Modelling the stakeholder environment and decision process in the U.S. higher education system
Abstract
Purpose – As higher education continues to be buffeted by challenges, college and university leaders must find a way to respond to these environmental forces. In the United States, accreditation plays an increasing role in the quality control and improvement process. The goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of this decision environment, and the stakeholders within that system, such that American higher education institutions may set and achieve goals more effectively.
Research methodology – Grounded theory is utilized to create a conceptual framework depicting the American higher education stakeholder system. In addition to placing the actors within the system, this research is also designed to generate a stakeholder-focused institutional decision process model. Findings – When viewed in a systemic context, the accreditation process assumes a unique placement among the other critical stakeholders. With this understanding, higher education leaders may better understand, balance, and integrate the concerns of their various stakeholders, in a stakeholder-focused decision process.
Research limitations – While integrating multiple theories, to depict the American higher education stakeholder system and a stakeholder-focused decision process, this research does not operationalize or undertake the empirical testing of these theoretical models.
Practical implications – The influence of the dynamic external environment and the accreditation process combine to create extremely challenging decision-making conditions for higher education leaders. The ability to improve and balance the quality and ethical nature of decisions that impact their various stakeholders may assist these leaders in more accurately meeting both their institutional goals and the public good goals of higher education.
Originality/Value – This study specifically seeks to integrate multiple theoretical constructs within the American higher education environment and accreditation process. The creation of a theoretical model that depicts not only the stakeholder environment but also a stakeholder-focused decision process may assist all higher education institutions.
Keyword : higher education, accreditation, quality, stakeholder theory
How to Cite
Saurbier, A. (2021). Modelling the stakeholder environment and decision process in the U.S. higher education system. Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 19(1), 131-149. https://doi.org/10.3846/bmee.2021.12629
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Kast, F. E., & Rosenzweig, J. E. (1972). General systems theory: Applications for organization and management. The Academy of Management Journal, 15(4), 447–465. https://doi.org/10.2307/255141
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Sambamurthy, V., & Subramani, M. (2005). Forward: Special issue on information technologies and knowledge management. MIS Quarterly, 29(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148665
Samuelson, P. A. (1954). The pure theory of public expenditure. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 36(4), 387–389. https://doi.org/10.2307/1925895
Saunders, M., Gray, D., Tosey, P., & Sadler-Smith, E. (2015). Concepts in theory building. In L. Anderson, J. Gold, J. Stewart, & R. Thorpe (Eds.), A guide to professional doctorates in business and management (pp. 35–56). Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473921412.n3
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Wadsworth, G. (2011, October 19). Sky Rocketing College Costs. http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Articles/Education_Inflation.asp
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Wilkie, D. (2019). Employers say students aren’t learning soft skills in college. Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/employers-say-students-arent-learning-soft-skills-in-college.aspx
Williams, G. (2016). Higher education: Public good or private commodity? London Review of Education, 14(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.18546/LRE.14.1.12
Wolff, R. (1993). The accreditation of higher education institutions in the United States. Higher Education in Europe, 18(3), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/0379772930180311
Woodhouse, K. (2015, June 12). Impact of Pell Surge: Federal spending has overtaken state spending as the main source of public funding in higher education. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/12/study-us-higher-education-receives-more-federal-state-governments
Yip, J., Ernst, C., & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary spanning leadership: Mission critical perspectives from the executive suite (White Paper). Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), Greensboro, NC. http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf
Young, K., Chambers, C., Kells, H., & Associates. (1983). Understanding accreditation: Contemporary perspectives on issues and practices in evaluating educational quality. Jossey-Bass Higher Education.
Astalin, P. (2013). Qualitative research designs: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Research. 2, 118–124. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Qualitative-Research-Designs%3A-A-Conceptual-Astalin/baa7c8f5577b0b1798b5e9f559f5cbae32bf1a36
Bailey, D., & Bennet, J. V. (1996). The realist model of higher education. Quality Progress, 29(11), 77–79.
Briggs, A. R. (2007). The use of modelling for theory building in qualitative analysis. British Educational Research Journal, 33(4), 589–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920701434102
Busteed, B. (2019, March 29). Why aren’t graduates ready for work? They’re the least working generation in U.S. history. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonbusteed/2019/03/29/why-arentgraduates-ready-for-work-theyre-the-least-working-generation-in-us-history/?sh=3c3262125e58
Checkland, P. (1999). Soft systems methodology: A 30-year retrospective. John Wiley& Sons.
Colby, S. L., & Ortman, J. M. (2015). Projections of the size and composition of the U.S. population: 2014 to 2060. U.S. Department of Commerce. Economics and Statistics Administration. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED578934.pdf
Cooper, P. (2017, August 18). If higher education were a public good... Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2017/08/18/if-higher-education-were-a-public-good/?sh=71e5aea73dc6
Davies, J., Hides, M. T., & Casey, S. (2001). Leadership in higher education. Total Quality Management, 12(7/8), 1025–1030. https://doi.org/10.1080/09544120120096197
Dickeson, R. C. (2006). The need for accreditation reform (Issue Paper). The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, Washington, D.C. http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/dickeson.pdf
Education Data. (2020). College enrollment statistics. https://educationdata.org/college-enrollment-statistics#:~:text=Among%20adults%20over%2018%2C%20college,%25%20attend%20 2%2Dyear%20institutions
Erickson, T. (2010). The leaders we need now. Harvard Business Review, 88(5), 62–67.
Fain, P. (2017, December 15). National college completion rate rises again. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/12/15/national-college-completion-rate-rises-again
Fishman, R., Ekowo, M., & Ezeugo, E. (2017, August). Varying degrees: New America’s annual survey on higher education. New America. https://na-production.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Varying-Degrees.pdf
Freeman, K. (2004). Looking at and seeing possibilities: The compelling case for the use of human potential. Comparative Education Review, 48(4), 443–455. https://doi.org/10.1086/423362
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University Press.
French, O. R. (2015, March 29). Understanding the difference between customer and consumer for effective marketing. Shake Social Ltd. https://www.shakesocial.co.uk/understanding-difference-customer-consumer-effective-marketing/
Friedman, M. (1962). Capitalism and freedom. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo68666099.html
Gillen, A., Bennett, D., & Vedder, R. (2010). The inmates running the asylum? An analysis of higher education accreditation (Policy Paper). Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Washington, DC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED536283.pdf
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1999). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203793206
Greenfield, W. D. (2005). Postscript: Where have we been? Where are we going in the study of organizations? The Journal of Educational Administration, 43(1), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230510577335
Harvey, L. (2003). The power of accreditation: Views of academics. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 26(2), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080042000218267
Higher Learning Commission. (2020). Criteria for accreditation. https://www.hlcommission.org/Policies/criteria-and-core-components.html
Hou, A. (2010). Quality assurance at a distance: International accreditation in Taiwan higher education. Higher Education, 61(2), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-010-9331-9
Houston, D. (2008). Rethinking quality and improvement in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 16(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880810848413
Huffman, W. (2009). Investing in people for the 21st century (Working Paper No. 09025). Ames, IA: Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
Kast, F. E., & Rosenzweig, J. E. (1972). General systems theory: Applications for organization and management. The Academy of Management Journal, 15(4), 447–465. https://doi.org/10.2307/255141
Kelderman, E. (2011, November 13). Accreditors examine their flaws as calls for change intensify. The Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/article/Accreditors-ExamineTheir/129765/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Koutsoyiannis, A. (1975). Modern macroeconomics. McMillian Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15603-0
Marginson, S. (2011). Higher education and public good. Higher Education Quarterly, 65(4), 411–433. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2011.00496.x
Moguluwa, S. C., & Ewuzie, C. O. (2013). Creating consumer value in higher education through marketing techniques. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(9), 27–33.
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2018, February 19). Are College Graduates “Career Ready”? https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/are-college-graduates-career-ready/
Nettles, M. T., Cole, J. J., & Sharp, S. (1997). Assessment of teaching and learning in higher education and public accountability. National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, Stanford, CA.
O’Neill, M. (2009). Future work and work trends. Knoll Workplace Research. East Greenville, PA.
Sambamurthy, V., & Subramani, M. (2005). Forward: Special issue on information technologies and knowledge management. MIS Quarterly, 29(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148665
Samuelson, P. A. (1954). The pure theory of public expenditure. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 36(4), 387–389. https://doi.org/10.2307/1925895
Saunders, M., Gray, D., Tosey, P., & Sadler-Smith, E. (2015). Concepts in theory building. In L. Anderson, J. Gold, J. Stewart, & R. Thorpe (Eds.), A guide to professional doctorates in business and management (pp. 35–56). Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473921412.n3
Saurbier, A. (2013). Tacit quality leadership: A phenomenological exploration of quality perceptions operationalized in the American higher education accreditation process [Doctoral dissertation, Walsh College]. http://search.proquest.com//docview/1334957233
Schray, V. (2006, May). Assuring quality in higher education: Key issues and questions for changing accreditation in the United States (Issue Paper). The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, Washington, D.C. http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/schray.pdf
Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Currency Doubleday.
Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Huie, F., Wakhungu, P. K., Yuan, X., Nathan, A., & Bhimdiwali, A. (2017). Completing college: A national view of student completion rates – Fall 2011 Cohort (Signature Report No. 14). National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Herndon, VA. https://nscresearchcenter.org/signaturereport14/
Tapscott, D., & Williams, D. (2010). Innovating the 21st century university: It’s time! Educause Review, 45(1), 16–29.
Teachers College Newsroom. (2017). An investment that pays off for society: Americans believe in higher education as a public good, a new survey finds. Columbia University. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2018/july/americans-believe-in-higher-education-as-a-public-good-a-new-survey-finds/#:~:text=1%2B1%2B1-,A%20new%20survey%20from%20Teachers%20College%20finds%20that%20an%20overwhelming,prosperity%20and%20development%2C%20and%20civic
Tilak, J. B. G. (2008). Transition from higher education as a public good to higher education as a private good: The saga of Indian experience. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 1(2), 220–234. https://doi.org/10.1080/17516230802094593
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation, 2009 (Table 1.11). Washington, D.C. http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_111.htm
U.S. Department of Education. (2006). A test of leadership: Charting the future of U.S. higher education. Washington, D.C. https://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/pre-pub-report.pdf
United Nations. (2015). World population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Department of Economics and Social Affairs. http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html
von Bertalanffy, L. (1969). General systems theory: Foundations, development, and applications. George Braziller.
Wadsworth, G. (2011, October 19). Sky Rocketing College Costs. http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Articles/Education_Inflation.asp
Wicks, A. C., Freeman, R. E., Werhane, P. H., & Martin, K. E. (2010). Business ethics: A managerial approach. Prentice Hall.
Wilkie, D. (2019). Employers say students aren’t learning soft skills in college. Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/employers-say-students-arent-learning-soft-skills-in-college.aspx
Williams, G. (2016). Higher education: Public good or private commodity? London Review of Education, 14(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.18546/LRE.14.1.12
Wolff, R. (1993). The accreditation of higher education institutions in the United States. Higher Education in Europe, 18(3), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/0379772930180311
Woodhouse, K. (2015, June 12). Impact of Pell Surge: Federal spending has overtaken state spending as the main source of public funding in higher education. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/12/study-us-higher-education-receives-more-federal-state-governments
Yip, J., Ernst, C., & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary spanning leadership: Mission critical perspectives from the executive suite (White Paper). Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), Greensboro, NC. http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf
Young, K., Chambers, C., Kells, H., & Associates. (1983). Understanding accreditation: Contemporary perspectives on issues and practices in evaluating educational quality. Jossey-Bass Higher Education.