This paper aims to shed light on the relationship between the University of Glamorgan vice‐chancellor's vision for e‐learning and actual recruitment practice.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to shed light on the relationship between the University of Glamorgan vice‐chancellor's vision for e‐learning and actual recruitment practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A textual analysis of 36 detailed job descriptions for academic teaching posts was carried out in the first phase of e‐benchmarking activity.
Findings
Reveals that, despite the high‐level commitment to e‐learning, job descriptions developed within the university's five faculties rarely mentioned e‐learning. Shows that there was a disparity between rhetoric and practice.
Practical implications
Describes a number of changes initiated following the study, including informing prospective teaching staff of the university's vision and strategy regarding e‐learning and encouraging recruiters within faculties to include e‐learning experience as, at least, a desirable competence in the job description.
Originality/value
Explains that the study was part of a wider, and national, e‐benchmarking activity that included 73 UK post‐16 education institutions. This was a unique opportunity for institutions to take stock of their existing plans and strategies that supported e‐learning activity. It is of particular interest to recruiters, learning technologists, academic managers and policy makers in the public sector.
Details
Keywords
The paper presents the critical success factors that fostered effective collaborative learning and development among a cluster of UK universities seeking to benchmark their…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper presents the critical success factors that fostered effective collaborative learning and development among a cluster of UK universities seeking to benchmark their management of e‐learning and related practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The data is based on an observational study undertaken during the course of the benchmarking exercise.
Findings
Collaboration in the context described was, overall a positive and edifying experience. Collaboration is an activity for engaging socially complex institutions: the idea if collaborative learning, in the cluster of institutions, extended from drawing e‐learning experts and policy‐makers into conversation, encouraging them to think about particular issues, to systematically forging infrastructures and processes to facilitate development and support change.
Practical implications
Collaboration can be a complex exercise. In the experience of the cluster institutions, it was sustained because: there was clarity of purpose; the meetings were well structured; there were no prescriptive methods imposed; there was mutual respect for the various viewpoints; and, moreover, the process was facilitated by an objective critical friend who displayed sufficient knowledge of the social networks to keep the collaborative activity both vibrant and productive.
Originality/value
The activity was part of a large‐scale UK benchmarking activity, involving 73 post‐16 institutions in the UK. Few studies on collaborative activity recognize the role of an objective champion or critical friend and will be of value to strategists and managers of e‐learning.
Details
Keywords
The paper aims to focus on the University of Glamorgan benchmarking activity aimed at assessing its progress towards the embedding of e‐learning. This activity was part of a wider…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to focus on the University of Glamorgan benchmarking activity aimed at assessing its progress towards the embedding of e‐learning. This activity was part of a wider UK benchmarking exercise managed by the Higher Education Academy and the Joint Information Systems Committee.
Design/methodology/approach
The university opted to trial the MIT90s framework; a framework developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that was designed to encourage organisations to understand the dynamics of transformation vis‐à‐vis the acquisition of technology. The MIT90s framework had not previously been associated with the benchmarking of e‐learning and this paper is case study evidence on the experiences of trialling the framework.
Findings
Benchmarking e‐learning, and using the MIT90s framework in particular, is not a trivial exercise. Adapting a model with roots in IT/ICT towards more pedagogic‐related activities was a challenging, yet rewarding, process. Applying the framework stimulated strong debate during the project – namely whether it was advisable to benchmark e‐learning as a separate entity to more conventional learning and teaching practices. The framework highlighted some areas of disconnection between activity and institutional vision and strategy related to e‐learning.
Research limitations/implications
Applying the MIT90s framework to benchmark e‐learning needs to be continuous and over a longer period than the six months described in this paper.
Practical implications
The greatest advantage of the MIT90s framework is that it allowed the project team to benchmark progress against the institutional strategy for teaching and learning, rather than against other institutions' activity. It also enabled the senior management of the university make better sense of the interconnections between strategy, vision and practice.
Originality/value
The paper outlines the MIT90s framework which had never previously been used as a tool to benchmark e‐learning.
Details
Keywords
Corporate governance; General management; Strategy
Abstract
Subject area
Corporate governance; General management; Strategy
Study level/applicability
Post Graduate/MBA
Case overview
Tata Group is a conglomerate having 29 listed companies with consolidated revenues of $103bn in FY2016. On October 24, 2016, Cyrus Mistry, chairman of the group has been replaced in an unceremonious way from this job, in a boardroom coup, without being given any opportunity to explain his case. This news arrived in the media between October 2016 and December 2016 and wide and public debates took place on the corporate governance practices of Tata Group. Mistry’s ouster was attributed to non-performance, unethical practices and non-compliance to Tata culture. This case presents the Tata Group performance before Mistry, at the ouster of Mistry, the major trouble points and the corporate governance activities that took place in this saga at Tata Group. The real losers in this battle were the investors who lost $12bn between October 2016 and December 2016. Many of Tata Group companies’ stocks plunged.
Expected learning outcomes
The students will learn corporate governance, know how a non-listed company control and govern listed entities, know the way performance of a chairman of a company has been evaluated and learn how ethical and cultural issues impact the performance of chairman of a listed company.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS: 11: Strategy