Higher Education Governance Research Articles

Academics’ job satisfaction in Tanzania’s higher education: The role of perceived work environment

Abstract Employees’ job satisfaction is critical for better work performance, reduced turnover intention, enhanced organizational commitment, and decreased job burnout. In the last several decades, numerous studies have assessed the association between employees’ work environments and job satisfaction globally. However, little research has addressed academics’ job satisfaction in non-European countries, and studies of Tanzania are particularly scarce. Drawing on Lewin’s field theory, this study sought to fill this gap by examining the relationship between Tanzanian academics’ perceived work environment and their job satisfaction, as measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The study was quantitatively driven, with a cross-sectional survey design. A convenience sample of 116 academics (men: N ​= ​93; women: N ​= ​23) from two universities in Tanzania responded to a newly self-designed Perceived Work Environment Inventory and the MSQ. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 to detect significant predictors of academics’ job satisfaction. The results demonstrated that academic freedom, participative decisions, teamwork, supervision, and resources statistically significantly predicted academics’ job satisfaction over and above their marital status, gender, age, academic rank, and institutional type. This study has both practical and policy implications, and its findings contribute to the broader literature on the management and governance of higher education.

Public Universities: An Approach for Integration in a Paradigmatic Frame

In Austrian University Policy formulation, ie within the layer of the systemic macro-level of governance which forms the dimension of horizontal autonomy and which is the analytic focus of this article, the paradigms of New Public Management (NPM) and Network Governance (NG) can be identified. In the light of changing institutional and organizational attributes of autonomous universities, we present empirical results on both paradigms and Aspects of University Autonomy. In reflecting on the term of institutional autonomy, where the paradigms of NPM and NG from University Acts are translated into an institutional context, the perspective of university chair (institutional unit) governance will conceptually be included with the term of Epistemic Governance. An application example of governance in higher education relates to the complex of “learning and teaching” (L&T), therefore, a brief cross-reference also should be made to the (now completed) SQELT project.

Why Is the Research on Higher Education and Labor Market Nexus Needed in Transitional Bangladesh?

Inequality is growing all over the world. As literature shows, two determinants are repeatedly mentioned, responsible for this inequality: incomes and jobs. The growing international trade and technological advancement direct this change as machines are increasingly replacing jobs. Nowadays, Bangladesh is gaining progress in transforming the rural-based agrarian economy approaching modern urban-based manufacturing and service-based economy, contributing a sound basis for further transformation. Simultaneously, it was an agricultural country from its genesis, and agriculture played a dominant role in the economy regarding income generation and employment opportunities. Education is pertinent in this regard as it has significant implications in human capital and the labor market. This study strives to identify the influence of governance in higher education and the labor market and focuses on exploring the significant determining factors of inequality in the existing society. It also tries to answer why the research on higher education and the labor market is essential in Bangladesh for self-sustaining and how the research could be executed. In this global era, institutions produce a bias in favor of the status quo. This study focuses on knowing how this bias will change through research on governance in education and the labor market in the future. Finally, the study concludes by expecting the practical outcomes of further research on higher education and the labor market for sustainable growth and development.

Аналіз національного рівня інтернаціоналізації вищої освіти: приклад України

It is shown that the internationalization of higher education attracts significant attention of researchers and participants of higher education space. It is emphasized that the internationalization of higher education is a multilevel phenomenon and covers supranational, continental, national, institutional, and individual levels. The national level of internationalization of higher education is analyzed in detail. The organizational strategies of the national level of internationalization, which are implemented through national policies and programs are considered. It emphasizes that national level involves policies related to education, science and technology, culture, trade, social development, employment, foreign relations, migration, industry, and the programs can be seen as the way policy is translated into action. Important rationales driving internationalization at the national level are revealed. It also considers the approaches to internationalization at the national level, which describe the dominant features of the general ways that a country has decided to proceed with internationalization. It is shown that Ukraine has significant achievements in internationalization of higher education and in integration into the world and European higher education space due to the implementation of the Bologna reform and European reform in higher education management and governance, gets new opportunities for higher education through current international scientific and educational projects and projects of cooperation with international organizations.

Complex Dynamics of Higher Education Governance

Complex Dynamics of Higher Education Governance

The Structure and Activities of Student Representative Bodies in Modern Russian Universities

One of the key objectives in higher education governance today is to establish mechanisms for effective student representation. This paper, based on a study of the practices of 50 leading Russian universities — federal universities, national research universities, Project 5–100 universities, and universities included in the QS World University Rankings as of summer–fall 2020 — reveals and summarizes the key practices of university student representation (often referred to as student self-governance) existing in Russia at the turn of the 2020s. The following origins of institutional arrangements for student representation are identified: academic units, thematic clubs, student unions, dormitories, and personal teams of student leaders. The major types of student representation activities analyzed in the article include participation in shared governance, provision of information to other students and engagement in public interactions with them, and organization of mass cultural events for students. Most often, functions associated with shared university governance are restricted to formal membership in university boards and fulfillment of federal law requirements regarding local regulations and disciplinary action, rather than actual representation of students’ interests in university decision making on educational, social, and scholarship issues. Therefore, the governance agenda of student representatives is shaped much more by universities and their administrators than by students themselves.

The Realistic Contradiction and Path Transformation between the Construction of Higher Education Governance System and Governance Capacity

The modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity has been continuously clarified from theoretical connotations to practical paths, which has pointed out the direction and put forward requirements for the modernization of the governance system and governance capacity of colleges and universities. This article uses qualitative research methods and finds that at this stage, the value connotation of higher education governance system and governance capacity building is still vague, the institutional system is in urgent need of new construction, and the power position is obviously weakened. This article proposes a multi-path transformation method such as constructing an orderly operation governance system to enhance the autonomous management capacity of colleges and universities, and building an internal and external linkage mechanism for colleges and universities to give play to the governance wisdom of multiple subjects. It is hoped that it can provide benefits for the construction of college governance systems and governance capacity for reference.

Leading with meaning: Why diversity, equity, and inclusion matters in U. S. higher education

In Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education, Hendrickson, Lane, Harris, and Dorman (2013) argue that institutional decisions, adaptations, and activities of successful academic leaders need to be mission and value-focused. Academic institutions value autonomy and expertise in decision-making, which necessitates that academic leaders “create and foster democratic partnerships with myriad constituents” (Hendrickson et al., 2013: 2) and organize their activities around a shared vision based on institutional mission and values. In this paper, I review some recent research findings that demonstrate the need to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in U. S. higher education contexts as educators work to transform students into responsible citizens. These findings highlight the need for academic leaders to consider how to best embody the mission and vision of their institutions as they frame diversity issues for the campus community, with a few additional considerations specific to religiously affiliated institutions.

China's higher education governance during COVID: a mixed-methods study of policy analysis and student perspectives

PurposeThis study analyzed Chinese higher education (HE) governance policies during the first four months of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, providing insight into HE management, policymaking and governance. This study also illuminates Chinese student experiences and real-time policy impact, providing insight into the effectiveness of HE crisis management.Design/methodology/approachUsing frameworks of real-time policy evaluation, this paper analyzed theoretical and realized policy impacts through the theoretical framing of temporality. Using real-time evaluation methods, this paper first identified HE policy priorities and then used a mixed-methods approach of “policy as discourse” analysis and a quantitative survey from Chinese HE students to assess the theoretical and realized impact of policies.FindingsAn analysis of HE policies identified three priorities: pastoral care, graduate employment and ideological education. Discourse analysis revealed each priority of HE policies was intrinsically linked to mitigating societal, economic and political consequences of the epidemic. Survey data revealed the perceived effectiveness of policies mirrored China's top-down government structure. Additionally, students expressed strong support in the central government's crisis management, despite relatively little realized policy impact.Originality/valueThis paper presents a timely review of HE governance during a global pandemic by offering a snapshot of HE crisis management and contributing to the literature surrounding China's ongoing HE centralization. This paper also provides unique insight into HE's role in state development, variations between prescriptive and realized policy impact and the “crisis as opportunity” paradox in a contemporary setting.

Examining Indigenous leadership in the academy: A methodological approach

Formal Indigenous leadership within Australian universities has expanded significantly in the last decade. Given this advancement, understanding how to integrate Indigenous leadership into existing institutional governance structures is an area that requires investigation. Recognising the need to further examine Indigenous leadership in the higher education governance structure, the Walan Mayiny: Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education project commenced in 2018. This Australian Research Council funded project specifically aims to examine the roles and subsequent responsibilities of senior Indigenous appointments within the Australian higher education sector and senior Indigenous higher education roles across Canada, New Zealand and the United States. In doing so, it investigates the responsibilities, impacts, key advantages and barriers of senior Indigenous appointments within Australian universities from an Indigenous perspective. The article provides details of the theoretical framework and research methods adopted within the Walan Mayiny: Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education project. Preliminary findings and demographic information pertaining to the participants who have currently contributed to the study will be presented in order to help us gain a better understanding of the role and subsequent value of Indigenous leadership within the higher education sector.

Of Worms and woodpeckers: governance & corruption in East and Southeast Asian higher education

ABSTRACT The topic of governance is much discussed in the higher education literature. Corruption is less discussed, and mostly in general and cautionary terms. Yet there are important relations between the two. The current article critically examines the literature on governance in higher education and underlines the relationship to forms of corruption in the field. While much literature on corruption in education outlines regulatory practices, or Codes of Practice to limit its reach, the current analysis both reviews types of corruption in higher education, and illustrates them with actual examples from several systems of higher education in East and South East Asia. While corrupt practices in higher education are by no means unique to the region, (indeed examples can be found worldwide, in virtually every system), most rank poorly on conventional measures of transparency. The article advances our understanding of the complex and dynamic relationship between corruption and governance in higher education, in what is arguably the most dynamic world region.

Student participation in Higher Education Governance and Institutional Quality

Student participation in Higher Education Governance and Institutional Quality

Quality Assurance of Higher Education Governance and Management: An Exploration of the Minimum Imperative for the Envisioned African Common Higher Education Space

In 2018, as part of the African higher education harmonisation drive, the African Union Commission (AUC) issued the African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ASG-QA). Within the ASG-QA, the AUC commits to promoting good governance and management in higher education institutions and provides governance and management as the second standard. However, there is a dearth of knowledge about the governance and management architecture for higher education institutions in the African higher education landscape that is either implicit or explicit in the ASG-QA. Against the above backdrop—using the ASG-QA as a source of data and content analysis as a data analysis method—the paper examines the governance and management imperative for higher education institutions in the African higher education landscape from the perspective of the AUC. Six themes relating to Africa’s higher education governance and management landscape emerged from the data: the role of the state (or government) in higher education, the internal governance framework, focus on quality and quality enhancement, observance of values of higher education, adherence to the principles of good governance, and capable leadership. The findings suggest that the governance and management architecture under the ASG-QA leans more towards providing common standards for quality assessment of governance and management than creating an identical national higher education governance and management ecosystem across Africa.

Diversifying Funding Sources for Public Higher Education in China during Massification

China has provided the world with a new distinctive higher education financing model that emerged out of its unique socio-political conditions. This article investigates the fluctuation of revenue sources during the process of China’s higher education massification. Based on abundant data from Chinese official yearbooks and an extensive analysis of policy documents, the article explores the changes in each revenue source of Chinese public universities. It concludes that as Chinese higher education expanded, its financial system shifted from a single funding channel that relies solely on government to various funding channels. Of these, government funding and tuition together provide the largest share of revenue for public higher education. The proportion of funding derived from entrepreneurial activities, philanthropy and donations is increasing, but still relatively low. The article reveals that the operating revenue of public higher education still depends largely on government funding, which reflects Chinese wisdom about the relationship between government and the market. In China, the diversification of funding sources is closely linked to higher education governance reform. On the whole, cost-sharing means that more market-related fundraising mechanisms and stakeholders are brought into higher education.

If Building Commitment for Knowledge-Based Decision to Create Quality Management : The Role of Transformational Leadership in Higher Education Governance Good in Developing Countries: A Literature Review

This paper explores, especially through a systematic literature review, the role of transformational leadership in universities in developing countries in relation to university governance. This paper argues that this role needs to be explored because transformative leadership of tertiary institutions in developing countries is still little researched and provides debate with local cultural perspectives. This paper reviews the Google Scholar database, SAGE journals, Taylor and Francis journals, and Emerald journals with the keywords "Transformational leadership" AND "higher education". Articles selected by inclusion criteria are carried out in developing countries, conducted between 2016-2020, and are limited to only the 2 7 most relevant articles. Inthis article, as many as 27 research results were analyzed qualitatively. Three main themes specifically emerge as the role of transformational leadership in universities in developing countries. This role includes: as a driver and provider of infrastructure for participatory knowledge-based decision making, a drive for stakeholder commitment to carry it out, and a guarantor of quality-based higher education governance. Keywords : transformational leadership, universities, developing countries, decision making, organizational commitment, quality management DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-9-02 Publication date: September 30 th 2020

FEATURES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

The entry of our country into the system of market relations, which has caused many social, organizational, economic, institutional, cultural, personnel, ethical and other problems has affected higher education. Sector reform, innovation development policy, and flexible government regulation require the development of mixed models using market mechanisms to increase the efficiency of a socially significant sector. The article discusses some issues of implementing corporate governance in higher education in the context of the transition to self-financing of universities

Why Become a Learning Organization: Measuring the Dimensions of Learning at the University of the Bahamas

In the 21st century, higher education institutions (HEIs) seek to remain relevant in a rapidly changing social and cultural landscape, knowing that innovation is critical to the ongoing viability of the organization. As a result, HEIs need to adapt to changes through continuous learning, thus fostering new regulatory paradigms which considerably grow among educational organizations. In this paper, a cross-sectional, data collection methodology utilized an adapted 21-item version of the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ). Furthermore, the selected instrument employed investigates the perception of university staff, faculty, and administrators in the organizational learning culture in a Bahamian higher education institution, namely the University of the Bahamas. The results illuminate some of the complexities and challenges of applying change management principles and processes derived from corporate management culture to the administration and governance of higher education in the Bahamas. Results indicate that when combining both staff and faculty responses compared to administrators, there was, in fact, organizational learning.

A Comparative Study of Higher Education Governance in Greater China

During 1980, many Western countries launched public administration reforms. These reform waves also blew over to many Asian countries. With the advent of globalization and the rise of knowledgebased society, education and innovation are regarded as the driving forces behind social and economic growth and development. To enhance the national capacity, education reforms have also become common agendas among nation states since the 1980s. This paper aims at critically reviewing and comparing majorpolicies and strategies of the higher education reform adopted by the respective government in Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan and Singapore. The key research questions are why these countries attempted to reform their higher education and if these countries achieve the desired results and comply with good governance. In this paper, four areas, "Rule of Law," "Transparency," "Effectiveness," and "Accountability" are evaluated to examine how these selected cases’ governance in higher education have been implemented in the past 30 years.

Information technology governance model for a low resource institution with fragmented IT portfolio

The emergence of information technology governance in higher education has emerged as important for aligning information technology goals with that of institutions in order to achieve the mission and vision of institutions. Even though higher education institutions in South Africa have some form of information technology governance or information technology strategic committee in place, they are still struggling to operationalize their mandate effectively in order to achieve their objectives. The struggle is even more in settings that are low on resources and where the information technology portfolio is highly fragmented. In this article, an information technology governance model suitable for low resource settings and fragmented information technology portfolios is proposed to assist institutions having this type of setting achieve successful strategic information technology alignment. Case study research was used to: 1) understand information technology challenges that an institution with this type of setting faces and; 2) understand how other similar institutions have implemented their information technolgy governance. The findings from the case studies contributed to the development of an effective information technology governance model suited to these institutions with low resource settings and having fragmented information technology portifolios. Initial evaluation of the model using existing literature review, existing information technology governance frameworks and case studies used in the study indicate the validity of the model.

Political Culture and Higher Education Governance in Chinese Societies: Some Reflections

Over the past decades, higher education governance and university management have become increasingly complex worldwide in a context of unprecedented expansion and diversification. Driven by both external and internal pressures, higher education reforms in different nations have often been reported to follow a similar pattern: shifting from the control model to the supervisory model in nearly all aspects of their relationship with universities. While such a trend in Chinese societies has been well documented in the literature, few people have been able to identify the sticking point of higher education governance there. As a result, the concept of a doomed cycle continues to linger obstinately, viewing power delegation as leading to market disorder which, in turn, leads to tighter control. This article points out the neglect of Confucian political culture and its importance for studies of higher education governance reforms in Chinese societies. It aims to demonstrate that Western theories of and approaches to governance and autonomy in higher education cannot be simply applied to other societies of highly different historical and cultural traditions. By so doing, it attempts to shed some light on debates over governance and autonomy in higher education in a much wider context.