The use of ERP systems in brazilian public organizations represents a change in operating procedures quite significant and is the result of the worldwide movement "New Public Management" or "New Public Management", occurred from the 1980s, the government pricipalmente U.S. administrations , Great Britain and Sweden. The main feature of this movement is the adoption by government organizations of information and communication technologies (ICT) and operational technologies already tested as efficient from the private organizations. The ERP system arises in the early 1990s, released by the German company SAP, founded in 1972, with the R / 2 and R / 3 products, becoming a leader in this segment, becoming the product of information technology used by most large public and private organizations worldwide. The implementation of this type of information technology in organizations has as consequence the beginning of a state of organizational change, where all the people involved, planters, managers and operators get the reflexes arising from the adoption of new technology. In public organizations, especially in Brazilian IFES, there are few studies on the investigation of these reflections, which can be both difficult as benefits to be enjoyed by people. The aim of this study is to describe the implementation of an ERP system in a Brazilian IFES through the study of the life cycle of this system along with the difficulties and possible benefits of adopting this emerging information technology. / A utilização de sistemas ERP em organizações públicas brasileiras representa uma mudança de procedimentos operacionais bastante significativa e é fruto do movimento mundial "New Public Management" ou " Nova Administração Pública", ocorrido a partir dos anos de 1980, pricipalmente nas administrações governamentais dos Estados Unidos, Grã-Bretanha e Suécia. A principal característica deste movimento é a adoção pelas organizações governamentais de tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TIC) e tecnologias operacionais já testadas como eficientes provenientes das organizações privadas. O sistema ERP surge no início dos anos 1990, lançado pela empresa alemã SAP, fundada em 1972, com o produtos R/2 e R/3, tornando-se líder neste segmento, tornando-se o produto de tecnologia da informação mais utilizado pelas grandes organizações públicas e privadas em todo o mundo. A implantação deste tipo de tecnologia da informação nas organizações tem como consequencia o início de um estado de mudança organizacional, onde todas as pessoas envolvidas, implantadores, gerentes e operadores recebem os reflexos provenientes da adoção da nova tecnologia. Nas organizações públicas, sobretudo nas IFES brasileiras, ainda existem poucos estudos relativos à investigação destes reflexos, que tanto podem ser dificuldades como benefícios a serem usufruídos pelas pessoas. O objetivo deste estudo é descrever a implantação de um sistema ERP em uma IFES brasileira através do estudo do ciclo de vida deste sistema juntamente com as dificuldades e os benefícios possivelmente emergentes da adoção desta tecnologia da informação.

This study investigated the current practices of quality assurance systems in Ethiopia at national and institutional levels in the light of government’s intended policies and the policies that are being implemented in HEIs. In addition, the study intended to compare the practices of public and private HEIs. It focused on quality assurance in degree-granting public and accredited private higher education institutionsin Ethiopia. For this study, I employed a mixed approach (qualitative as a main and quantitative as a subsidiary approach), combining a comparative case study and a survey to investigate the practices of QA systems in HEIs. Data was gathered from the National QA agency, degree-granting public universities, and accredited private university colleges. In addition, HERQA experts, academic vice presidents, QA directors, research and publication directors, college deans, internal quality reviewers and senior academic staff were involved in the study. Semi-structured interviews with key informants, documentary evidence, and a survey questionnaire form the main evidence base. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Although the study found structured QA processes at national and institutional levels, these were very recent in public HEIs, whereas and a quality culture had been developed in private HEIs. Self-evaluation and external quality audits are common methodologies used by both private and public HEIs. In addition, accreditation is another QA mechanism used by national quality assurance agencies to accredit private HEIs. This study confirmed that there was no QA policy at national and institutional levels to direct QA activities at all levels. This had a negative impact on the effective implementation of the system. Standards could be useful because they provide an institution with a clear idea of an ‘ideal’ end point, something towards which to strive. HEIs should develop their own quality principles and quality indicators for each key area of quality; however, the quality managers of both private and public HEIs did not understand the meaning of quality standards or quality indicators. There was a significant difference between public and private HEIs in the implementation of internal QA systems and their commitment to implementing them. Private HEIs’ top managers were more committed than those of public HEIs. The impact of QA systems on core activities of the institutions also varied from private and public HEIs. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of the study is to explore the current policy and practice of the national and institutional QA system in public HEIs in Ethiopia in order to determine how the quality of teaching and learning might have been enhanced through the QA system. Two organisational theories – contingency and neo-institutional theory – provide a theoretical lens to explain how internal and external organisational environments affect the implementation of QA in the HEIs. The mixed-methods research approach was used in the study, including document analysis, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Three public universities were chosen as data source. At macro level, the HERQA was also included to examine the effect of the institutional environments on internal quality assurance practices. The findings revealed that there is little evidence of self-initiated quality enhancement activities in the public HEIs. They do not have adequate structures, systems, and written policies to assure quality. The quality assurance efforts were implemented without a clear sense of direction and purposes and therefore lacked effective coordination. The self-evaluations were symbolically took place at the higher levels of the universities and that the results of the evaluations were rarely used in a structured way in improvement of teaching-learning, faculty decision-making and planning processes. It is far from clear that whether the internal quality assurance contributed to the teaching and learning or transformed the student learning experience. It can be concluded that the HERQA’s quality assurance policy and practices seems to be de-coupled from internal initiatives to improve quality in the higher education institutions. It is recommended that HEIs should develop QA policy, mobilise resources for institutional quality improvement, establish full-fledged QA structures at all levels, and furnish the structures with necessary human resources. The HEIs should initiate and undertake effective self-assessment of their activities, own it and work towards achieving their own stated objectives. It is important that the HERQA should develop accreditation procedures, particularly at programme level, for the public HEIs. The HERQA should consider playing more active roles in communicating with HEIs regularly about QA; pay more attention to a follow-up of the audits, the punctual development and delivery of the SEDs. The HERQA should be more independent, have more autonomy and sufficient resources to become a viable professional agency informing the HE sector on the quality of its performance. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Quality management of higher education is a vital concern today. The purpose of this study was to examine education quality management practices of Ethiopian public universities and to investigate a relationship between three dependent variables (planning for quality education, implementation of plans and performance improvement) and five independent variables (identification of quality education, considering customers’ needs, performance tracking, education quality management strategies and taking actions). Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of questionnaires and interviews. Respondents of the questionnaire items were 170 education managers and student union representatives. In addition, ten senior instructors and ten senior students were interviewed. The responses obtained using questionnaires were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, modes, chi-square tests and Spearman’s correlation. Responses obtained using open ended items on the questionnaires and interview responses were analysed qualitatively using themes of issues most frequently obtained. This study showed that: in most Ethiopian public universities the educational quality planning process is not participatory. There is a gap in using their plans in guiding their day to day activities. Most universities do not regularly collect data on satisfaction levels of their customers. Educational process changes are not tested on small scale before a wide spread application. It also showed that there is a strong positive relationship between performance improvement and the four independent variables namely: considering customers’ needs, performance tracking, teaching methodologies and taking actions in Ethiopian public universities. Consequently, recommendations have been given so as to improve education quality management practices of Ethiopian public universities. This study hopefully contributes a lot for performance improvement of similar higher education system. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

The study identifies how different stakeholders perceive service quality improvement initiatives in public higher education institutions in Ethiopia. For this purpose, a mixed research methodology was employed. Furthermore, secondary data were collected from a variety of literature and primary data were collected from academic staff and final year students at public higher education institutions using the SERVQUAL scale and through focus group interviews. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings indicated that all dimensions of the service quality improvement initiatives were perceived by academic staff and studentsto be verypoor. The reasons for these poor or low perceptions were: the high expectationsof the stakeholders, the government’s intention to expand, lack of adequate knowledge regarding the implementation of the BPR process, the lack of motivation by service providers, poor management and the lack of good governance by the universities, inexperienced workers, non-empowered and task specific frontline employees, the low quality of the infrastructure, non-value adding hierarchical structures and approval systems, ethical problems with some service providers, the high staff turnoverand the lack of experienced staff. In addition, at all new universities, construction is underway and as a result,there are problems such as the poor state of the dormitories, classes,bathrooms, recreation areas, lounges, TV rooms, sport fields and internet connectivity, while the libraries are not well stocked with books and periodicals either. This study has recommended that the institutions should have standardised instruments that can be used to measure the status of service quality improvement and deliveryperiodically and to identify the areas that have the highest perceived performance gap scores in order to redeploy some of the resources. It also needs to be pointed out that the service providers lack sufficient knowledge and skillsconcerning the implementation of BPR, thus training is recommended in this regard.It is further recommended that for effective implementation of the BPR process, the importance of the provision of different guiding documents, continuous monitoring of activities and top management support should be kept in mind. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

This study compares the perceptions of presidents and academic and fiscal vice presidents of Texas public senior colleges and universities and with those of (appointed) members of the Texas Coordinating Board. A survey instrument was developed, based upon appropriate coordinating board functions discussed in the literature review, A five-point scale was used to measure intensity or agreement or disagreement. Responses were subjected to one way analysis of variance to determine differences between administrators and board members. Differences significant at the .05 level are reported. Administrators and board members differed significantly on all statements related to centralized control versus internal autonomy. Board members endorsed a greater variety of roles and a higher level of activity for the board than did administrators, although members were not expansionistic. Administrators indicated diverse opinions regarding the board's role. Responses related to formula funding were similar. Board members believed that requests to the legislature for higher education funding needs should be presented in terms of a statewide system; administrators indicated uncertainty. Both agreed on the increasing importance of long-range planning in formula development, but administrators were unsure whether such planning would help provide stability and realistic expectations in funding. Both groups endorsed a greater role for the board in collecting, interpreting, and disseminating information regarding higher education institutions. Neither subgroup offered an opinion regarding subjection of higher education budget requests to the criteria used for other state agencies. Board members and administrators disagreed as to whether private business standards were appropriate for higher education institutions. The relationship between funding recommended by the board and appropriations passed by the legislature was not considered appropriate for evaluating board success. State appropriations for higher education were seen as an investment in the state's economic future. Administrators did not believe college and university faculties understood the board s role in funding; board members were undecided.

This study investigated the current practices of quality assurance systems in Ethiopia at national and institutional levels in the light of government’s intended policies and the policies that are being implemented in HEIs. In addition, the study intended to compare the practices of public and private HEIs. It focused on quality assurance in degree-granting public and accredited private higher education institutionsin Ethiopia. For this study, I employed a mixed approach (qualitative as a main and quantitative as a subsidiary approach), combining a comparative case study and a survey to investigate the practices of QA systems in HEIs. Data was gathered from the National QA agency, degree-granting public universities, and accredited private university colleges. In addition, HERQA experts, academic vice presidents, QA directors, research and publication directors, college deans, internal quality reviewers and senior academic staff were involved in the study. Semi-structured interviews with key informants, documentary evidence, and a survey questionnaire form the main evidence base. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Although the study found structured QA processes at national and institutional levels, these were very recent in public HEIs, whereas and a quality culture had been developed in private HEIs. Self-evaluation and external quality audits are common methodologies used by both private and public HEIs. In addition, accreditation is another QA mechanism used by national quality assurance agencies to accredit private HEIs. This study confirmed that there was no QA policy at national and institutional levels to direct QA activities at all levels. This had a negative impact on the effective implementation of the system. Standards could be useful because they provide an institution with a clear idea of an ‘ideal’ end point, something towards which to strive. HEIs should develop their own quality principles and quality indicators for each key area of quality; however, the quality managers of both private and public HEIs did not understand the meaning of quality standards or quality indicators. There was a significant difference between public and private HEIs in the implementation of internal QA systems and their commitment to implementing them. Private HEIs’ top managers were more committed than those of public HEIs. The impact of QA systems on core activities of the institutions also varied from private and public HEIs. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting the adoption of open access in research activities within Tanzanian public universities in order to device mechanisms of enhancing the use of this mode of scholarly communication. The study adopted the UTAUT model to formulate an open access research model comprising of six constructs and five moderators for guidance of this investigation. A triangulation approach for data gathering was adopted. In the first instance, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 398 respondents selected using the stratified random sampling from a population of 1088 university researchers from six public universities in Tanzania. The interview involving 63 policy makers and structured records review were also conducted to complement the questionnaire survey. The descriptive and binary logistic regression statistics of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used for data analysis. The study established that majority of the policy makers (90.5%) and researchers (72.1%) were aware of open access. Attitude, awareness, effort expectancy, and performance expectancy were established as the key determinants for researchers’ behavioural intention of open access usage while age, awareness, behavioural intention, facilitating conditions and social influence were found to significantly affect researchers’ actual usage of open access. It was concluded that researchers’ and policy makers’ general perceptions about open access were very positive signifying the acceptance of this mode of scholarly communication in the study area. Current poor research conditions and researchers’ low Internet self-efficacy such as inadequate information search and online publishing skills were cited as the main hindrances for researchers to use open access in scholarly communication. The study recommends institutionalisation of open access publishing in Tanzanian public universities and other similar research institutions so as to improve the dissemination of research output emanating from such institutions. Six areas for further research to establish more insights regarding the feasibility for open access development in the country are also recommended. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

O desenvolvimento tecnológico e a inovação são entendidos como elementos chaves para transformar o conhecimento em riqueza e melhorar a qualidade de vida das sociedades. Nos últimos anos, a preservação ambiental ganhou destaque e organizações governamentais e não governamentais passaram a buscar soluções para os problemas ambientais da atualidade. Desta maneira, estudos sobre as inovações ambientais têm tentado entender e fomentar inovações que visam reduzir o impacto ambiental. Sendo assim, esta dissertação tem como objetivo investigar a produção de ciência e tecnologia dos inventores da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR e verificar a presença da ecoinovação, para compreender sua contribuição no sistema de inovação. Tal estudo se mostra relevante uma vez que, reflete sobre a produção de ciência e tecnologia dos inventores de uma universidade tecnológica, sendo pertinente dado o papel importante da universidade na disseminação de conhecimento científico e no desenvolvimento tecnológico, e por outro lado, a ecoinovação é um debate recente e seu conceito ainda é indefinido. Assim, justifica-se pela importância do entendimento da ecoinovação e do papel da universidade no desenvolvimento tecnológico, seja pelo auxílio nas decisões de políticas públicas, bem como pela crescente demanda em orientar os resultados da universidade a serviço de maior competitividade da indústria nacional e do crescimento econômico. A metodologia baseia-se no método de estudo de caso, os procedimentos metodológicos foram exploratórios e descritivos, de natureza qualitativa e a coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental e pesquisa de campo, Constatou-se, que aproximadamente 53% dos professores-inventores são da área de engenharia, reflexo da identidade de uma universidade tecnológica. A participação dos alunos inventores é proporcional entre os estudantes da graduação e pós-graduação, e existem pedidos de patente de invenção em coautoria com instituições pública e privada. Verificou-se que os artigos completos publicados em periódicos dos professores-inventores possuem citações nas bases de dados Scopus e Web of Science. Em relação à presença da ecoinovação, dos 118 pedidos de patente de invenção, 40 foram declarados ecoinovação por seus inventores, contribuindo no ganho de mais valor com menor impacto ambiental. / Technological development and innovation are understood as key elements for transforming knowledge into wealth and improving the quality of life of societies. In recent years, environmental preservation has gained prominence and governmental and non-governmental organizations have come to seek solutions to current environmental problems. In this way, studies on environmental innovations have tried to understand and foster innovations that aim to reduce the environmental impact. Thus, this dissertation aims to investigate the production of science and technology of the inventors of the Federal Technological University of Paraná - UTFPR and verify the presence of eco-innovation in order to understand its contribution to the innovation system. This study is relevant since it reflects on the production of science and technology of the inventors of a technological university, being pertinent given the important role of the university in the dissemination of scientific knowledge and technological development, and on the other hand, eco-innovation is a recent debate and its concept is still undefined. Thus, it is justified by the importance of understanding the eco-innovation and the role of the university in technological development, either by aiding in public policy decisions, as well as by the growing demand to orient the university's results in the service of greater competitiveness of national industry and economic growth. The methodology was based on the case study method, the methodological procedures were exploratory and descriptive, of a qualitative nature and the data collection was done through bibliographical research, documentary research and field research. It was found that approximately 53 % of teacher-inventors are from engineering, reflecting the identity of a technological university. The student inventors' participation is proportional among undergraduate and graduate students, and there are patent applications for co-authoring with public and private institutions. It has been found that the full papers published in the journals of the inventor-teachers are quoted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Regarding the presence of eco-innovation, of the 118 patent applications, 40 were declared eco-innovation by their inventors, contributing to the gain of more value with less environmental impact.