Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth, György Andor and Gábor Árva
This paper aims to describe an internal quality enhancement system based on peer reviewing and summarizes the first results of application at the Budapest University of Technology…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe an internal quality enhancement system based on peer reviewing and summarizes the first results of application at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences.
Design/methodology/approach
A peer review framework has been developed to evaluate and further develop the teaching programs and practices. The questionnaire-based peer review program included 22 courses and involved almost 100 lecturers. Peer review outcomes are completed by end-of-semester student course evaluations.
Findings
The results allow us to map differences between lecturers and courses and to identify correlations between the assessment criteria applied for peer reviewing.
Practical implications
The implemented framework implies individual, faculty and organizational development to enhance a deeper understanding of how to create quality in teaching programs and processes. Secondly, the peer review program contributes to the establishment of a learning community with a growing common understanding of what is considered good quality in business education.
Originality/value
The paper is valuable as a guide to faculty management wishing to implement a peer review framework within their own institution. The novelty of the presented approach is that it focuses on a semester-long teaching performance including classroom performance, course outlines, teaching materials, course requirements and processes and means of student performance assessments.
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Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth and Vivien Surman
The purpose of this paper is to propose a service quality measuring and evaluating framework for courses that are not part of the regular end-of-semester course evaluation system…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a service quality measuring and evaluating framework for courses that are not part of the regular end-of-semester course evaluation system because of their special characteristics. The results of an academic year-long application are also to be demonstrated.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the SERVQUAL methodology and specific models proposed in the literature, altogether 26 statements related to project works were formulated, in case of which, students rated both the importance and performance addressed in each statement on a seven-point Likert scale. With an average 68 per cent response rate and more than 500 filled out questionnaires, importance-performance analyses complemented with statistical analysis were executed to investigate whether there are any differences between the different levels of project work courses, programmes, levels of studies and sub-departments. These results were then followed by focus group interviews by further addressing the importance issues.
Findings
Based on the joint conclusions drawn from the statistical analyses and extracted from focus groups, those statements were highlighted that can be considered as dealing with critical to quality issues. The results have been utilized to adjust the questionnaire according to the “voice of students”.
Research limitations/implications
A complex approach is adopted to measure and evaluate service quality on a course level in the form of a post-course questionnaire. The first results lay the foundation for managerial decisions related to project work courses and supervising processes according to the plan–do–check–act philosophy.
Originality/value
During project works, students can master the necessary professional knowledge and those inevitable soft skills that are needed to be successful in the labour market. Therefore, the measurement and evaluation of project work courses may provide new information on course-level service quality and may be linked to total student experience results.
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Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth and Tamás Jónás
The purpose of this paper is to ask how the EFQM Excellence Model and organizations' self‐assessment practice could contribute to the managerial and quantification efforts of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to ask how the EFQM Excellence Model and organizations' self‐assessment practice could contribute to the managerial and quantification efforts of intellectual capital (IC) and how indicators and measures applied during self‐assessment can be connected to well‐known intellectual capital measuring models such as Sveiby's Intangible Asset Monitor.
Design/methodology/approach
The method applied highlights the potentials in the EFQM Excellence Model's criteria system to measure specific IC elements by studying the self‐assessment practice of 31 Hungarian National Quality Award (NQA) winners.
Findings
The EFQM Excellence Model is a suitable approach for characterizing the management and measurement of human, customer and structural capital within the organization.
Research limitations/implications
Corporations following regular self‐assessment practice have the ability to measure most of their intangibles, at least those which serve the traceability of strategic purposes and internal measuring objectives. IC measurement can be regarded as part of organizational excellence.
Originality/value
The criteria system of the EFQM Model makes synergic effects between single IC elements visible. Due to regular and systematic self‐assessments those IC elements are highlighted which support the execution of current strategic purposes. These fortify the contribution of IC management to strategy deployment.
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Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth, Tamás Jónás, Roland Bérces and Bálint Bedzsula
The Department of Management and Corporate Economics as the flagship of teaching and researching quality management at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has…
Abstract
Purpose
The Department of Management and Corporate Economics as the flagship of teaching and researching quality management at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has conducted an extended survey among students in five different business courses in order to get deeper knowledge about the factors influencing student (dis)satisfaction. The papers aims to discuss this.
Design/methodology/approach
Initially students were asked to fill out a course evaluation questionnaire of 11 questions. After processing the questionnaires, problem solving techniques with strong student involvement were applied in order to lay the foundation for long‐term course improvement actions. The main objective was to identify the factors that were given the greatest importance by the students, but where the performance of the course was low in order to reveal the potentials of development.
Findings
Improving student satisfaction is a must at all courses as the financial issues of the faculty and the department are strongly affected by students' course ratings. By extending the application of this type of course, evaluation to faculty and university level would be a step forward regarding the development of satisfaction questionnaire in use at this moment.
Originality/value
This kind of questionnaire structure and the validation of the presented dual approach would not only highlight the areas needing to be developed, but also student deliverance could have more aspects.