scholarly journals From Collegiality to Managerialism in Lithuanian Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Rimantas Želvys ◽  
Liudvika Leišytė ◽  
Sude Pekşen ◽  
Rūta Bružienė ◽  
Anna-Lena Rose
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Historical Changes ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Practical Implications

In this paper we focus on the development and academics’ perceptions of managerialism in Lithuanian higher education (HE). We systematically investigate historical changes in HE governance and policies in Lithuania and conduct an analysis of data collected through the APIKS Lithuania project survey of academics at Lithuanian public universities (N=389). We find that Lithuanian HE policies shifted to a rather market-oriented paradigm. The survey results reveal that the majority of respondents perceive their university as highly managerial, which points out to high managerialism in practice in line with the policies. Based on our key findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications.

Online sustainability reporting at universities: the case of Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-901
Author(s):  
Yi An ◽  
Howard Davey ◽  
Harun Harun ◽  
Zebin Jin ◽  
Xin Qiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of online sustainability reporting in the Hong Kong higher education sector from a variety of perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The multiple case study was the research method for this research. Content analysis of the university website, as well as interview with university management, personnel in the sustainability office, academics and students, were adopted for data collection. An assessment framework for sustainability reporting was developed as an instrument for content analysis, based on G4 guidelines and prior literature. Findings The authors observe that most Hong Kong public universities have a specific webpage for sustainability reporting on the website, which consists of an amount of sustainability-related information in terms of general aspects, specific aspects and stakeholder participation. Moreover, they notice that Hong Kong public universities attach importance to sustainability and its reporting, and they would like to communicate their sustainability activities to various stakeholders and the community where they operate. Practical implications This paper indicates some practical implications for academics, university management, policymakers and sustainability education amongst universities in Hong Kong and beyond. Social implications This paper argues that universities, as a central place to foster talents and future leaders, should operate in a sustainable manner at the first place and then report their sustainability-related activities taking full advantage of the current information and communication technologies, so as to discharge accountability to various stakeholders and meet the expectations of the community where they operate. Originality/value This paper uses a multiple case study approach to explore the status of online sustainability reporting at Hong Kong universities, which contributes to limited research in the area, particularly for online sustainability reporting in the higher education institutions, and makes some contributions to the extant literature.

Lean higher education in Moroccan public universities: employees’ attitude to change

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Individual Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Original Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify factors which lead to resistance to change and those which have a positive effect on employees’ attitude towards change with Lean in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach Data is gathered from the responses of 723 administrative and technical staff in five public universities in Morocco to a questionnaire survey. Findings The results show that individual, group and organizational factors all have an effect on employees’ attitude to change with individual factors being the most important particularly curiosity and working conditions. Practical implications When introducing the Lean initiative attention should be given to training and the development of effective communication strategies to promote success. Originality/value This paper has an original approach by focusing on the preparation for organizational change and identifying factors which affect motivation for and resistance to change.

International STEM graduate students: reaching a deeper understanding

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-165
Author(s):  
Jen-Chien Yu ◽  
Kelli Jean Trei ◽  
Jamie Carlstone
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the perceptions international STEM students have of the library and higher education based on their responses to the Ithaka S+R Graduate Student Survey. Design/methodology/approach To better understand these groups, this study conducted the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test on the Ithaka survey results to compare the groups and identify any statistically significant differences that the international STEM graduate students group (ISG) has to other groups. Findings This paper found that ISG valued Higher Education objective variables more than the non-ISG group, with the exception of one question. The ISG group also valued 7 of the 13 role of the library (ROL) variables statistically different. Research limitations/implications Since the students self-reported as international or STEM, the authors are unable to assess whether the response pool is representative of the university as a whole. Practical implications By understanding how international/STEM students may differ from other populations, libraries can better design spaces and services for these groups. Originality/value Existing studies tend to focus on international students or STEM students and information literacy. This study intends to fill a gap in the understanding of how these groups perceive the ROL and their education.

Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Purchase Intent

2021 ◽  
pp. 147078532110341
Author(s):  
Chang-Dae Ham ◽  
Un Chae Chung ◽  
Woo Jin Kim ◽  
Seo Yoon Lee ◽  
Sang-Hwa Oh
Keyword(s):  
Generational Differences ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Generation Gap ◽  
Purchase Intent ◽  
Consumer Socialization ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Practical Implications

This study explored the generation gap in American consumers’ green perceptions and purchase intentions across four generations (Gen Z, Y, X, and Baby Boomers) from the perspectives of consumer socialization and social intelligence. Analyzing a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States ( N = 19,450), the survey results revealed that the American consumer’s green norms and beliefs varied by generation. A series of multiple regression analyses showed that each generation had similar but idiosyncratic beliefs in purchasing products from green companies. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Embedding employability within higher education for the profession of policing

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-328
Author(s):  
Ian Pepper ◽  
Ruth McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Provision ◽  
Professional Body ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of an employability module, the College of Policing Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP), on students’ career aspirations, their confidence and wish to join the police along with the appropriateness of the module. This will inform the implementation of employability as part of the College of Policing-managed Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). Design/methodology/approach A three-year longitudinal research study used mixed methods across four points in time to evaluate the impact on students studying the employability module. Findings The research suggests that the employability-focussed CKP was useful as an introduction to policing, it developed interest in the police and enhanced the confidence of learners applying to join. Lessons learnt from the CKP should be considered during the implementation of the PEQF. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalise findings across different groups is limited as other influences may impact on a learner’s confidence and employability. However, the implications for the PEQF curriculum are worthy of consideration. Practical implications As the police service moves towards standardised higher educational provision and evolution of policing as a profession, lessons can be learnt from the CKP with regards to the future employability of graduates. Originality/value Enhancing the employability evidence base, focussing on policing, the research identified aspects which may impact on graduates completing a degree mapped to the PEQF. The research is therefore of value to higher education and the professional body for policing.

Overconfidence of vocational education students when entering higher education

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Bowden ◽  
Subhash Abhayawansa ◽  
John Bahtsevanoglou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – There is evidence that students who attend Technical and Further Education (TAFE) prior to entering higher education underperform in their first year of study. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of self-efficacy in understanding the performance of students who completed TAFE in the previous year in a first year subject of microeconomics in a dual sector university in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises data collected by surveys of 151 students. Findings – A student’s self-efficacy is positively associated with their marks in a first year subject of microeconomics. However, the relationship between final marks and self-efficacy is negative for those students who attended TAFE in the previous year suggesting that they suffer from the problem of overconfidence. When holding self-efficacy constant, using econometric techniques, TAFE attendance is found to be positively related to final marks. Research limitations/implications – The findings are exploratory (based on a small sample) and lead to a need to conduct cross institutional studies. Practical implications – The research points to the need for early interventions so that TAFE students perform well in their first year of higher education. It also points to potential issues in the development of Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) programs. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the inter-related impact of attendance at TAFE in the previous year and self-efficacy on the subsequent academic performance of TAFE students.

Serious games: leverage for knowledge management

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Bayart ◽  
Sandra Bertezene ◽  
David Vallat ◽  
Jacques Martin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Research Show ◽  
Significant Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the use of “serious games” with students can improve their knowledge acquisition and their academic performance. Design/methodology/approach – The research is an exploratory investigation resorting to the use of a serious game to evaluate the evolution of the students’ competencies in project management, through questionnaires processed using a structural “learning model.” Findings – This research shows indeed that the use of “serious games” improves the knowledge acquisition and management competencies of the students with the evidencing of significant factors contributing to this improvement. Practical implications – The findings of this research show that serious games can be an effective tool to be used in teaching students particularly as traditional methods are less and less accepted by today's students. Originality/value – Although the use of games is not something new in education, it is still limited in teaching practices in higher education. This experiment can help lecturers and trainers to resort to them in their pedagogy and to conceive them according to variables that can enhance their effectiveness.

Determination of criteria for assessing the quality of training future specialists for higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Sokorutova ◽  
Natalia Prodanova ◽  
Inna Ponomareva ◽  
Oleg Volodin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Professional Employee ◽  
Professional Fields

PurposeThe most important problem for higher education in the post-COVID period is the production of highly qualified specialists for the labor market. The purpose of this study is to determine effective criteria for assessing the quality of training of future specialists and the adequacy of their readiness to solve real problems of the future specialty.Design/methodology/approachA study was carried out among students in order to determine some of the most important characteristics of them as future specialists. Based on the survey results, non-academic indicators were identified that participants perceive as significant for a highly professional employee. The empirical study included 300 undergraduate students from four universities (66% women and 34% men aged 20–21). All participants represent full-time training.FindingsThe survey showed that the participants identified the ability to learn and personal development as the most significant personal qualities.Originality/valueMany criteria for assessing the quality of training of specialists in different professional fields have not been precisely defined. Several ways of solving this problem can be proposed: developing criteria for assessing quality in hiring; revising the methods of work of universities; presenting to students the criteria for development in the profession or adopting international criteria for assessing pedagogical quality.

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