Innovative Supervision Practices In Higher Education: Assessing Digitalization, Sustainability, And Quality Management

Abstract

Middle managers act as a bridge between top-level administrators and frontline staff, ensuring effective communication and coordination between different levels of the organizational hierarchy. They translate higher management's vision and goals into actionable plans for implementation at the operational level. This research study aims to explore the innovative supervision practices of middle managers and their influence on the performances of higher education institutions. There were 321 faculties who participated in this study to rate their institution middle managers. Three HEIs from Zamboanga Peninsula were randomly selected as the study settings. Performance metric was based on the SUC levelling and number of accredited programs, which were collected from CHED database. The adoption of digital communication tools by middle managers has enhanced interactivity and communication flow within the organizations. Additionally, their focus on sustainability and resource allocation for continuous improvement has contributed to effective planning and a shared vision within the institutions. Middle managers in the three HEIs manifested competence in digitalization, sustainability, and quality management system as innovative supervision practices. This competence was correlated to their overall institution performance on SUC levelling and number of accredited programs. Nonetheless, the findings provide opportunities for HEIs to enhance their performance through the development of effective training programs and fostering a conducive administrative environment. This study contributes valuable insights to improve the overall performance of higher education institutions in the Zamboanga Peninsula.