Thesis (Ed. Spec.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Field study. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Phil.(Marketing and Management Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p < 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality. / South Africa

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / The purpose of this study was to assess and reflect on the perceptions of educators towards the implementation of an Integrated Quality Management System in the White Hazy Circuit, Mpumalanga Province. The IQMS is a clear reaction to the autocratic mode of evaluation that operated during the Apartheid era and is a major shift from the old paradigm of external evaluators. The new paradigm calls for a joint collaboration between schools, districts and supervisory unit with the main aim to enhance the quality of education in South Africa. The researcher used quantitative method for this study. In its quantitative approach the study was to describe, analyse and interpret the data to determine if there were any negative perceptions among White Hazy educators about IQMS implementation. The reason to use this approach was to obtain the detailed descriptions of the information required for the study. Secondly results are based on objective method which can be expressed in a specific management technology. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires (N = 97). Respondents of all post level in the teaching profession participated. The participants were selected randomly to give equal participation of all respondents from 16 selected schools. The participants come from both primary and secondary schools. The study highlighted that compliance, lack of training, shifting of responsibility to one another and insufficient time for development play a significant role in IQMS implementation. The findings revealed that the IQMS Policy is implemented in schools. However, there are some areas where there is a lack of school based teacher development to some schools and there is no consistency in the implementation which affected teacher performance and learner performance. The results which arose from the study suggested the following recommendations: quarterly training to enhance service delivery and the reviewing of the current policy to cover trends of contemporary conditions in schools and to capacitate school management teams to become effective in the IQMS implementation.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Quality, in the Department of Operations and Quality Management, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Higher education institutions are faced with an increasing number of complex challenges including implementing and maintaining a quality management system. In addition, the transformation of higher education brought about further regulations, especially to private higher and further education institutions. Managing the change in private higher and further education became complex as institutions were required to meet the Department of Education’s registration requirements and the HEQC and Umalusi Council’s quality audit criteria requirements. Hence, this study reviewed related literature which represented sources of information, to determine the nature of PHE and FET institutions. The literature further scanned business quality tools and the SAEM and their applicability to private higher and further education. It was established that the TQM philosophy and the ISO 9001: 2000 quality standard, applied in an integrated system, was suitable for higher education. The review identified the SAEM as a suitable model to use as a basis for an integrated quality management system. From the literature review, the nature of PHE and FET institutions and the requirements of the HEQC and Umalusi Council were established. A significant finding was that PHE and FET institutions did not have an internal quality management system in place. This revelation led to the research investigation on finding the needs and deficiencies of FET and PHEIs. A questionnaire, using mainly open-ended questions, was designed and administered to FET and PHEIs for this purpose. The responses revealed that some quality practices were in place but, overall, the quality arrangements were inadequate. The results of the research investigation and the principles of the business quality tools were integrated into the SAEM’s principles. This process led to the formation of an Integrated Quality Model. This Integrated Quality Model was recommended as an internal quality management system for FET and PHEIs

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an industry-specific total quality service framework (as a potential basis for an established total quality service model) for private higher education institutions in South Africa. The framework (as a tool) will contribute to the need to manage service quality of these institutions on a holistic and strategic basis. Service quality is a challenge for any enterprise, especially for those in the service industry. It is of particular concern for private higher education institutions and one of their key challenges due to the increasingly competitive, marketing-oriented and highly regulated environment. In this environment, these institutions have to function, survive and compete, not only with one another, but also with public institutions of higher education. Competition is on the increase, and private higher education institutions need to find new ways to compete if they wish to survive in this dynamic service industry environment. The offering of excellent service quality could add to the long-term sustainability of private institutions and it could therefore also be the differentiating factor for success. The literature review for this study suggested that service quality can only be improved by identifying industry-specific service quality dimensions as a basis for the development of industry-specific frameworks and models. Using a mixed methods research approach (exploratory sequential mixed methods research design), this research was conducted on six private higher education institutes with 13 sites of delivery. Stage 1 of the study consisted of the qualitative exploration of total quality service dimensions from a top management perspective by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews following a conversational mode. A thematic analysis approach was applied during the data analysis. The validity and reliability of the data were tested via different strategies of trustworthiness. The instrument development stage was added as an intermediate stage of the research study. The developed instrument was informed and complemented by literature as well as the qualitative findings. Stage 2 of the research study consisted of the quantitative exploration of the importance of total quality service dimensions from the perspective of the internal (lecturers) and external (students) customers. The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to all specified students and lecturers of selected private higher education institutions in the sampling frame. Data analysis included an exploratory factor analysis approach, which was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis. A conceptual measurement model was presented consisting of five 26 dimensions (variables) represented by five primary constructs. Both the internal and composite reliability scores were strong and the confirmatory factor analysis yielded a model with good fit. The modified conceptual model demonstrated evidence of unidimensionality and construct validity. The final step in the data analysis process represented thematic analysis of responses to the only open-ended question in the questionnaire, which yielded additional service quality dimensions. The application of the exploratory sequential mixed methods research design thus culminated in the final total quality service framework, which consists of selected top management perspectives (qualitative stage), the conceptual measurement model (quantitative stage) and the additional service quality dimensions identified from the open-ended question analysis. The current study was a pioneering effort that bridged a significant gap with the development of the first total quality service framework for private higher education institutions in South Africa. The framework provides the first building blocks towards a comprehensive total quality service model for measuring, managing and continuous improvement of total quality service in private higher education in South Africa. / Business Management / Ph. D. (Management Studies)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Quality, in the Department of Operations and Quality Management, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Higher education institutions are faced with an increasing number of complex challenges including implementing and maintaining a quality management system. In addition, the transformation of higher education brought about further regulations, especially to private higher and further education institutions. Managing the change in private higher and further education became complex as institutions were required to meet the Department of Education’s registration requirements and the HEQC and Umalusi Council’s quality audit criteria requirements. Hence, this study reviewed related literature which represented sources of information, to determine the nature of PHE and FET institutions. The literature further scanned business quality tools and the SAEM and their applicability to private higher and further education. It was established that the TQM philosophy and the ISO 9001: 2000 quality standard, applied in an integrated system, was suitable for higher education. The review identified the SAEM as a suitable model to use as a basis for an integrated quality management system. From the literature review, the nature of PHE and FET institutions and the requirements of the HEQC and Umalusi Council were established. A significant finding was that PHE and FET institutions did not have an internal quality management system in place. This revelation led to the research investigation on finding the needs and deficiencies of FET and PHEIs. A questionnaire, using mainly open-ended questions, was designed and administered to FET and PHEIs for this purpose. The responses revealed that some quality practices were in place but, overall, the quality arrangements were inadequate. The results of the research investigation and the principles of the business quality tools were integrated into the SAEM’s principles. This process led to the formation of an Integrated Quality Model. This Integrated Quality Model was recommended as an internal quality management system for FET and PHEIs

Most school management teams (SMTs) do not do their tasks either due to lack of time or inability to fulfil this obligation. Should this be true for South African schools, it would reflect negatively on the SMT job performance. This led to undertaking research in order to ascertain the fit between organisational policies of induction, mentoring, curriculum assessment training and curriculum supervision and the SMT job performance by way of establishing the effect of organisation policy on SMTs’ job performance. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design of the correlational type. Two sets of questionnaires, one for independent variables and the other for the dependent variable, were used to elicit information from the respondents. Some of the findings show that aspiring SMT members need some training so as to know what will be expected of them to do once they get selected as SMT members. It was further proven that common tests that are normally set at the provincial and district and/or school based levels are invariably not of the standard that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) prescribes nationally. The foregoing led to the conclusion that the SMT job practice is invariably not informed by the relevant organisational policies. Hence a cascade model of SMT training is recommended, as is the notion that training toward organisational policies under review should be done cohesively.

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Education is undoubtedly of great significance to everyone, and as a consequence countries are working hard to ensure that their educational systems are responsive to their socio-economic needs. In search for competitive advantage, institutes of higher learning throughout the world are focussing their attention in ensuring the provision of quality academic programmes. Botswana's public technical colleges are no exception. In recent years, the government of Botswana through Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DTVET) has stepped up its efforts to expand and transform technical and vocational education in that country. In spite of these investments, studies show that the quality of training is still a serious concern. This study aims to explore the extent to which the Botswana institutions implement quality management systems. Critical areas and attributes where institutions should focus their efforts in relation to quality are explored. To achieve the objective of the study, both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used. The case study research method was employed to investigate issues which have affected the capacity of the institutions to implement quality management systems. Data was gathered from students, teachers and the college management team members by means of a self-administered questionnaire. This study hopes to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by providing insights into the implementation of quality management systems in the training institutions in Botswana.

The purpose of this study was to to investigate the impact of leadership practices on service quality in private higher education in South Africa as a source of competitive advantage. Higher education institutions and, more specifically, private higher education institutions, have faced increasing pressure on many fronts in recent years. These pressures include increased competition, lack of support from key constituencies, an increase in the size and diversity of the student population, dealing with changing technology, increased calls for accountability, a higher demand for quality by all the stakeholders involved, more responsibility for research and teaching and greater emphasis on efficient and effective management. The literature review for this study suggested that leadership impacts positively on quality and, equally important, on service quality. The academic leaders at these institutions have a tremendous influence on the quality of the education provided and the service rendered to the growing number of students. Using a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional survey research design, this study was conducted on five campuses of a prominent private higher education provider across South Africa using two survey instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) questionnaire was utilised to conduct the leadership survey while the SERVQUAL instrument was applied in the service quality survey. The campus principals of the five campuses and some of their selected subordinates completed the LPI survey. The SERVQUAL questionnaires were completed by 984 students from the five campuses. Correlation analysis was the major statistical tool used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the leadership practices of principals and service quality to students at these institutions. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)