JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PLANNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Year:2014 | Volume:20 | Issue:2 (72)|Papers Count:8

The importance of optimal resources allocation in universities can be examined from the perspective of development plan. In this plan-regarding implementation of government policies- universities have a responsibility to change their budgeting system from plan based to performance based. The purpose of this paper is to construct a GP model to budget allocation for university so that the budget is allocated not only to priority based plan but also to Faculties based on student per Capita by the Ministry of Science, Researches and Technology. Considering the various criteria in the university system and because of Fuzzy uncertainties in the problem parameters, a Fuzzy Goal Programming budgeting model was designed. A gist in designing a model is the use of efficiency coefficient—calculated based on Data Envelopment Analysis approach (DEA) along a basic model of input-oriented CCR-for determining the importance coefficient for each educational group in order to allocate budget. In addition, the weights of goals and the priority of each plan were determined using some paired comparison questionnaires completed by experts. The Fuzzy GP model included 5 goals, 899 constraints and 508 decision variables. Solution results for Fuzzy Model and its comparison with deterministic model and actual data regarding the University studied in 2010 indicated efficiency improvement by this model in budget allocation so that by less budget spending, a significant improvement in achieving the goals and objectives will happened.

The purpose of current article was to analyze the return of Iran’s higher education system at the macroeconomic level (private and social returns). Return rate was measured by estimation of “macro-Mincer regressions”. The regressions was estimated for variables of labor productivity, working capital ratio, average years of schooling, human force expert work experience and import capital goods by using time series data for 32 years (1979-2010) in ten different conditions. Estimation results indicated that one year increase in average years of higher education will increase labor productivity by 77 percent. The average marginal return of higher education in Iran in the last 32 years was 77 percent and total macroeconomic return in 2010 was about 44 percent.

While in recent years the notion of human resource alternated by human capital, the problem of absorbing, recruiting, and retaining competent employees and succession planning has become more important than past. The present study aimed at comparing the present and ideal positions of succession planning (SP) and talent management (TM) in Tehran’s public universities of which University of Tehran, Allame Tabatabaee University, Shahid Beheshti University, Tarbiat Moallem University, Al-Zahra University and Tarbiat Modaress University were randomly selected. The study was a descriptive-survey type. The statistical population was all of 6572 employees of Tehrans universities in different humanities field. According to Krejcie and Morgans table and using quota sampling, 354 of employees were selected. Research tool was Rosswel’s 30 item questionnaire consisted of six factors in present and ideal situations. Reliability of the questionnaire was estimated (0.75) using Cronbach alpha. Finally, 297 questionnaires were collected. The rate of return was 83 percent. Descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency, Wilcoxon test and analysis of variance were performed for data analysis. The results revealed that, there is a significant difference between present and ideal positions of SP in all of dimensions, as well as commitment about SP is the most important dimension of it. Therefore, the results showed the necessity of implementing the SP and TM in higher education. In addition, the founding shows the importance of senior management commitment and attention to providing the groundwork for the implementation of this program including informing employees of their current and future job responsibilities in educational institutions.

The quality of academic services provided to students in higher education is a major concern for practitioners. Now definition, conceptualization and specifying components of service quality have both theoretical and methodological uncertainty. The root of many of these confusions and complexities is associated to lack of appropriate tools to measure. Providing a reliable and valid instrument for measuring quality of service is a necessary step in quality services. The main purpose of this research was to construct a valid and reliable instrument to measure quality academic services to students. The study population included University of Tehran’ students (undergraduate and postgraduate) that were enrolled in the second semester of 2010-11 academic year The sample consisted of 290 participants who were randomly assigned to two groups of 145 each. Preliminary and exploratory analysis was conducted for first sample and validation and verification for second one. The final instrument consisted of 45 questions and six factors of electronics services, communication, physical environment, education services, libraries and benefits. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the instrument underlying factors calculated 0.88 to 0.92. Internal consistency, item reliability and composite reliability were used to assess reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity for factors were assessed. The result of this analysis confirmed reliability and validity of the tool and its underlying factors.

Happiness and joy are related to efficiency, hope, power of thinking, academic achievement and quality of life. The aim of this research was to study the effective managerial and organizational factors on the happiness and joy in universities and their effects on the knowledge production. A mixed method and a causal comparative method were chosen for this study. Subjects were consisted of 365 faculty members (n=65) and students (n=300) in Bachelorette and Master Degree at Semnan University. Needed data was gathered through examining documents, research papers and a researcher made questionnaire. Validity of the questionnaire was determined by experts and university professors. The reliability of questionnaire for faculty members and students were determined by calculating the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient at 92 percent and 90 percent, respectively. Data collected was analyzed by using t test and independent t test- comparing two population means and multi-criteria decision-making procedure (TOPSIS). Analysis of hypothesis showed that there was a significant relation among organizational and managerial factors and happiness (P<0.05) and happiness and increasing of the knowledge production by faculty members and university students (P<0.05). In faculty members opinion, trust (0.088) and interaction (0.082) and positive thinking (0.08) variables were more important in rising the levels of joy and happiness. In students’ perspective, job security (0.072), extracurricular activities (0.072) and work environment conditions (0.07) were more important in increasing of joy and happiness.

Entrepreneurship is an effective strategy for employment of massive Iranian university students and graduates along with countries’ economic progress. The aim of this research was to investigate the contextual barriers to enterprise startup by Iranian graduates. A quantitative descriptive survey method was used for this research. The statistical population of the research included university students and graduates that established startups businesses (independent-individualistic entrepreneurship). The sample comprised the founders of business startups that stationed in incubator centers of public universities affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. A questionnaire was used for data gathering. To determine its validity, content validity was utilized through entrepreneurship’s experts and scholars. The reliability of questionnaire was determined by calculating the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data analysis was performed through inferential and descriptive statistics. Descriptive analysis of the independent variables and Friedman test for ranking of factors showed that deficiency of entrepreneurship education and skills, lack of financial resources, lack of positive social and cultural attitudes toward entrepreneurship, lack of access to knowledge and technology, deficiency of the government supportive policies and programs, absence of market openness and rules and regulations are the most important contextual obstacles to business startup of Iranian graduates. According to Spearman’s correlation analysis between the dependent variable (a new business startup) and independent variables (lack of financial resources, deficiency of entrepreneurship education and skills, and rules and regulations) there was an inverse significant correlation at 95% confidence.

Today, he role of management styles in the effectiveness and enhancement of organizational performance is more evident than ever before, and complexity and expansion of higher education system has added to the importance of department chairs’ role in the universities. From a postmodern viewpoint, management in higher education represents a medium to bring about organizational changes. Meanwhile, department chairs as a branch of leadership, have a critical role in inspiring and offering a future prospect. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to evaluate the factors affecting the performance of the department chairs from their own standpoint. This practical research adopts a survey methodology. The statistic population included department chairs from 10 Tabriz University Faculties (Electrical Engineering, Humanities, Veterinary, Natural Sciences, Education & Psychology, Mathematical Sciences, Engineering, Physics, Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, and Computer Science) in 2012, of which 30 were sampled randomly. The data was collected using a standard questionnaire; its validity was assessed using content analysis and its reliability by Cronbach’s alpha. Multivariate regression analysis was applied, and SPSS 17 was employed to analyze the entire statistics and data. The results from the four regression model indicated that to exercise leadership role in a department, communication and human skills and for other roles, including scholarship and management as well as helping faculty members to advance, simply motivation can predict the model. Given the duties outlined for a department chair under the regulations of the Iranian Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, the outcome of the present work is the recognition of motivation as the only factor influencing the performance of department chairs.