From expansion to academic drift and declining student numbers:The Dutch case

Universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands have undergone a stormy process of development since the 1980s. Subsequently, a number of issues related to this growth have emerged and are currently the subject of reflection and discussion, in particular academic drift and recently declining student numbers

Organizing for manufacturing innovation. The case of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

At the present time, an ever-growing number of new computer-aided technologies are becoming available, which are supposed to provide adopters with the opportunity to respond adequately to present competition and market pressures. However, many companies seem to have difficulties with organizing the implementation of new technology effectively. This is not surprising, considering the innovative nature of this process. Although there is a host of literature on innovation, organization and (the benefits of) new technology, the literature in which these areas are linked together is scarce. Publications addressing the manufacturing innovation process are even fewer and provide little insight into its true nature. Consequently, little is known about the effective organization of such processes. In the present article an organization model of manufacturing innovation is described, and its practicability assessed using the results of seven case studies of the implementation of flexible manufacturing. systems in British, Belgian and Dutch mechanical engineering companies

Higher education accountability:Book review of Robert Kelchen's Higher Education Accountability

In his book Higher Education Accountability, Robert Kelchen comprehensively discusses the concept of accountability in nine chapters in a pleasant and convincing way. He aims to cover the landscape of key accountability systems in US Higher Education by discussing the theoretical underpinnings of accountability, their evolution, and the perspectives from and interactions of different stakeholders at different levels in the Higher Education system. The last two chapters are reflective in nature by presenting ten lessons on accountability and by speculating about what the future might bring