An investigation into the effectiveness of the Higher Colleges of Technology Quality Programme in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This study focused on quality management at the HCT. The HCT implements a quality programme, the Program Quality Assurance (PQA). Based on the Baldrige’s Education Criteria for Performance Excellence, which comprises seven Criteria, the study added an eighth Criterion, that is, Organisational Culture, to investigate whether or not the added Criterion has any impact on the implementation of the quality programmes. Both quantitative (using questionnaires) and qualitative (using interviews and content analysis of the PQA) approaches were used to identify the influence of Organisational Culture on the seven Baldrige Criteria and on the implementation of the quality programmes by the HCT. A questionnaire based on the SERVQUAL methodology was also employed to identify the extent of satisfaction of the HCT students with the quality of services and programmes offered to them by the HCT. Quantitative Research findings indicated that Strategic Planning is related to Leadership and MAKM, Staff Focus is related to Leadership and MAKM, Process Management is related to Strategic Planning, Staff Focus and MAKM, Process Management and Leadership are indirectly related through Strategic Planning and Staff Focus, Staff Focus is related to Strategic Planning, Student Focus and MAKM, Student Focus and Leadership are indirectly related through Strategic Planning and Staff Focus, Results is related to Process Management and Student Focus, Results and Leadership are indirectly related through Strategic Planning, Process Management, Staff Focus and Student Focus, and There is a relationship between Organisational Culture and the MBNQA seven Criteria. In terms of student satisfaction with the services provided by the HCT, the majority of respondent students agreed with all items of the SERVQUAL questionnaire. The Tangible dimensions were the utmost concern by HCT students, followed by the Assurance dimensions. The HCT’s organisational culture was also found to have substantial influence of the outcomes of the other seven categories of the MBNQ