There has been an exponential proliferation of higher engineering educational institutions in India. The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate students' perceptions of…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been an exponential proliferation of higher engineering educational institutions in India. The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate students' perceptions of the level of Commitment of Top Management and Leadership (CTML) and Education Service Design and Delivery (ESDD) in Government Run Engineering Colleges (GREC), Privately Funded Engineering Colleges (PFEC) and Privately Funded Deemed Universities (PFDU) in India. The paper also strives to find out the significant predictors of Overall Engineering Education Excellence (OEEE).
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model has been developed linking Total Quality Management (TQM) elements and OEEE. The data were obtained from a survey of 992 students of higher engineering institutions in South India and analyzed using SPSS.
Findings
Significant differences among GREC, PFEC and PFDU were noticed in several TQM dimensions under study, and also in OEEE. The findings show correlation between the seven TQM variables and OEEE. CTML made a significant contribution toward attaining OEEE. Campus Facilities and Congenial Learning Environment also contributed greatly to OEEE.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is limited to engineering institutions in a particular geographical area of India. Related study with a global perspective can be taken up in the future.
Practical implications
The comparative analysis of higher engineering institutions as well as the results of the investigative study of the impact of TQM on overall engineering educational excellence will prove useful to academic leadership.
Originality/value
The research framework presented in this paper is valuable to the top managements of higher engineering institutions.
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Romadhani Ardi, Akhmad Hidayatno and Teuku Yuri M. Zagloel
This study aims to assess the relationships among quality dimensions in higher education (HE) and to determine the effect of each quality dimension on students' satisfaction.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the relationships among quality dimensions in higher education (HE) and to determine the effect of each quality dimension on students' satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 270 final year students of an engineering faculty in an Indonesian state university. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the validity of the conceptual model and structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to measure the relationships that lie within the model.
Findings
The study reveals the relationships among quality dimensions in HE in the engineering faculty of this Indonesian state university. The results show that students' satisfaction was positively influenced by commitment of faculty management, the quality of course delivery, and the ease of giving feedback for quality improvement.
Research limitations/implications
This study has limited scope because it was only conducted based on students' perceptions of an engineering faculty in one institution in Indonesia. However, the methods, models and instruments applied could serve as a basis for developing a measurement for evaluating quality in higher education more generally.
Practical implications
The instrument in this study will be useful to help policy makers in engineering HE institutions to assess the level of quality dimensions in their institution and the effectiveness of their quality program based on students' satisfaction. Furthermore, the conceptual relationships model can give deeper understanding of the quality dimensions that should be prioritized by top management. Lastly, top management should pay attention to their commitment to quality, course activities, and customer feedback and improvement.
Originality/value
This research promotes a methodology using SEM to assess relationships among quality dimensions in HE that can be helpful for top management when making decisions. The conceptual relationships model can also be easily reproduced to assess other engineering institutions' characteristics.
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Shikha Agnihotri, Rekha Mewafarosh and Shivani Malhan
Purpose: The prominence of quality education for building sustainable development is undeniable and is distinctly pointed out in 1 of the 14 sustainable development goals (SDGs)…
Abstract
Purpose: The prominence of quality education for building sustainable development is undeniable and is distinctly pointed out in 1 of the 14 sustainable development goals (SDGs). In the same context, this study intends to investigate the role of university commitment, perceived organisational prestige, student satisfaction, and perceived employability in enhancing sustainability in higher education.
Need of the Study: To evaluate how student satisfaction mediates the relationship between university commitment, perceived organisational prestige, and perceived employability with sustainable university institutes.
Methodology: An adapted questionnaire was used in this study to capture the perception of 458 management graduates selected through the purposive sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyse the data with the help of Smart PLS software.
Findings: The results of this study show that student satisfaction is the strongest predictor of sustainable university institutes. University commitment was found to lead to student satisfaction significantly. Furthermore, student satisfaction wasn’t found to play the role of mediator in the proposed model.
Practical Implications: This study aims to fulfil theoretical, research, and management implications for students, higher education institutes (HEIs), and policymakers. HEIs are recommended to instil university commitment, perceived organisational prestige and student satisfaction via various practices and amendments in their curriculum. Students are recommended to enhance their perceived employability to achieve career sustainability.
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Keng‐Boon Ooi, Binshan Lin, Boon‐In Tan and Alain Yee‐Loong Chong
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and customer satisfaction and also to investigate the association between…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and customer satisfaction and also to investigate the association between TQM practices and service quality within the context of Malaysia's small service organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses data from the perceptions of sales and marketing managers in 108 small service organizations in Malaysia. Data were analyzed by employing correlation and multiple regression analysis to test the relationship between TQM practices, customer satisfaction and service quality.
Findings
The results showed that TQM practices are significantly and positively linked to customer satisfaction and service quality of the small service business firms. It was further confirmed that the dimensions of customer focus and information and analysis were strongly linked to customer satisfaction and service quality.
Practical implications
The results of this paper can be used by marketing/sales managers to prioritize the adoption of the dimensions for TQM practices. For instance, those dimensions that are found to have positive influence on customer satisfaction and service quality can be recommended to marketing/sales managers so that they can allocate resources to improve these practices to achieve higher customer satisfaction and quality of service.
Originality/value
This paper identifies two dimensions of TQM namely, customer focus and information and analysis that can influence customer satisfaction and service quality in Malaysia's small service business firms.
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Prashant Mahajan and Suresh Golahit
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of service marketing mix (SMM) as service input and service output in terms of students’ performance, satisfaction and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of service marketing mix (SMM) as service input and service output in terms of students’ performance, satisfaction and referral act in context to higher and technical education (HTE) through the application of structural equation modeling.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research, conducted through a self-administered survey composed by a closed-ended structured questionnaire, was incorporated for the students who were enrolled in the technical educational institutions situated in the Khandesh region of India.
Findings
The findings of this study revealed that traditional SMM is statistically linked with the performance of students in terms of skill and knowledge enhancement, satisfaction and referral act of students, which are perceptible new emerging SMM; performance, pleasure and pointing out in terms of service output.
Practical implications
Integrating SMM as service input and service output are productive for HTE in enhancing growth (quantitatively) by the inclusivity of diversified students and development (qualitatively) by enhancing their performance for global standing, making them satisfied and motivating them for recommending their institution to others. This integration can be utilized as a yardstick by the institutions for staying ahead in students’ market with a distinctive competitive advantage.
Social implications
Growth and development of HTE will raise a society’s quality of life and thereby increase a country’s socio-economic status.
Originality/value
The study has exhibited SMM as input and output of a service system that is useful for the growth and development of HTE. The measurement tool presented is effective in (re)framing policies on SMM as service input based on desired service output.
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Begum Sayeda, Chandrasekharan Rajendran and Prakash Sai Lokachari
The purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of quality management practices in engineering educational institutions (EEIs) in India from management's perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of quality management practices in engineering educational institutions (EEIs) in India from management's perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed based on a literature review of research in quality management and based on the responses of the pilot survey among the senior faculty/management. The psychometric properties of this instrument were examined using tests of reliability and validity. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the impact of the total quality management (TQM) dimensions on institutional performance (effectiveness).
Findings
Findings highlight 27 critical factors/dimensions of quality management, which analyzed the relationship between TQM dimensions and institutional performance, which has been formulated using five dimensions. Positive and significant relationships among the TQM dimensions and institutional performance have been observed.
Research limitations/implications
Results of the study are dependent on the profile and number of the respondents, i.e. on the perceptions of the management.
Practical implications
The paper proposes a model for achieving institutional excellence from the macro perspective of the management. Two critical factors, i.e. healthy innovative practices and feeder institution partnership have been identified as key enablers in the paper. Institutional performance (effectiveness), as a holistic construct, has been measured by five measures of performance, institution reputation and image, infrastructure quality, faculty excellence, research and industry exposure and stakeholders' satisfaction. The instrument developed can be used as a self‐assessment tool in continuously measuring the overall performance of the institution's processes and systems.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on EEIs. It evolved a holistic framework for institutional effectiveness and formulated a comprehensive instrument with respect to management's perceptions on quality management issues. The paper also identified five critical factors to measure institutional performance and 27 dimensions of TQM in the context of EEIs.
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Anil R. Sahu, Rashmi R. Shrivastava and R.L. Shrivastava
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors of total quality management (TQM), for use in a possible framework that addresses sustainable quality improvements in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors of total quality management (TQM), for use in a possible framework that addresses sustainable quality improvements in technical institutes as a plausible means of TQM implementation in higher education programs.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature survey of the TQM and related quality methodologies and content analysis of TQM literature in technical institutes provide the theoretical and practical background for this work. The content analysis was carried out following the standard principles of deductive reasoning and subsequently, relevant factors were identified for implementations.
Findings
Unlike the scenario in industry, TQM philosophies have to be adopted differently for a successful implementation in technical institutes. The identified critical factors of TQM and related quality improvement methodologies provide a comprehensive guideline for an effective and efficient implementation of TQM in technical institutes.
Originality/value
This paper identifies the critical factors of quality improvement initiatives that are most comprehensive and have potential to address the quality issues of technical institutes. The critical factors identified in this study, offer a practical guidance for academics to implement TQM in technical institutes and can form the basis for delineating a mathematical model for these institutes.
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Sik Sumaedi, Gede Mahatma Yuda Bakti and Nur Metasari
This paper aims to identify: university students' perceived service quality dimensions; the dimensions contributing most towards overall students' perceived service quality; and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify: university students' perceived service quality dimensions; the dimensions contributing most towards overall students' perceived service quality; and whether there is a difference in perceived quality level of each dimension based on students' year of study and gender in the context of undergraduate students of state universities in Indonesia.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a quantitative approach through a survey method. The respondents of this study are 155 state university students from two state universities in Indonesia. Both multiple regression analysis and t‐test analysis are used to analyze the data.
Findings
Research results show that there are seven perceived service quality dimensions considered important to university students, i.e. curriculum, facilities, contact personnel, social activities, education counselors, assessment, and instruction medium. The perceived service quality dimensions contributing most towards overall perceived service quality of a state university is facilities. Furthermore, the research also shows that university students with a different study period have a different perceived quality level on the social activities dimension, while university students with different gender have a different perceived quality level on two dimensions, i.e. social activities and facilities.
Research limitations/implications
The research was only conducted at two universities in the same geographic area and at a single point of time. Hence, there is a need for further research in terms of a longitudinal study with different geographic samples in order to generalize the research result.
Practical implications
The students' perceived quality dimensions resulting from this research can be used by universities to measure their performance according to students' perspectives. As a result, feedback will be gained by the university, so that the university can identify its weaknesses.
Originality/value
The research was conducted in a developing country context, while most previous research has been conducted in developed country contexts. This research also provides a new insight into quality management, since the university objects are state universities, not private universities. The paper also takes students' personal characteristics (gender and year of study) variables into account.
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P.B. Sakthivel, G. Rajendran and R. Raju
The aim of the study is to develop a TQM model of academic excellence and empirically establish a relationship between TQM implementation and students' satisfaction of academic…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the study is to develop a TQM model of academic excellence and empirically establish a relationship between TQM implementation and students' satisfaction of academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of students from ISO and non‐ISO engineering institutions from South India has been taken for the study. Statistical measures like mean, t‐test, correlation and regression analysis were used.
Findings
The results reflect that ISO 9001:2000 engineering institutions are moving towards the path of TQM offering better quality of educational service than the non‐ISO institutions. A relationship between the five TQM constructs and students' satisfaction of academic performance has also been established.
Research limitations/implications
This study has been conducted in higher engineering education from the students' perspective only. The study is limited to the privately funded engineering institutions. Research relating to other types of institutions namely the government institutions and the deemed universities can be taken up in future.
Practical implications
The academic excellence model developed in this paper can be effectively implemented in the higher educational institutions to enhance the quality of education and students' satisfaction.
Originality/value
5C TQM excellence model is unique. Suggestions to educational authorities interested in improving the quality of education are valuable.