Summary In this article, the author addresses the issue of education offered by institutions of higher education, specifically at the university level, in relation to the dynamics of supply and demand. A review of theory and critical analysis of how some educational institutions make their decisions.
Keywords: supply, demand, organizational learning. Abstract
In this article, the author deals with the problem That higher-education Institutions, Mainly at the university level, When Academic Programs Offering encounter in relation to supply and demand trends. I have reviewed theory and Makes a critical analysis of the way Some Their Educational Institutions make decisions.
Keywords: supply, demand, Organizational Learning. Introduction
Since the theories of Management began to permeate the educational field from the 90's, educational institutions, especially those that provide educational opportunities in tertiary education, have been incorporating various management tools. Many institutions have included strategic planning and market research as tools to support growth, maintenance, and organizational performance. In fact, many colleges began to offer programs of Master of Educational Management as a way to produce professionals who could assist in the adaptation of such institutions to the profound changes that education has been experiencing ever since. However, the transfer of such theories to the educational world has its tricky, mainly due to the resistance that many institutions are facing change and inefficiency in the installation of a culture that promotes organizational learning.
then discusses some aspects of great interest to institutions of higher education must be defined and / or update your bid educational careers and / or techniques.
felt
demand
A disturbing fact is observed at this level is that many institutions of tertiary education, especially at private universities, exhibit a long and varied educational opportunities, with which it intends to respond to demand "sense" of professions and / or specializations. The word "sense" refers to the perceptions that decision makers have about the behavior of the market, taking as the only variable its own area of \u200b\u200bspecialty. To illustrate, if among the committee members talkative is a psychologist, he will defend need to enhance the career of Psychology (without considering that this is a highly saturated career), if there is a Civil Engineer in Computer Science, he stated that as technological developments, it is a great potential for career development (excluding that the trend is rather technical levels), if there is a Commercial Engineer, it will support the need to train sales engineers with some mention (without considering that there are many professionals out of work), or if a teacher will say that it exists Lack of Basic Education Teachers (without considering the consequences associated with the accreditation of pedagogy). The examples could continue.
decisions on educational provision can not be taken behind closed doors and only considering the "perceptions" of some managers because this approach represents a major social irresponsibility. Notably, the education market today is very dynamic, changing and competitive, so that decisions about educational need to be addressed supported by market research. Martin (2001, p. 21) argues that "most of the information needed for decision making is outside the institution and we must make a special effort to get it." In this sense, the market investigation or commercial research (English "market research") becomes an interesting tool to learn about the potential of its products (in this case runs) in a given market, in order to determine the best prospects of success and to learn about best practices of competition before launching an educational offering defined.
In terms of educational organizations, supply could match among the various institutions that share a given market. This is not a big problem because in this area also operates free-market dynamics. The issue goes by differentiating components presents the curriculum of the courses offered. For example, the same race can display a line similar curriculum in the specialty with the competition, but added organizational value through complementary capabilities supported in a competency-based curriculum, research, incorporating the learning of English, double certification, professional and academic experience of the directors of career, educational and technological resources, the quality of the teaching staff, facilities, laboratories, and the assurance of practice sites, etc.
Moreover, tertiary education institutions need to develop institutional strategies to help them adapt better to the market. When thinking about these strategies must consider two dimensions: horizontal, through which competition for volume and the vertical dimension, through which it competes for prestige.
horizontal dimension goes first to define the institution's capacity to develop and provide competitive academic product, ie quality. Here directly influence aspects of infrastructure investment required to develop a career. It is not possible to have an open educational opportunities to the figures, and therefore, no regulatory systems, and without addition to required physical spaces that facilitate the normal development of teaching.
vertical dimension has to do with selective linking academics, who ultimately are the intelligence of the institution, and also selective recruitment of students who eventually will be the academic result or end product leave the labor market and define the institutional adjustments. On this last point, the chances of academic failure, dropout, and unemployment is extremely high if not considered issues related to the interests and skills of future professionals.
In the words of Brunner (2007, p. 223), "the reputation of different institutions (generated by the prestige of their academic, selective level students and their reputational trajectory) is transmitted to the credentials of its graduates." is, are critical factors for success in obtaining jobs and prestige of the institution of origin.
Below is a four-step approach to market research that schools could consider:
Step 1. Find potential markets
• Get statistics that include the institutions that offer competitive races. • Conduct
market regional and national level to determine the opening, common practices, tariffs and other considerations.
• Identify at least five fast-growing markets for potential careers.
• Identify some small and emerging markets where competition is lower.
• Finding three of the most promising educational markets for further evaluation.
Step 2. Evaluate markets
objectives • Examine the use and production of competitive academics as well as demographic and economic trends in the country.
• Investigate sources competition at regional and national level.
• analyze factors that affect restrictors marketing of educational products in each market, such as fees, curricula, teacher quality, distribution channels, culture, and organizational practices.
Step 3. Evaluate educational products
investigate the rate of employability and career development of graduates (alumni tracking.)
Step 4. Draw conclusions
Interpret results and present conclusions to be drawn from the academic studies and decide on the range of careers. How
start?
As noted, the market research is the basis for strategic planning of educational institutions in general. That is why is the first step before deciding on educational provision. Otherwise, it would be an extremely risky venture from the point of view.
There is no better methodology than that through which we ask questions. What, why? Who?, With whom?, How?, Etc. For example, the Business School of Engineering (ESIC) of Spain (cited in Martin, 2001, p. 29) suggests the following key questions market analysis and, of course, could apply to educational institutions:
• What are the main economic characteristics of the sector?
• What factors are driving change in the sector and its importance?
• What are the competitive forces in the sector and its importance?
• What institutions are in stronger competitive positions and weaker?
• Who will likely make the following changes and what are they competitive?
• What key factors determine the competitive success or failure?
• Is attractive sector in terms of their potential for above average returns?
is important to note that the information generated through these questions is a decisive factor. But in an organization where decision makers exhibit outmoded ways of operating and where they are caught up in protecting their own territory, it is difficult to redesign organizational practices.
management theory holds that a good process depends on the available information (Senge, Roberts, Kleiner, Ross, Roth, and Smith, 2000). In this sense, it is clear that, as an organization alert to change, institutions educational streams are open systems and limitations. Are social systems that develop from human interaction. These are systems where processes interact with information flows. And finally, are living systems that interact as autonomous entities. However, there is concern that some of these organizations have low levels of organizational learning and a strong tendency to preserve the status quo. Ie, they are resistant to change.
From the point of view of organizational change, Brunner and Uribe (2007), argue that universities should increase their capacity to adapt, not only in terms of academic functions, but Moreover, and most notably in the field of governance and management capabilities. This involves developing an institutional approach focusing on organizational performance in order to create intelligence to compete in the market and adapt to new environmental demands.
Martin (2001) argues that educational institutions require new resources related to creative imagination and listening. This could apply as a factor for success both internally and externally, as the internal information that is obtained through processes of self-evaluation and external information, obtained through market research, are the basis for decision making of all kinds.
Ortega (1990, p. 27, quoted in Martin, 2001, p. 31) believes that market research is "one of the subfunctions of marketing involving the systematic collection of information to assist management in making decisions. " At the level of tertiary education providers, the marketing should target not only the attributes of educational opportunities but also the psychological benefits and symbolic representations (images of brand, corporate seal) that the offer implies.
Kloten (1988, p. 7, cited in Martin, 2001, p.31) considers that research market is "the design, research and systematic communication of data and results for a specific situation marketing the company is facing."
As seen, in any event, market research provides key information for making decisions about educational provision and distribution. That is, we must pay close attention to what is being said outside. In this sense, the information gained must be relevant so as to identify and solve problems.
The following are some issues related to potential customers, which could be an object of study market research at the level of tertiary education: A qualitative analysis
• Why study race?
• Why did you choose this career?
• Who the study?
• Who influences the decision?
• What are the attitudes of potential students?
• What are the attitudes of their parents?
• What are your opinions or beliefs about the race?
• What are the needs of potential students?
• What are the needs of their parents?
• What are their motivations?
• What are their qualifications? Quantitative analysis
• Number of potential students
• Geographical
• Number of vacancies in the institution
• Demand regional and national level
• Number of students by region • Number of graduates
Note: has been taken as a reference to the proposal from ESIC (1996, cited in Martin, 2001).
Indeed, the market research could be extended to the analysis of tariffs, communication analysis, analysis of the college (self-assessment and benchmarking ), environmental analysis and competitive analysis.
In conclusion
defining the provision of education, tertiary education institutions, especially universities, must consider market research as a management tool for performance and organizational performance. Thus, it is able to respond to the demand for education with social responsibility and with great potential for success. However, not enough to implement this strategy, the school must also be able to transform into an organization open to learning and attentive to the change occurring in their environment. At the time of establishing institutional strategies for offering career, one must consider both the horizontal dimension (volume) and vertical (standing). Another important success factor is the intelligence of academics and their contribution to organizational learning. Operating in this way, educational institutions have ample opportunities to become learning organizations. Bibliography
- Brunner, JJ and Uribe, D. (2007). University markets: the new context of higher education. Santiago, Chile: Ediciones Universidad Diego Portales.
- Martin E. (2001). Intelligent management of educational institutions. A manual for managing any type of organization. Madrid, Spain: McGraw-Hill Spain, SAU
- Senge, P., Kleiner, A., Roberts, Ch, Ross, R., Roth, G., and Smith, B. (2000) The dance of change: a tool of the Fifth Discipline. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Norma SA
- Spendoline, M. (1994). Benchmarking. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Norma SA
About the author: Prof. Vera
The state is Professor of English, Master of Science in Education c / m in Educational Administration and Management, Master in Teaching and Research © University, Master in Curriculum and Evaluation ©, PhD in Education, Specialist CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning), free-lance translator , and a passionate observer of the educational reality.
0 comments:
Post a Comment