Problem and Purpose – Diversity management, a subject of increasing interest over the last three decades in the business context, is even more relevant to higher education institutions, where diversity is present both in the supplier and customer side. In addition to general organisational improvements, most of the benefits arguably derived would have a direct impact on the cognitive processes such as problem-solving, creativity and learning, which are the core of the university reason for existence, being a centre for knowledge creation and transfer. However, the existing research covering diversity and its management in this particular organisational setting is very scarce. This paper aims to fill some of this gap. The purpose of this study is to identify the key motivators for ethnic diversity management in higher education institutions and the perceived benefits derived. Method – The investigation took the form of in-depth structured interviews conducted through e-mail, policy document analysis and website reviews of four selected higher education institutions. Pattern matching (Yin, 1994) was employed as the mode for data analysis. Findings – Ethnic Diversity Management was present in all units, however, it went beyond just the business case to include social justice view and other aspects. The HEIs studied were found to either manage diversity for purely ethical reasons, be motivated by a combination of moral considerations and perceived performance improvements, or completely culturally embrace diversity in the environment with less designated initiatives of diversity management, dependent on a range of variables present in each institutions related to their perceptions, goals and environment. Hence, both the social justice case and business case were concluded to be strong motivators for diversity management in the higher education context. Originality/value – The paper highlights various DM initiatives, strategies as well as observed effects, hence solidifying the arguments for recognizing and managing diversity and the link between well managed diversity and performance in various aspects, both in business and higher education context. The study is expected to make a contribution  to knowledge by assisting in providing information on key motivators for DM in HEIs and is intended  to be  an elementary supplement  for scholarly discourse in management science, and particularly DM in the HEI context.

Diss. Helsinki : Univ.

Ši pagrindinė tezė apima teorinę ir praktinę pusę, analizę ir ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų valdymo optimizavimo strateginių tikslų pagrindimą. Tezė apima: strateginio valdymo teorijos analizę, tam tikrų segmentų empirinį viešos nuomonės tyrimą (ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų direktorių, pavaduotojų, auklėtojų, tėvų), jų nuomones apie ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų valdymo optimizacijos strateginius tikslus, empirinį vadovavimo įvertinimo tyrimą apie dabartinių vaikų darželių direktorius, patikrinant jų gebėjimą vadovauti. Buvo apklausta trisdešimt Šiaulių miesto ir rajono ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų. 30 – direktorių, 30 – direktorių pavaduotojų, 100 pedagogų, 140 tėvų. Išanalizuota 30 įstaigų veiklos planų. Tezė aptaria ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų specifinę valdymo sferą, analizuoja valdymo teorijų formą, veiklos struktūros optimizavimo klausimą, strateginius dokumentus ir dokumentaciją. Po teorinės ir empirinės analizės buvo padarytos sekančios išvados: strateginis valdymas yra esminis ikimokyklinėms ugdymo įstaigoms, nepaisant skirtingų situacijų ir įvairų metodų, pateiktų institucijų veikloje, yra tam tikri valdymo optimizavimo strateginiai tikslai, vedantys į efektyvesnę veiklą ir augimą. / This leading thesis involves aspects of theory and practice, analysis and explanation of strategic aims for management optimization in preschool education institutions. Thesis involves: theoretical analysis of strategic management, empirical research of public opinion in certain segments (of the directors, director’s assistants, educators of preschool education institutions and parents), their opinions about the strategic aims for management optimization in preschool education institutions, empirical research about management assessment of the directors of present preschools, testing their ability to head up. The research included 30 preschool education institutions of Šiauliai town and its region. 30 directors, 30 director’s assistants, 100 educators, 140 parents. There were analyzed thirty management plans of institutions. Thesis discusses about the specific spheres of management in preschools, analysis the forms of management theories, question of the work structure optimization, strategic documents and documentation. The following conclusions have been drawn after theoretical and empirical analysis: strategic management is fundamental for preschool education institutions despite the different situations and various methods which are listed in the work of these institutions; there are certain strategic aims of management which leads to effective work and growth.

Magistro darbe yra suformuluotas tikslas - diagnozuoti Šiaulių miesto ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų vadovų kompetencijas bei atskleisti ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų vadovų ir pedagogų požiūrį į vadovų kompetencijas. Remiantis teoriniais šaltiniais apibrėžta kompetencijos samprata. Išanalizuoti ir susisteminti Lietuvos ir kitų šalių mokslininkų požiūriai į asmeninę, socialinę, profesinę, komunikacinę kompetencijas. Atskleistas vadovo darbo ir kompetencijos ryšys. Ištirta respondentų nuomonė apie vadovų turimas įsisavintas kompetencijas ir kompetencijas, kurių labiausiai trūksta vadovams. Išsiaiškinta kurios kompetencijos yra svarbiausios vadovo darbe. Tyrimo rezultatai taikytini organizuojant seminarus ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų vadovams bei vykdant ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų vadovų atrankos ir vertinimo procesus. / An objective, which is formulated in the master’s work is to diagnose the managerial competences of preschool education institutions of Šiauliai city and to reveal the attitude of managers and educators of preschool education institutions towards the managerial competences. The conception of competence was made with the help of theoretical resources. Lithuania’s and other countries’ scientists’ attitudes towards the personal, social, professional and communicative competences were analysed and systematized. The connection between a manager’s work and a competence was revealed. Respondents’ opinion about the managers’ competence, which they have attained and the competence that managers lack mostly were investigated. It was cleared which competences are most important in a manager’s work. Research results can be applied while organising seminars for the managers of preschool education institutions, also while realizing the processes of their selection and evaluation.

Disertacijoje sveikos gyvensenos fenomenas konceptualizuojamas kaip visuomeninė ir edukacinė vertybė bei ugdymo tikslas, kurio įgyvendinimui modernioje visuomenėje kyla nauji iššūkiai. Remiantis kiekybine socialinių tyrimų paradigma, laikomasi požiūrio, kad edukacinė diagnostika leidžia įvertinti ugdymo tikslų įgyvendinimą realybėje. Disertaciniame tyrime edukacinė diagnostika pasitelkiama įvertinti studentų sveikos gyvensenos (kaip ugdymo rezultato) priklausomybę nuo edukacinių, socialinių, aplinkos faktorių bei ištirti jos sąsajas su subjektyviu savo kūno vertinimu. Taikant matematinės statistikos metodus, atskleidžiamas įvairių sveikos gyvensenos komponentų paplitimas studentų populiacijoje ir jo edukaciniai veiksniai. Analizuojant ir pateikiant tyrimo rezultatus, išryškinami lyčių skirtumai. Empirinio tyrimo duomenys rodo nemažą rizikingos sveikatai elgsenos paplitimą tarp studentų. Ryškiausios studentų gyvensenos problemos – neracionali mityba, psichoaktyviųjų medžiagų vartojimas, patiriamas stresas, nepakankamas fizinis aktyvumas. Šie ir kiti studentų gyvensenos rodikliai bei atrastos jų sąsajos su ankstesne ugdymo/si patirtimi leidžia kelti prielaidas apie nepakankamą formaliosios švietimo sistemos veiksmingumą ugdant sveikos gyvensenos įgūdžius, konstatuoti, kad ugdymą reglamentuojančiuose dokumentuose deklaruojami tikslai nėra sėkmingai įgyvendinami. Remiantis literatūros analize bei empirinio tyrimo duomenimis, pateikiamos rekomendacijos sveikos gyvensenos įgūdžių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the doctoral dissertation the phenomenon of healthy lifestyle is conceptualized as a social, educational value and the objective of education that poses new challenges in the modern society. On the basis of quantitative social research paradigm, educational diagnostics allows the measuring of achieving educational objectives in reality. In the dissertation research educational diagnostics helps to assess students' health behavior (as a result of education) and its dependence on the educational, social and environmental factors, and to investigate its relationship with subjective evaluation of own body. An application of mathematical statistical methods allows revealing the prevalence of various components of health behavior in the students’ population and its educational factors. In the analysis and presentation of research results gender differences are highlighted. Empirical study shows considerable risky health behavior prevalence among students. The principal students’ lifestyle issues - irrational nutrition, psychoactive substance use, stress, lack of physical activity. These and other indicators of students health behavior, and the discovered link with the previous educational experience lead to assumptions about the lack of formal educational system effectiveness in developing healthy lifestyle habits, and state that objectives declared in the documents regulating education have not been successfully implemented. Based on literature analysis and empirical study... [to full text]

Disertacijoje sveikos gyvensenos fenomenas konceptualizuojamas kaip visuomeninė ir edukacinė vertybė bei ugdymo tikslas, kurio įgyvendinimui modernioje visuomenėje kyla nauji iššūkiai. Remiantis kiekybine socialinių tyrimų paradigma, laikomasi požiūrio, kad edukacinė diagnostika leidžia įvertinti ugdymo tikslų įgyvendinimą realybėje. Disertaciniame tyrime edukacinė diagnostika pasitelkiama įvertinti studentų sveikos gyvensenos (kaip ugdymo rezultato) priklausomybę nuo edukacinių, socialinių, aplinkos faktorių bei ištirti jos sąsajas su subjektyviu savo kūno vertinimu. Taikant matematinės statistikos metodus, atskleidžiamas įvairių sveikos gyvensenos komponentų paplitimas studentų populiacijoje ir jo edukaciniai veiksniai. Analizuojant ir pateikiant tyrimo rezultatus, išryškinami lyčių skirtumai. Empirinio tyrimo duomenys rodo nemažą rizikingos sveikatai elgsenos paplitimą tarp studentų. Ryškiausios studentų gyvensenos problemos – neracionali mityba, psichoaktyviųjų medžiagų vartojimas, patiriamas stresas, nepakankamas fizinis aktyvumas. Šie ir kiti studentų gyvensenos rodikliai bei atrastos jų sąsajos su ankstesne ugdymo/si patirtimi leidžia kelti prielaidas apie nepakankamą formaliosios švietimo sistemos veiksmingumą ugdant sveikos gyvensenos įgūdžius, konstatuoti, kad ugdymą reglamentuojančiuose dokumentuose deklaruojami tikslai nėra sėkmingai įgyvendinami. Remiantis literatūros analize bei empirinio tyrimo duomenimis, pateikiamos rekomendacijos sveikos gyvensenos įgūdžių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the doctoral dissertation the phenomenon of healthy lifestyle is conceptualized as a social, educational value and the objective of education that poses new challenges in the modern society. On the basis of quantitative social research paradigm, educational diagnostics allows the measuring of achieving educational objectives in reality. In the dissertation research educational diagnostics helps to assess students' health behavior (as a result of education) and its dependence on the educational, social and environmental factors, and to investigate its relationship with subjective evaluation of own body. An application of mathematical statistical methods allows revealing the prevalence of various components of health behavior in the students’ population and its educational factors. In the analysis and presentation of research results gender differences are highlighted. Empirical study shows considerable risky health behavior prevalence among students. The principal students’ lifestyle issues - irrational nutrition, psychoactive substance use, stress, lack of physical activity. These and other indicators of students health behavior, and the discovered link with the previous educational experience lead to assumptions about the lack of formal educational system effectiveness in developing healthy lifestyle habits, and state that objectives declared in the documents regulating education have not been successfully implemented. Based on literature analysis and empirical study... [to full text]

This dissertation investigates the impacts of constraints on optimal government policy. The first two chapters provide a general introduction and review of the literature. Chapters three and four analyze education spending and institutional structure in an economy with informational asymmetries and employment matching frictions. The fifth investigates the impact of politics on government decisions over taxation and spending programs more generally. Chapter three analyzes the situation where governments can target education funds to specific observable groups (referred to as low and high productivity neighbourhoods/regions). The results suggest that it may be optimal to employ educational transfers, rather than cash transfers amongst individuals, to achieve social welfare objectives. This is becasue the former can reduce distortions created by the tax system. However, the value of educational spending in mitigating these information frictions may not be that large, and may in fact exacerbate such distortions. This suggests that an optimal education policy may be more regressive when there is a distortionary tax system in place. Further, we showt that even if ``equalizing opportunities'' is deemed optimal in the static problem, it may not be a reasonable policy goal when we extend the analysis to include dynamics. Chapter four is joint work with Afrasiab Mirza. We analyze an economy where heterogeneous individuals are uncertain about their endowments. The education system trades off the desire to capitalize on talent through specific skills training with the need to provide individuals with opportunities to learn about their career preferences through a broader education. The results consider the implications of various educational institutions for the income distribution and consequently welfare. Chapter five analyzes the dynamics of public spending, taxation and debt in a political agency model. Choices are made by short-lived politicians who can be only partially controlled through the electoral process. The main focus is to consider the impacts of binding limits on the public budget. The value of imposing this additional friction depends both on the extent to which politicians' goals deviate from their constituencies and how effectively the electoral process disciplines them when they misbehave. The results also suggest that the value of such a restriction depends on the fiscal position at the time in which it is imposed. / Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2009-11-25 20:25:29.12

<p>Theoretically, the role of higher education in national development has become clearer than before, while empirically the evidence is overwhelming. Elsewhere in the world, countries that have made tremendous strides in both social and economic development invested heavily and strategically in higher education. In Malawi, the role of higher education in national development has always been recognised by development policies since independence in 1964 <span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">However, with the exception of the first 15 years of independence, Malawi&rsquo / s development path has registered abysmal results both on the social and the economic fronts despite undergoing significant socio-economic and political reforms. Malawi remains one of the most underdeveloped countries whether judged by Gross National Product (GNP) per capita, the UNDP&rsquo / s Human Development Index (HDI) or the Human Poverty Index (HPI). One of the factors that is considered as having contributed to low levels of development is the performance of education systems (primary, secondary and higher education) (World Bank, 2009).</span>It is against this background that this study sought to examine how Malawi&rsquo / s higher education institutions (HEIs) have responded to their roles as prescribed by the national development policies with a focus on the period between 2000 and 2010. Four questions guided the study: i) what specific roles do national development policies define for HEIs to ensure that higher education contributes to national development? ii) To what extent are these roles performed by HEIs in Malawi? iii) What factors determine the performance of HEIs in their expected roles? iv) What pattern of response to their (HEIs&rsquo / ) expected roles can be identified? Theoretically and analytically, the study was informed by the two perspectives of the open systems theory, namely the resource-dependency approach and neo-institutional approach. These two approaches contend that actions by organisations are limited and influenced by various pressures and demands emanating from their internal and external environments and that organisations often respond accordingly in order to survive. Methodologically, the study employed a mixed-method design (of qualitative and quantitative) with a dominant usage of qualitative methods. A multiple case study approach was used in which data were collected through unstructured interviews, semi-structured interviews and documentary review. For qualitative data, the analysis was done using a text method while quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel to provide simple descriptive analysis through charts, tables and graphs.<span style="mso-fareast-font-family:TimesNewRoman"> Overall, the study found that Malawi development policies expect HEIs to enhance access, equity, relevance, efficiency and quality of higher education as a way of ensuring that higher education contributes to the national development project. However, the study identified several patterns of response by HEIs (towards these expected roles) that tentatively explain the sub-optimal contribution of higher education in national development. These patterns of response include: inclination towards responding to the politically sensitive crises in the higher education system (for public HEIs) and profit-compatible roles (for private HEI) / use of sub-standard resources and methods antithetical to genuine teaching and learning / duplication by private HEIs of the &ldquo / soft&rdquo / roles being undertaken by public HEI / the abandonment of some of the HEIs&rsquo / original ideals and founding pledges, which are compatible with national development roles / and substitution of long-term coherent academic planning by short-term survival strategies. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:18.0pt / mso-fareast-font-family:TimesNewRoman / mso-bidi-font-family:Arial / color:black / mso-fareast-language:EN-US / mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The study presents a number of implications, lessons and recommendations in the area of higher education and development. These include: the need for the government to recognise the importance and impact of intra-sectoral linkages in the entire education system on the performance of HEIs / the need to enforce the effective participation of private and public HEIs in national developmental project by establishing a proper regulatory framework / the need to enhance regional and internal collaboration among universities if they are to effectively respond to national roles / the need to reduce marginalisation of HEIs by maximising efforts that create linkages with the productive sector / the need to devise a robust public financing mechanism that broadly deals with issues of equity, relevance, quality and access of higher education / and the need to match education investment priorities and sequencing with development policies</span></p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

Magistro baigiamajame darbe atliekama darbuotojų motyvacijos viešojoje įstaigoje futbolo klube ,,Šiauliai“ ir biudžetinėje įstaigoje ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“ lyginamoji analizė. Tyrimui atlikti pasirinkta neatsitiktinė, netikimybinė tikslinė respondentų – viešosios įstaigos futbolo klubo ,,Šiauliai“ ir biudžetinės įstaigos ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“ darbuotojų – imtis. Darbuotojų veiklos motyvacijos tyrimas grindžiamas respondentų savanoriškumo ir perduodamos informacijos objektyvumo principais. Interviu metu buvo stengtasi gauti atsakymus į tokius probleminius klausimus: ar VŠĮ futbolo klubo ,,Šiauliai“ ir BĮ ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“ darbuotojų motyvacijai daugiausia įtakos turi tie patys, ar skirtingi veiksniai? Kas būdinga personalo motyvacijai VŠĮ futbolo klube ,,Šiauliai“ ir BĮ ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“? Ar organizacijos specifika įtakoja darbuotojų motyvaciją? Kaip galima stiprinti darbuotojų motyvaciją VŠĮ futbolo klube ,,Šiauliai“ ir BĮ ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“? Tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad VŠĮ futbolo klubo ,,Šiauliai“ ir BĮ ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“ darbuotojų sau keliami tikslai yra iš esmės analogiški. Darbuotojų motyvacijos skirtumai VŠĮ futbolo klube ,,Šiauliai“ bei BĮ ,,Šiaulių futbolo akademija“ atsiskleidė, kai buvo kalbama apie organizacijos, kurioje jie dirba, pagrindinius tikslus. Tyrimo rezultatai leidžia teigti, kad nepriklausomai nuo to, viešame ar privačiame sektoriuje sportininkus ugdantys specialistai dirba, pagrindiniai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the final master's thesis a comparative analysis of the public agency employee motivation in the football club "Siauliai" and the budgetary institution "Siauliai Football Academy" is done. The investigation selected to target non-probability, purposive respondent staff of the public institution "Siauliai" and budgetary institution "Siauliai Football Academy" .The investigation of employee work motivation is based on voluntary basis of respondents and the objective conditions of the transmitted information. During the interview efforts were made to get the answers to these problematic issues: is employee motivatiot of the public institution "Siauliai" and budgetary institution "Siauliai Football Academy" mainly influenced by the same or different factors? What is typical for the staff motivation in the public institution "Siauliai"and budgetary institution "Siauliai Football Academy"? Does the particularity of the organisation influence staff's motivation? How can you enhance employee motivation in public institution football club "Siauliai" and budgetary institution Siauliai Football Academy? The study found that the public institution football club "Siauliai" and budgetary institution " Siauliai Football Academy" staff training objectives are essentially the same. Employee motivation differences between public institution football club" Siauliai" and budgetary institution" Siauliai Football Academy" revealed the main targets when it comes to the organization for... [to full text]

South African higher education institutions are facing increasing competition from both local and global competitors. This increasing competitive pressure has forced them to become aware of the importance of building and sustaining a suitable competitive advantage. Adding to this, South Africa’s economy, together with the world economies, has witnessed changing circumstances in relation to consumers’ needs, tastes and preferences. In this light, service quality has been recognised as a means to meet these challenges. As service industries play an important role in many economies around the world, the significance of providing an adequate level of service quality has emerged. Higher education institutions too are now being called upon to account for the quality of the services they provide. As service quality is a key strategic issue and a pervasive strategic force, the methods deployed in measuring service quality is of concern. Traditionally, higher education institutions used measures to account for the academic standards they provide, together with accreditation and performance indicators of teaching and research. However, from the viewpoint of their primary consumers, higher education institutions need to put measures in place to account for their students’ perceptions of service quality as well. Higher education institutions need to concentrate their attention on what the students feel is important in delivering the service. In measuring service quality from the perspective of the students, higher education institutions will be able to improve their service delivery processes, which will help to create consumer loyalty and, in the long-term, build a competitive advantage. The primary objective of this study was to provide a comparative view on the undergraduate students’ perceptions of the service quality delivered by two South African higher education institutions. The study comprised a literature review and an empirical study, and a descriptive research design was employed. The literature review focused on service quality. The literature review did not focus specifically on examining service quality from higher education institutions perspective but rather looked at service quality from the perspective of general service industries. In addition, in order to shape the literature on service quality, an introduction to services and services marketing was provided. Within the empirical portion of this study, quantitative research was applied using the survey method. Two South African higher education institutions formed the two sample groups in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was administered on the relevant first-, second- and third- year business and marketing management students of each sample’s respective faculties. The findings obtained from the main survey questionnaire are discussed in order to provide insights as to how students’ evaluate the service delivery of higher education institutions. Given the limitations and scope of the study, a balanced view of the two sample groups is provided in that the sample groups were split representatively. The recommendations provided in this study provide guidelines regarding the possible ways in which higher education institutions can market themselves in order to build a sustainable competitive advantage. / MCom, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012