Campus sustainability in the Australian higher education sector: divergence and convergence in planning, reporting and tactics

The advocates of the configurational perspective view high-performance work systems (HPWS) as a complementary bundle of strategically driven and contextually specified human resource management practices that leads to employee and organisational performance through positive attitudinal outcomes. A study of the contemporary context could better configure the HPWS bundle for any industry undergoing significant transitions. Australia's higher education (HE) sector has observed significant changes since 2009 that have potentially redefined how human resource (HR) management practices interact and counteract within the system. No study to date has explored these changes and their impact on the HPWS configurations in the Australian HE industry. This study explores the changes in the Australian HE sector in recent years and identifies their strategic HR implications through a systematic review of the literature. The result will benefit the key decision-makers to configure the bundle of HPWS by confirming the external and internal fit within the transitional context of the Australian HE sector. Future researchers can use the proposed framework to design empirical studies in similar contexts.

PurposeIn recent years, the higher education (HE) sector has been influenced by a marketised approach. Such an approach has enabled higher education institutions (HEIs) to increase their international presence and also to enhance their student profile. Nevertheless, marketing theories applied to commercial sector may not be relevant to the HE sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine how marketing framework has influenced various aspects of HE management and its implication to dealing with student issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a conceptual discussion of the issues.FindingsThe paper takes a critical view of customer metaphor for students and argues that such attempts restrict the rights and privileges that students and the HE sector traditionally enjoyed. Differences between commercial organisations and HE sector in terms of products developed and the underlying process of development are explored. How the uniqueness of the HE sector relies more on a sector‐wide agreement than on legal framework is analysed. The role of marketing units in developing a mature market which is strong enough to demand quality HE products is emphasised. Several aspects that need to be coordinated among quality assurance departments, academic staff, and the marketing departments are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsIndiscriminate use of marketing metaphors in the HE sector has introduced new dimensions to the relationship that exists between the HEIs and students.Practical implicationsMarketing in the HE sector is not similar to what exists in the commercial sector as “higher education products” are different from “commercial products” and students are different from “customers” who buy commercial products. Moreover, the roles of marketing departments in the HE sector are different from those in a commercial organisation.Originality/valueMarketing frameworks cannot be transplanted into a HE environment. The sector is unique and is characterised more by the principles of self‐governance and academic freedom. Application of marketing techniques will restrict students' rights and destroy the relationship that exists between the HEI and the students. Marketing departments should focus on creating mature markets.

Globalization, the transfer to knowledge society exposes the environment of higher education institutions (HEIs) to increasingly complex operating conditions. The universities have to address additional demanding tasks with often-staggering public funding at their disposal. The paper aims to depict the interaction of government – managers – and higher education (HE) sector – employees – in the context of recent university governance reforms, which in its essence is another manifestation of managerialist policy followed by the government. The paper starts with contextual information on the HE system in Latvia and its antecedently limited public funding. It then touches the introduction of the performance-based funding model. The review of the funding model came as a reaction to dramatic public funding cuts within the higher education sector that were triggered by the economic crisis 2009-2012. The paper outlines the expectations of the higher education sector that additional public funding will be invested as soon as the new funding model is implemented. However, quite surprisingly for the higher education sector, the newly elected government decides to reform the internal governance of public higher education institutions instead. The depicted context is analyzed against the concept of managerialism and its influence on the higher education sector, specifically on the deterioration of collegiality as the traditional form of university governance. The paper explains, why the plans to reform the university governance in Latvia by introducing university boards with external stakeholders represented there have been met ambiguously by the higher education sector. The authors seek to answer the seemingly irrational series of actions taken by the Latvian government and do so referring to phenomena of managerial ideology, as well as cautions against the rule of uncompromising, forthright managerialism within the public sector. The article finds, however, that pure collegiality is no longer viable in the higher education sector in Latvia, and different manifestations of managerialism are there to stay in the higher education sector. Therefore, ways need to be found to adopt and draw benefits from the induced changes. Understanding the rational reasons behind seemingly irrational reforms introduced by the government is the first step in this direction. The next step, but this would be then the subject of further researches, would be to detect the conditions in which the incoming managerialism may undermine or reinforce the quality of higher education.

PurposeDue to government policies, accreditation demands, competition, digital India reforms and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the need for electronic human resource management (e-HRM) has increased considerably in the Indian higher education (HE) sector, but the literature has revealed that the adoption of e-HRM practices in Indian HE institutions (HEIs) is still in its embryonic stage; therefore, the purpose of the current qualitative study is to explore the challenges and facilitators of e-HRM adoption in the Indian HE sector through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Design/methodology/approachThe present study incorporates IPA, to capture the personal lived experiences of the HR executives employed in the Indian HEIs. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the HR executives employed in Indian universities and institutions to know the perspectives on the adoption of e-HRM practices in Indian HEIs.FindingsThe study identified two superordinate themes, namely, challenges and facilitators of e-HRM adoption in the Indian HE sector. The superordinate theme “challenges” comprises eight sub-themes. Further, the theme “facilitators” consists of six subthemes.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for the stakeholders of the HE sector, i.e. HR practitioners, top executives of the HE sector, government and HE regulators and other stakeholders of the HE sector.Originality/valueThis study has given deep insights into the challenges and facilitators in the adoption of e-HRM practices in the Indian HE sector, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study till date has filled this knowledge gap through qualitative exploration using IPA.

PurposeTrade-offs are unavoidable in a competitive and difficult economic environment, causing a challenge for those wanting to provide consistently high-quality service across all touchpoints in the service delivery ecosystem, included in which is the higher education (HE) sector. This study aims to explore the key factors influencing service trade-offs related to the efforts of academics in Malaysia’s HE sector.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 400 full-time academics from several higher learning institutions in Malaysia. Data were analysed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach.FindingsThe results reveal that service trade-offs in the HE sector were heavily influenced by service priorities. Customisation of services, meeting individual student needs, working under immense pressure within tight timeframes and focusing on teaching and research jointly contribute to academics’ service trade-offs in the HE sector. Indeed, the nature of the job necessitates such trade-offs by default, as academics are unable to cancel or postpone classes due to scheduling constraints and the requirement to be physically present during class sessions.Practical implicationsHE administrators and managers should provide academics with adequate resources, effective work allocation and optimal timeframes for task completion, as service priorities are the key factors influencing service trade-offs in Malaysia’s HE sector. The satisfaction of these needs would enable academics’ service priorities and trade-offs to be better balanced, thereby contributing to better operational efficiency, boosting organisational performance and maintaining business sustainability.Originality/valueThe empirical results serve to clarify the key factors influencing service trade-offs in the HE sector, thus expanding the extant literature, which has mostly concentrated on describing the same phenomena in the manufacturing sector. The proposed service trade-offs model would serve as a guideline for operational efficiencies in the HE sector to prevent future recurrence and reduce the potential risk of service disruption, thus mitigating the risk of dissatisfaction.

Following Russia's launch of a full‐scale war against Ukraine in 2022, scholarship has not yet addressed how Ukrainian refugees in England have been navigating the challenges of developing their agency in pursuing opportunities to participate in the higher education (HE) sector. To address this gap, this paper thematically analyses 11 oral history interviews with Ukrainian refugees. The findings demonstrate that accessing and participating in the HE sector in a host community is a significantly complicated process not just for the (prospective) student population of Ukrainian refugees, as other studies about refugees highlight, but for academics too, despite special support measures. Unlike previous studies that emphasise the passive position of refugees, stripped of their agency, our findings highlight the active nature of Ukrainian refugees' limited agency. Pursuing participation in the HE sector becomes an active agency‐seeking process, prompting refugees to craft ways to pull all available resources and connections far beyond the HE sector in the effort to overcome the constraints of their marginalised position with regard to access and effective participation in the HE sector. These findings are significant not only for addressing existing gaps in the literature on refugee agency and refugees in HE in general, as well as Ukrainian refugees in particular, but also for informing policymaking at the national and institutional levels in England and beyond. These findings highlight the effectiveness of current support measures for Ukrainian refugees in England and point to specific challenges related to the HE environment which require further policy interventions: recognition of prior qualifications, building social networks, utilising technology, enhanced English language support and financial assistance.

Greening academia: Developing sustainable waste management at Higher Education Institutions

This is a conceptual paper that examines the emergence of the ‘therapeutic university’ and considers its potential implications for policy and practice in Higher Education (HE). Concern over the well-being and mental health of university students both in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally has recently intensified in media, academic and political spheres, to the extent that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly offering a diverse range of ad-hoc initiatives and practices based on the language and techniques of an equally diverse popular psychology. An emotionally oriented ‘therapeutic university’ (TU) is emerging from a complex intertwining of policies of social liberalism, specifically widening participation, and policies of economic liberalism which seek to cultivate the higher education (HE) sector as a competitive marketplace. While the TU might appear to offer the potential to alleviate mental health conditions, these therapeutic practices are frequently conceived as self-evidently good and rarely subjected to any critical scrutiny. This article explores three inter-related sets of concerns regarding the implications of the TU for educators, students and the curriculum and, through an exploratory account, illustrates these trends from our own lived experiences of working within a TU. Framed by insights from critical pedagogy, we critically analyse the current well-being agenda in the British HE sector and how this positions educators as ‘agents of well-being’ rather than ‘agents of criticality’.

Largely unknown to most of the world, Kyrgyzstan has a flourishing higher education (HE) sector, with more universities per head than other countries with similar populations. Kyrgyzstan is also a major regional importer of international students in Central Asia. This paper opens up this understudied country in three ways: first, through a brief analysis of the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan; second, by offering a personal view of life on the HE coalface through the findings of primary interviews with university managers in Kyrgyzstan, and third, by identifying five key contemporary challenges of working in Kyrgyz universities. The paper therefore contributes to the limited academic and practical study of HE in Central Asia by offering a new perspective on contemporary global challenges in HE administration and management. The key findings are relevant to organisations seeking to understand the context of working in the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan, and also to individuals and organisations wishing to deepen their comparative understanding of HE sectors around the world.

Objectives: The aim of the article is to verify the hypothesis that the funding level of the Polish higher education sector is disproportionate in relation to the country’s economic development, despite the reform considering changes in the mechanisms for determining and classifying financial resources for public universities from the state budget. The paper fills the research gap concerning the scarcity of publications analysing sector financing trends and the impact of the changed funding algorithm on universities’ financial situations. It provides an in-depth analysis of the effects before and after the reform as well as explores the implications for the financial stability of educational institutions in Poland. Research Design & Methods: This article conducts an analysis based on statistical data regarding the financial status of higher education institutions juxtaposed with the country’s economic condition. Parameters and legal aspects governing the indexation of public funds for university operations were gathered and explicated utilising laws, assumptions, and resources from Polish and international institutions. Findings: The research demonstrates that while revenues from universities’ operational activities are ostensibly increasing, their real value, adjusted for inflation, has consistently lagged significantly behind the economic growth rate since 2016. Concurrently, the minimum wage level is progressively rising, substantially augmenting the expenses borne by universities. Additionally, the indexation mechanism for financing the higher education and scientific sector via public funds fails to ensure revenue stability amidst disparities between forecasted and actual indicators. In the context of the country’s economic progression, the financial status of Polish universities is markedly declining, partly due to the limited diversification of their revenue sources. Implications / Recommendations: The necessity to augment public funds for higher education and science is underscored to ameliorate institutional financial health while rigorously assessing their effective and judicious utilisation. The mechanism governing budgetary fund indexation should consider unconventional solutions capable of addressing abrupt impoverishment within the higher education sector. Contribution / Value Added: This article contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding the financial state of the higher education and scientific sector by furnishing substantial evidence of insufficient funding in relation to Poland’s dynamic economic progress. It serves as preliminary material for identifying and implementing corrective and pre-emptive measures to mitigate future adverse consequences. Article classification: research article JEL classification: E62, H41, H61, H83, I22, I23, I28

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a field study, investigating accounting, strategising and accounting for strategic management and power structures in the Jordanian higher education (HE) sector on the basis of Bourdieu’s theory of practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts an interpretive stance, seeking to investigate the perceptions of actors in the field, with regard to accounting, strategising and accounting for strategic management in HE. The adopted methodology is adapted grounded theory, as this study assumes a prior theoretical stance of Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts. Data were collected through participant observation in meetings, at the workplace, interviews and documentation. Findings The main findings of this paper reflect how strategising and accounting in practice manifest themselves in the Jordanian HE sector. Bourdieu’s theory of practice sets the meta-theoretical context of the current study, with field setting the scene, and habitus being represented in the strategising mind-set participants adopt. The mind-set determines how strategic management accounting is perceived and dealt with. Strategic management accounting takes place at varying degrees. The power structures that influence and determine strategising and accounting in support thereof are researched on the basis of Bourdieu’s forms of capital. Different forms of capital matter in the HE sector determined by fields’ doxa. Research limitations/implications The researcher is a part of the field, the Jordanian HE sector; thus, their habitus has been exposed to its characteristics and features. Thus, certain internalised structures and experiences needed to be challenged for this analysis, which was not an easy task. Originality/value This study investigates accounting, strategic management and power structures in HE, and it highlights the different power structures, using Bourdieu’s forms of capital, which offers a great insight into how different cultures approach similar issues.

This research aims to examine the effects of the development in the higher education and financial sector on economic growth in the case of North Cyprus. Findings of time series data show that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between real income and its elements such as labor, capital, higher education, and financial growth. Results show that both capital and labor have a statistically significant effect on economic growth. Additionally, development in the financial sector is a significant contributor to economic growth, however, higher education shows evidence of greater contribution to economic growth in North Cyprus. It draws attention that the higher education sector has a greater impact on economic development than the financial sector. In this context, government authorities should support both the financial and higher education sectors in order to accelerate their contribution to economic development. Policymakers needed to concentrate more on the higher education sector in Northern Cyprus.

PurposeThe focus of this paper is on environmental protection, specifically within the context of green building at institutions of higher education (IHEs). One major reason why many IHEs are not undertaking sustainable building policies is the barriers to adoption. The lack of efficiency caused by these barriers to adoption of campus green building will be examined. The purpose of this paper is to identify the common barriers to adoption of green building initiatives at IHEs from multiple stakeholder perspectives and propose possible solutions.Design/methodology/approachThe manuscript provides a general review of the lack of efficiency caused by the barriers to adoption of sustainable building policies at tertiary education institutions.FindingsCampus sustainable building policies face various barriers to adoption of green building policies. Campus sustainable building policies face various barriers to adoption. These include lack of awareness among many stakeholders, incentives, champions, understanding of financial considerations, and occupant satisfaction. These barriers can be addressed through review of student perceptions, encouraging knowledge gains at larger wealthier IHEs, campus planning, offering financial motivations, employing a campus sustainability officer, and marketing green campus building initiatives. However, every stakeholder needs to be part of the collaboration and incentivized in order to reduce these barriers.Practical implicationsThis manuscript should be helpful to campus community members as they are involved in crafting, implementing, and managing green building policies. As green building development is a contemporary issue among the higher education sector, this research should prove helpful to decision makers as it identifies barriers and solutions to these barriers. Furthermore, this research can assist practitioners when attempting to implement green building policies at their respective IHEs by helping them understand the barriers as well as potential solutions for these barriers to campus green building.Originality/valueThis general review uncovers barriers to green building in the higher education sector; a sector which historically is dearth on green building research. Furthermore, solutions are offered to address and overcome these barriers from multiple stakeholder perspectives within this sector.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to reveal the readiness factors (RFs) which are required for the successful introduction and development of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative within the context of higher education (HE) sector. These RFs are a pre-requisite for the successful implementation, deployment and sustainability of LSS in higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approach– The author uses secondary data from literature to justify the need for RFs before any HEI invests on continuous improvement (CI) methodologies such as LSS. The author would argue that these RFs must be assessed properly to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the HEI.Findings– The paper presents the RFs which are essential for the implementation and sustainability of LSS. It is important to note that RFs are prior to embarking on a CI initiative whereas success factors are determined once the senior management team decides to invest on a specific CI initiative (Lean, LSS, etc.)Research limitations/implications– This is a very theoretical paper based on the existing literature and authors’ experiences in the HE sector. The next stage of the research is to carry out empirical studies in a number of HEIs to determine the RFs for LSS as a business process improvement methodology.Originality/value– This paper makes an attempt to derive the RFs for the successful development of LSS in the HE sector from the current literature. The RFs would assist any HE sector who would like to launch a LSS journey for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes across the business.

The higher education (HE) sector in Uganda is in a state of a perfect storm. As Uganda tends towards lower middle-income status and as it envisions upper middle-income status by 2040, it is beyond dispute that HE is a panacea to achieving this ambition. In order to bolster the signifcance of HE in the country’s socio-economic transformation process, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Uganda have attempted to embrace global imperatives within the broader HE discourse namely: internationalization of HE, international collaborations and knowledge transfer partnerships; revitalizing the relationship between the academic oligarchy, industry and the state; as well as strengthening the core function of HE: research, teaching and community engagement. However, an interplay of systemic defciencies, unclear institutional philosophies, and epistemological tensions have thwarted the full reformation of the country’s HE sector. By means of literature search and desk study, this paper sought to highlight the critical issues and challenges facing the country’s HE sector upon which the paper draws actionable recommendations. The article reveals that the capacity of HEIs to signifcantly contribute to the country’s development agenda is curtailed by geopolitical dynamics, autocratic rule, acute funding shortages and inadequacy of qualifed academic staff. The paper recommends that HEIs should reconstruct internationalization of HE, and explore new and reliable sources of funding. Also, the paper recommends that Government should create a special loan fund for fnancing doctoral studies and also scale up university funding for research and innovations.