Enis Elezi and Christopher Bamber
Higher education institutions possess a plethora of knowledge at the institutional, departmental and individual levels. Therefore, knowledge management plays a vital role in…
Abstract
Purpose
Higher education institutions possess a plethora of knowledge at the institutional, departmental and individual levels. Therefore, knowledge management plays a vital role in assisting partnerships to synergise knowledge and strengthen market competitiveness when working collaboratively. The purpose of this study is to identify and critically discuss the role of knowledge management concepts that support development of UK higher education partnerships. This knowledge management research was undertaken with the purpose of exploring components of behavioural constructs in assisting the development of successful partnerships between higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
This research embraces a qualitative methodology and makes use of an expert panel method to gather field data and assess the relevance, robustness and applicability of a conceptual model developed in the context of higher education partnerships. Guided by two research questions, the researchers elicited knowledge from eight experts, academics and practitioners, who had initiated and led partnership development between UK higher education institutions. The experts were invited and selected to attend the panel using the criteria of “Years of Experience in the Higher Education sector”, “Job Positions and Experiences” and the “Partnership Scope and Impact”.
Findings
Depicting in a tree analogy, the conceptual model indicates that effective knowledge management will require higher education executives, managers and practitioners to centre on nurturing “tree roots” presented as behavioural knowledge management constructs and include institutional culture, trust, absorptive capacities and communication channels. The research findings elaborate on previous research and provide a categorisation of partnership outcomes between higher education institutions, explaining that partnership outcomes can be of an “Academic”, “Marketing and Finance” or “Managerial” nature. Importantly, practical use of the model could be implemented using audit methods or benchmarking methods, whereby the categorised elements of the model are used as a criterion of assessment for audit teams.
Originality/value
The conclusion extracted experiential insights to provide guidance as to how higher education executives, managers and practitioners can make use of knowledge management behavioural constructs and activities to assist collaborative undertakings in the higher education sector. This paper provided a new, modified, knowledge management higher education partnership tree, thus giving researchers and academic practitioners a holistic viewpoint of important partnership knowledge management factors.
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Christopher Bamber and Enis Elezi
The global higher education (HE) sector is facing difficult challenges worldwide. Thus, we investigate risk management (RM) practices within HE with three purposes in mind: (1…
Abstract
Purpose
The global higher education (HE) sector is facing difficult challenges worldwide. Thus, we investigate risk management (RM) practices within HE with three purposes in mind: (1) embedding knowledge management (KM) concepts into the drivers of enterprise-wide risk management (EWRM); (2) providing a road map for embedding RM elements utilising a risk-focused preparation, planning, doing, checking and action (P,PDCA) approach to the management of risks in HE; and (3) rendering KM more readily applicable to EWRM thus enhancing the management of risk.
Design/methodology/approach
In this qualitative research, we examined the intersection of theories of EWRM in HE and KM concepts while considering our existing knowledge and previously formed ideas about the complex phenomena of successfully implementing risk management. Additionally, we took into account our researchers’ and practitioners' epistemological dispositions with regard to the value of KM. We applied a methodical analytic approach to gain a greater understanding of EWRM in HE. Following a focused literature review of EWRM in HE and KM, we integrated RM implementation models with KM concepts to answer three research questions: (1) How can higher education institutions (HEIs) effectively manage EWRM by pinpointing specific risks within selected categories? (2) To what extent could adopting RM enablers enhance RM practices in HEIs? and (3) Are HEIs mitigating unforeseen outcomes by implementing risk management strategies?
Findings
We have analysed six drivers of EWRM from a KM perspective, demonstrating that KM concepts can support the successful implementation of risk enterprise-wide. A multifaceted yet practical model has emerged by linking the interconnecting concepts of RM and KM, which provides a holistic approach to implementing EWRM in HE. The emergent model was critically reviewed and discussed by eight senior sector practitioners, and their viewpoints and suggestions have been taken into consideration.
Originality/value
Our research has pinpointed, analysed and verified deficiencies in the present understanding of the factors that impact the effective execution of RM. Consequently, this investigation contributes to the comprehension of the potential of KM in fostering a nurturing environment that enables successful EWRM in HE. In view of these discoveries, we suggest adopting an all-encompassing approach to RM that incorporates top-down, bottom-up and combined approaches, which can enrich risk awareness and ultimately minimise unanticipated outcomes.
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Elona Cera, Gentjan Cera and Enis Elezi
Although scholars have been studying human resource management (HRM) and open innovation (OI), yet there is less attention to this relationship in the context of small-and…
Abstract
Purpose
Although scholars have been studying human resource management (HRM) and open innovation (OI), yet there is less attention to this relationship in the context of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper aims to bring some insights about the human side of inbound open innovation (INOI) in SMEs. The goal is to better understand the role of organizational trust (OT) and developmental culture (DC) in the interactions between commitment-based HRM (C-HRM) and INOI.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study employs partial least squares-structural equation modeling to investigate the interrelationships among constructs, utilizing data gathered from a sample of 206 SMEs.
Findings
The study's empirical results indicate that the presence of OT serves as a complementary factor in mediating the relation between C-HRM and INOI. Furthermore, the analysis shows that there exists a moderating influence of DC in the relationship between C-HRM and INOI.
Practical implications
The role of HRM practices is important in developing OT and consequently foster INOI in SMEs. To achieve INOI, SMEs need a DC that induces C-HRM toward an OI approach.
Originality/value
This study adds to the understanding of the interactions between C-HRM practices and INOI in SMEs. The comprehension of the mediating function of OT and the moderating effect of DC serve to enhance the scholarly understanding of the human dimension of OI research.
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Christopher John Bamber and Enis Elezi
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need for universities to develop an entrepreneurial culture and assess higher education practitioners’ opinions of the culture of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need for universities to develop an entrepreneurial culture and assess higher education practitioners’ opinions of the culture of the university they are working in.
Design/methodology/approach
The research provides empirical data collected through a survey instrument originally used for a PhD research study; however, this paper focuses on the question set related to culture, which was based on the organisational culture model presented by Quinn in 1988.
Findings
The findings indicate that a number of respondents reported from a heterogeneous population of higher education institutes predominantly responded they were working within a hierarchy cultural type with many reporting a market cultural type. While respondents from a homogeneous group from a single university reported in the main they were working in a market-driven cultural type with the next main category being a clan culture.
Research limitations/implications
The study population reported in the main that there is predominantly a market culture in UK universities. However, this research has focussed entirely on respondents working within the UK HE sector, thus, has ignored potential differences that could be present within the global HE emerging markets.
Originality/value
The paper strengthens understanding of the critical importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in universities. Students, scholars, HE policy makers and HE practitioners can gather a range of insights pointed at university culture and rest assured in the main they are market focussed.