the community, lack of enforcing community bylaws, open cattle grazing, lack of benefits of implemented land management practices, acting as barrier for farming practices, poor participation of household heads during planning and decision-making processes, as well as the lack of short-term benefits, reduce the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. Thus, it is better to allow for the full participation of household heads in planning and decision-making processes to bring practical and visible results in land management practices. In addition, recognizing short-term benefits to compensate the land lost in constructing land management structures must be the strategy in land management practices. Finally, reducing the number of cattle and practicing stall feeding is helpful both for the sustainability of land management practices and the productivity of cattle. In line with this, fast-growing fodder grass species have to be introduced for household heads to grow on land management structures and communal grazing fields for stall feeding.

scholarly journals International Student Mobility

2018 ◽  
pp. 15-30
Author(s):  
Rashim Wadhwa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Internationalization Of Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Core Element ◽  
International Student Mobility ◽  
The Core

International student mobility is the core element of the internationalization of higher education. In recent years, a significant change has been observed in the outlook of individuals which is giving a boost to this phenomenon. Within this context, the present chapter analyzed the phenomenon of international student mobility through different approaches by providing critical outlook. An attempt has been made to list the important determinants which influence the decision-making process of international students.

Decision-making system for higher education university selection: comparison of priorities pre- and post-COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnadas Nanath ◽  
Ali Sajjad ◽  
Supriya Kaitheri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Selection ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeUniversity selection in higher education is a complex task for aspirants from a decision-making perspective. This study first aims to understand the essential parameters that affect potential students' choice of higher education institutions. It then aims to explore how these parameters or priorities have changed given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning about the differences in priorities for university selection pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic might help higher education institutions focus on relevant parameters in the post-pandemic era.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed-method approach, with primary and secondary data (university parameters from the website and LinkedIn Insights). We developed a university selector system by scraping LinkedIn education data of various universities and their alumni records. The final decision-making tool was hosted on the web to collect potential students' responses (primary data). Response data were analyzed via a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model. Portal-based data collection was conducted twice to understand the differences in university selection priorities pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. A one-way MANOVA was performed to find the differences in priorities related to the university decision-making process pre- and post-COVID-19.FindingsThis study considered eight parameters of the university selection process. MANOVA demonstrated a significant change in decision-making priorities of potential students between the pre- and post-COVID-19 phases. Four out of eight parameters showed significant differences in ranking and priority. Respondents made significant changes in their selection criteria on four parameters: cost (went high), ranking (went low), presence of e-learning mode (went high) and student life (went low).Originality/valueThe current COVID-19 pandemic poses many uncertainties for educational institutions in terms of mode of delivery, student experience, campus life and others. The study sheds light on the differences in priorities resulting from the pandemic. It attempts to show how social priorities change over time and influence the choices students make.

scholarly journals What counts for quality in interdisciplinary accounting research in the next decade

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Guthrie ◽  
Lee D. Parker ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Markus J. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Core Values ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Journal Ranking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
The Core ◽  
Citation Metrics ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the focus and changing nature of measuring academic accounting research quality. The paper addresses contemporary changes in academic publishing, metrics for determining research quality and the possible impacts on accounting scholars. These are considered in relation to the core values of interdisciplinary accounting research ‒ that is, the pursuit of novel, rigorous, significant and authentic research motivated by a passion for scholarship, curiosity and solving wicked problems. The impact of changing journal rankings and research citation metrics on the traditional and highly valued role of the accounting academic is further considered. In this setting, the paper also provides a summary of the journal’s activities for 2018, and in the future. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on contemporary data sets, the paper illustrates the increasingly diverse and confusing array of “evidence” brought to bear on the question of the relative quality of accounting research. Commercial products used to rate and rank journals, and judge the academic impact of individual scholars and their papers not only offer insight and visibility, but also have the potential to misinform scholars and their assessors. Findings In the move from simple journal ranking lists to big data and citations, and increasingly to concerns with impact and engagement, the authors identify several challenges facing academics and administrators alike. The individual academic and his or her contribution to scholarship are increasingly marginalised in the name of discipline, faculty and institutional performance. A growing university performance management culture within, for example, the UK and Australasia, has reached a stage in the past decade where publication and citation metrics are driving allocations of travel grants, research grants, promotions and appointments. With an expanded range of available metrics and products to judge their worth, or have it judged for them, scholars need to be increasingly informed of the nuanced or not-so-nuanced uses to which these measurement systems will be put. Narrow, restricted and opaque peer-based sources such as journal ranking lists are now being challenged by more transparent citation-based sources. Practical implications The issues addressed in this commentary offer a critical understanding of contemporary metrics and measurement in determining the quality of interdisciplinary accounting research. Scholars are urged to reflect upon the challenges they face in a rapidly moving context. Individuals are increasingly under pressure to seek out preferred publication outlets, developing and curating a personal citation profile. Yet such extrinsic outcomes may come at the cost of the core values that motivate the interdisciplinary scholar and research. Originality/value This paper provides a forward-looking focus on the critical role of academics in interdisciplinary accounting research.

scholarly journals The use of the job enrichment technique for decision-making in higher education: The case of the Philippines

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kolawole Samuel Adeyemo ◽  
Chika Sehoole ◽  
Constancia G. Cueno
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Enrichment Technique ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Job Enrichment ◽  
The Impact

Orientation: This article provides an explorative analysis of the use of the job enrichment technique for decision-making in higher education in the Philippines.Research purpose: The profile of administrators in charge of decision-making was investigated in terms of their level of familiarity with, and use of, this technique in achieving the goals of enriching jobs, retaining staff and ensuring job-motivation in higher education.Motivation for the study: Given the increasingly competitive higher education environment in which higher education employees, including academics, work, the pressure on their performance, and their search for ideal working conditions, it is important to measure the impact of the job enrichment technique on employee and higher education organisations.Research design, approach and method: The study used a quantitative method. The respondents of this study consisted of 206 administrators. Spearman Rank, Correlation Coefficient, Point Bi serial and Chi-square were used to analyse the relationships between the demographic characteristics and job enrichment technique. Multiple Regression Coefficient was used to predict job enrichment.Main findings: The findings suggest that educational attainment and experience are the most important factors for predicting success as an administrator in higher education.Practical and managerial implications: Job enrichment should not only focus on the knowledge, experience and skills of administrators, but should be extended to encompass the context and working conditions of employees.Contribution: In the context of fiscal austerity measures that result in fewer resources becoming available for higher education, it is important to have competent decision-makers who are able to motivate staff.

Continuing Costs: The Impact of Continuing Resolutions on Federal Contracting

2021 ◽  
pp. 027507402110103
Author(s):  
Stuart Roy Kasdin
Keyword(s):  
Sole Source ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Obama Administration ◽  
Fixed Price ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Federal Contracting

Are there unintended consequences from Congress’ use of continuing resolutions (CRs), which are designed as short-term funding to bridge the period before regular appropriations are completed? During a CR, agencies are restricted in their ability to issue contracts, and after the CR ends, agencies may rush to complete their contracting before the fiscal year ends. To expedite contracting, we hypothesize that CRs encourage agencies to use sole-source contracts, rather than on a competitive basis, as well as to use cost-reimbursement contract designs, rather than fixed-price contracts. The Obama Administration found that these contracting practices result in “wasted taxpayer resources, poor contractor performance, and inadequate accountability for results . . .” We anticipate that the longer a CR is in effect, the greater the incentive to use sole-source contracts and cost-reimbursement contract designs. There are implications both for future attempts at contracting reforms, as well as for efforts to establish automatic CRs.

scholarly journals Boosting Career and Employability Outcomes Through Multiple Learning Abroad Experiences

2021 ◽  
pp. 102831532110527
Author(s):  
Davina Potts ◽  
Jeongeun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Conventional Wisdom ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Career Outcomes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Large Scale Dataset ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Australian Universities

While participation in learning abroad has increased rapidly over the last decade, short-term programs played an important role in boosting participation and widening access to learning abroad. The current study takes advantage of a new pattern of participation in learning abroad to examine self-reported career outcomes and employability development benefits based on program duration and the number of programs undertaken. Using a large-scale dataset of graduates of Australian universities, the study challenges conventional wisdom that a longer experience is better and explores the impact of multiple short-term program participation as a new intervention in graduate career outcomes. Although this study is based on the Australian higher education context, the results may be informative to educators and policy-makers from countries with comparable learning abroad programs in considering how short-term programs can be used more purposefully to foster positive careers and employability outcomes.

scholarly journals On the Alienation of Academic Labour and the Possibilities for Mass Intellectuality

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113
Author(s):  
Richard Hall
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Precarious Employment ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
The Core ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Labour Power

As one response to the secular crisis of capitalism, higher education is being proletarianised. Its academics and students, increasingly encumbered by precarious employment, debt, and new levels of performance management, are shorn of autonomy beyond the sale of their labour-power. Incrementally, the labour of those academics and students is subsumed and re-engineered for value production, and is prey to the twin processes of financialisation and marketisation. At the core of understanding the impact of these processes and their relationships to the reproduction of higher education is the alienated labour of the academic. The article examines the role of alienated labour in academic work in its relationship to the proletarianisation of the University, and relates this to feelings of hopelessness, in order to ask what might be done differently. The argument centres on the role of mass intellectuality, or socially-useful knowledge and knowing, as a potential moment for overcoming alienated labour.

scholarly journals Evaluation Methods of the Impact of Structural and Cohesion Funds on Economic and Social Development at Regional and National Level

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Cristina Bătușaru ◽  
Amelia Bucur
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
European Union ◽  
Economic Policy ◽  
Social Development ◽  
National Economy ◽  
National Level ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Analysis of the role and implications of the funds coming from the European Union have on the national economy is very complex and complicated at the same time, because of the multitude of issues and indicators that this process shapes and drives, depending on the source of funding, the modality of funding and on the destination for which it has been allocated. Using mathematical models to assess the impact of European funding on the national economy is paramount valuable as it brings important information that can be used by policy makers in decision making sewage inputs and financial resources, in view of adopting optimal economic policy

The Unintended Consequences of Internal Controls Reporting on Tax Decision Making

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-102
Author(s):  
Victoria J. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Material Weakness ◽  
Reporting Requirements ◽  
Internal Control Deficiencies ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of the internal controls over financial reporting requirements (ICFR) on the decision making of corporate tax executives. I examine tax executives' decisions to disclose an internal control deficiency by amending a prior year return when the internal control deficiency will be classified as either a significant deficiency or a material weakness. I also examine if tax executives' decisions are impacted by whether amending results in a refund or additional tax due. I find tax executives are less likely to disclose (amend) when the internal control deficiency is classified as a material weakness. When facing a material weakness, 16.7 percent choose not to disclose. Tax executives are also less likely to disclose (amend) when amending results in additional tax due. These results indicate the ICFR requirements may have unintended consequences. If executives do not disclose internal control deficiencies, the reliability of financial reporting is limited.

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