Academic institutional repositories in China: A survey of CALIS member libraries

Purpose: China Academic Library &amp; Information System (CALIS) planned to launch an institutional repository (IR) project to promote IR development and open access at colleges and universities in China. In order to get to know the current state of IRs in academic institutions, with the help of Peking University Library, CALIS Administrative Center conducted this survey.Design/methodology/approach: We conducted an online survey of CALIS member libraries.Findings: Firstly, the development of IRs at China's colleges and universities is still in its infancy. Secondly, the Chinese colleges and universities have reached a consensus on the objective for having an IR. Thirdly, they are having high expectations of IR&nbsp;functions. Fourthly, they prefer to establish a centralized IR system at a minimum cost. Finally, there are both similarities and differences between the Chinese academic institutions and their counterparts in other countries in the state of IR development.Research limitations: The questionnaire needs to be improved because there is a lack of enough questions for those who do not plan to build an IR. Comparatively lower rate of valid questionnaire return can affect the accuracy of the results. It is hard to go into an in-depth discussion only based on the data collected from this questionnaire survey, and consequently, the findings from the survey can hardly present an accurate and comprehensive picture of the current state of IR development in the academic sector in China.Practical implications: The survey results provide essential foundation for CALIS IR project, and meanwhile the research can serve as a reference source for the future studies of the development of IRs at China's colleges and universities.Originality/value: It is the first national survey focused on the development of IRs in academic institutions in China.</p

Institutional effectiveness : a handbook for program implementation by members of the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine whether the institutional effectiveness model appropriate for the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) members was the same as the model used in other colleges and universities. The resolution of the research question allowed the development of a recommended model for Bible college outcomes assessment and the writing of a handbook for program implementation. The researcher prepared a model of institutional effectiveness for non-Bible colleges by complementing the literature search with data obtained by means of on-site visits to regionally accredited institutions. On-site visits were made to two community colleges, two private liberal arts colleges, and two members of the University of North Carolina System. An institutional effectiveness mail survey of the 86 AABC members was conducted. After 20 well-defined institutional effectiveness programs were identified based on the questionnaire data, the researcher surveyed those colleges by means of a telephone interview. To complete the data-gathering process, five AABC member colleges were visited by the researcher

Management Information System (MIS) and Institutional Effectiveness of Universities in South-South Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria

The rapid development and usage of management information system during the past three decades has had many points of contact with effective performance of universities. To achieve the purpose of the study, three (3) research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Ex-post-facto design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of six thousand from four (4) universities in the zone. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique, to draw a sample of 414 staff of the universities used for the study, management information system usage and universities effectiveness questionnaire (MISUUEQ) was used to elicit information for the study. The data obtained was analyzed using the Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient. The findings of the study revealed that there is a relationship between management information system usage and institutional effectiveness in terms of examination conduct, students records keeping, staff appraisal, library services. Based on the findings the study concludes that the usage of management information system influences institutional effectiveness of universities. It was therefore recommended among others that more MIS infrastructures should be adequately provided in our universities since the task before them is enormous and more awareness and training should be organized regularly for staff heading faculties, department and units in the system. Keyword: Management, Information System, and Institutional Effectiveness

Impact of Distance Learning Education System on Education Standards

Conventional Learning &amp; Distance based learning are the two systems prevailing in higher education. These systems affect the level of education standard. This research was conducted to highlight the impact of distance learning education system on education standard. The education standards were Institutional support, Course development, Learning Process, Student support, Faculty support, evaluation and assessment. A well-developed questionnaire was administered and distributed among 206 faculty members of Virtual University of Pakistan. Data was analyzed through correlation and regression analysis. Results confirmed that there is a significant relationship and impact of DLE system on education standards. The research further helped to evaluate Distance learning education (DLE) system with reference to higher education standards. The study will also add value in better understanding of standards and its pre-requisites. This will also provide baseline for future research. It will add value in existing body of knowledge. Key Words- Distance Learning Education, Higher Education, Education Standard

Pluricentricity in foreign language teaching: The case of English and German in the Hungarian education system

Linguistic pluricentricity has been a widely researched area in sociolinguistics since the early 1990s, and has important implications for language teaching. The present dissertation investigates the role of English and German pluricentricity in the Hungarian education system in the context of a complex research project. More specifically, the legal-institutional framework (i.e. curricula and examination requirements) and textbooks are analysed in terms of the presence of pluricentricity in them, which is followed by an empirical investigation of teachers’ and learners’ beliefs, based on a questionnaire survey of 484 teachers and learners, as well as 37 interviews. The basis of the study is the following research question: What role does the linguistic diversity of English and German play in language education in Hungary? In order to answer this question, the following three hypotheses are put to the test: (1) Pluricentricity plays a marginal role in the legal-institutional framework of language education in Hungary. (2) Teachers pay little attention to this aspect of language teaching, consequently, as learners are more open to differing norms than their teachers, there is a discrepancy between the beliefs of learners and teachers. (3) There is a general predominance of dominant varieties over non-dominant ones. The first and third of the above hypotheses are fully confirmed, indicating that there is an undoubted predominance of dominant varieties over non-dominant ones, and a clear need to incorporate pluricentric presence in the aforementioned legal-institutional framework. However, the confirmation of the second hypothesis is only partial, since the questionnaire survey shows that students are indeed more open to pluricentricity than teachers, nevertheless, the interviews provide several counter-examples to refute the first part of the hypothesis, according to which teachers generally do not pay enough attention to pluricentricity. The findings of this dissertation convey a relevant message for the Hungarian education system as a whole, with all its levels and components, including primary, secondary and tertiary education, teacher training, curriculum and textbook development, as well as the everyday classroom practices of teachers and students alike

Factors Influencing the Development of Nairobi Securities Exchange

This study aimed to find out the factors influencing the development of the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The general objective of this study was to determine the factors that affect the development of the NSE. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of market information; market efficiency; market transparency; market openness; transaction processing system and operating/transaction cost; legal and regulatory framework on the development of the NSE. Both primary and secondary data collection methods were used. A semi- structured data collection questionnaire was used to collect primary data on institutional factors while secondary data was collected on market capitalization from 2006 to 2015 which was used as the indicator of NSE development. The study employed a descriptive research design to describe the empirical data. The population of study was all licensed stock brokers in the Nairobi Securities Exchange. A regression model was used for data analysis and hypothesis tested with a 0.05 significance level. This study concludes that market information, market efficiency, market openness, market transparency, transaction processing system and transaction/operating cost and legal and regulatory framework affects the development of Nairobi securities Exchange.The study recommends that developing countries to initiate policies to foster growth and development as countries liberalize their financial systems and further enhance domestic resource mobilization

Institutional Factors Affecting Academic Entrepreneurship: The Case of University of Tehran

The role of universities has been highlighted in the social and economic development of communities with the addition of entrepreneurial mission to the educational and research missions of the universities. Thus, the subjects related to the academic entrepreneurship and commercialization of knowledge has recently been taken into consideration by many researchers and politicians in various countries. In Iran, concept of academic entrepreneurship is newly established and is in its initial stages of formation and institutionalization. Considering this gap in the literature, identifying institutional factors which affect academic entrepreneurship in Iran is the main objective of this study. For this purpose, the Institutional Economy theory of North (1990) was used to investigate the formal and informal institutional factors that foster academic entrepreneurship in Iran. In this study a mixed approach was implemented, taking advantage of interviews and a questionnaire to collection the data from the experts involved in academic entrepreneurship activities in University of Tehran. For sampling purposes, the objective judgmental method was used as a non-probability sampling approach. Data collection and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Then, 41 semi-structured and open interviews were conducted. The quantitative sample size was calculated based on the Cochran’s Formula (60 persons). Findings revealed that main formal institutional factors that affect academic entrepreneurship in Iran include as follows: (i) rules, structure and governance of the university, (ii) entrepreneurship and business training programs, (iii) university-industry relationship, (iv) governmental policies and regulations, (v) intellectual property laws, and (vi) educational and research structure of the university while principle informal institutional factors include: (i) method of enforcing rules, (ii) political considerations, (ii) role models and academic reward system, and (iii) academicians' attitudes toward entrepreneurship

DIAGNOSTICS OF PROBLEMS OF REPRODUCTION OF PROFESSIONAL POTENTIAL OF THE STATE AND MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT AS A PRECONDITION OF ITS SYSTEM RENOVATION

Purpose of the study: This article deals with the renovation system of reproduction of professional potential and provides a definition of this concept. Methodology: The study uses the methods of dialectical contradiction, the ascent from the abstract to the concrete, structural-functional and comparative analysis, theoretical modeling and generalization. Primary sociological information is collected through a questionnaire survey, document analysis, free interview, and observation. Methods of grouping and classification of empirical data, qualitative analysis of factors are also used. Results: the renovation system of reproduction of the professional potential of a state municipal government involves the diagnosis of its problems with the aim of determining the ways of their resolution. The conducted diagnostics identified six groups of actual problems, namely lack of professionalism, the disintegration of indicators of individual and institutional efficiency, the imperfect system of training and advanced training of managerial personnel, the weak motivation of their professional development, inefficient use of professional potential, and passive personnel policy Applications of this study: This research can be used for the universities, teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality of this study: In this research, the model of Diagnostics of Problems of Reproduction of Professional Potential of the State and Municipal Management as a Precondition of Its System Renovation is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INSPIRING STUDENTS FOR ADMISSION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT BANGLADESH OPEN UNIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY

Distance Education System is becoming very popular in Bangladesh because of its increasing demand in the community and other sectors. The study took a descriptive research design and the main data collection instrument was semi-structured questionnaire. The sample consisting of 325 respondents was drawn from prospective students called for viva-voce, the final selection stage of the MBA program of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) using simple random sampling technique. Data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The study discovered five critical factors that led growing interest among (MBA) distance education program aspirants at BOU of which institutional reputation was marked as the first and the most important leading factor. This was followed by the career development factor. Students’ self-development and flexible open and distance learning system were the third and fourth interest growing leading factors respectively. Another important factor that the students cited regarding their motivation to opt for admission into distance education program of Distance Education program of MBA at BOU was their academic achievement

Institutional And Non-Institutional Credit Supply Services To Fisher Women In Coastal Fishing Communities Of South Western Nigeria: An Empirical Survey

Ondo State occupies a unique position due to her natural fisheries resources in South Western Nigeria. Fisheries play a positive role in the supply of delicious and high quality protein food for the people of the country. Credit is a powerful doorway to reduce poverty. It helps the poor to fight against poverty with their own efforts. Particularly, empowerment of women can help to alleviate poverty and mobilize natural resources. Women play an important role in the processing and trading of fish. However, they are limited in their marketing opportunities and access to credit. Moreover, arrangement of adequate finance at market rate may contribute significant role in the socio-economic development of coastal women fisher folk in the study areas. Again financial support system needs to be dynamic so that concerned women fisher folk can get the benefits of institutional credit facilities. The paper focuses on the institutional and non institutional credit services and with reference to the coastal women fisher folk of the fishing communities of Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government areas of Ondo State. The data and information have been collected from 150 women fisher folk of five fishing villages through questionnaire. Women in the study area prefer the informal, non institutional credit sources than the formal, institutional source as the poor fisher-folk require collateral for this which in most cases was not available. From the study, adequate finance with more relax conditions will go a long way in alleviating poverty and improving socio-economic development of the rural coastal fisher women. Key words: credit services, fishing communities, sources of income, appropriate savings, and alternative credit systems. Journal Of Agriculture And Social Research Vol. 5 (1) 2005: 73-8