Budget Deficit and Challenges of Knowledge Management in Higher Education: A Case Study of Two International Universities in the Netherlands

Over the past decade, knowledge management has become an increasingly important and critical issue. Both the scientific and commercial communities maintain that organizations with knowledge power can sustain their long-term competitive superiorities. Universities and higher education institutes are the main centers for the production and dissemination of knowledge and, as such, it is certainly necessary for them to implement an appropriate Knowledge Management System (KMS). In the 21st century, successful educational organizations will make use of knowledge and information in a more efficient way and will apply it to the creation of value. To cope with globalization, it is essential for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to effectively implement KMS in their organizations which will lead them to create more value and stay competitive. Even so, universities are facing a number of challenges while implementing KMS and budget deficits is one of the factors affecting the KM process in higher education institutes. There has not been adequate study on the impacts of budget deficit on KM activities in HEIs. The question that arises is:  how can these learning organizations overcome budget cuts and simplify the implementation of KM? The present study aims at investigating the challenges faced by two international universities in the Netherlands. Therefore, the study was conducted through case study design and used the Grounded Theory (GT) approach to unfold the impacts of budgetary deficit on the implementation of KMS within this context. A literature review method has also been used to get a deeper insight into some causes of budget deficit in HEIs. Initial findings of the study show that budget deficits have negative impact on KM activities in HEIs including increased workload for teachers, decrease in knowledge dissemination through publication and longer processes of problem solving activities. Keywords: Budget Deficit, Knowledge Management, Challenges, Higher Education, International Universities in the Netherlands, Grounded Theor

The Relationship between Human Capital Efficiency and Financial Performance of Dutch Production Companies

Nowadays, Human Capital is recognized as the key factor in enhancing corporate performance of companies. However, very little is known about the efficiency of human capital in value creation for organizations and the key factors that can improve Human Capital Efficiency (HCE). This research aims to investigate the efficiency of Human Capital and its impact on the financial performance of Dutch production companies. Using data from 33 Dutch production companies for a period of 6 years (2007-2012) and applying the human capital component of the VAIC methodology the monetary value created by the companies’ knowledge workers is measured. Multiple linear regression models are used for analyzing the relationship between the performance of Human Capital and organizational performance measures including ROTA, ROE and EP. The study results revealed that there is positive relationship between HCE and all three corporate performance measures, amongst which it should be referred to the strongly statistically significant relationship between HCE and Employee Productivity (EP). This study contributes to the existing human capital theories by revealing the HCE of Dutch production companies and its impact on companies’ financial performance. Furthermore, it is significant in the sense that it will provide the companies’ managers with vital information required for making decisions on proper deployment of their human capital and investment in this strategic asset. Keywords: Human Capital Efficiency, Return on Total Asset, Return on Equity ,Employee Productivity, Value Added Intellectual Coefficient, Corporate Performance, Dutch production companie

Motivating remote employees in higher education: A comparative study of multi-generational employees in the Netherlands and Germany

Technological advancements and sophisticated information and technological systems are being increasingly used by organizations which affect our daily lives to a large extent. Covid-19 pandemic has fast-forwarded the transition towards a virtual workforce and remote working. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not an exemption and still after the world has come to put an end on the pandemic there are yet uncertainties about the extent to which educational systems will use online or hybrid working systems and how this phenomenon can affect motivation of academics. The study uses a phenomenological approach, and it is comparative in nature where the motivation and experience of university faculty members and researchers from different generations in Germany and the Netherlands. A total number of 23 interviews were conducted with academics in the mentioned countries. Findings reveal that there are some similarities and differences amongst different generations regarding the impact of remote working on employee’s motivation. This study provides crucial information for policymakers in the higher education sector to rethink and reformulate HR policies in a manner that can enhance employees’ motivation when working remotely, considering the needs and expectations of different generations

The Adaptation of the Logistic Industry to the Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Role of Human Resource Management

The world is on the verge of the fourth industrial revolution that will considerably influence society and human life. Today human being is surrounded by technological advancement and every day we face new sophisticated technological systems that affect our daily lives. The business environment is being influenced by Industry 4.0 significantly and a massive transformation in labour market can be observed. The digital economy has become a disruptive factor in several sectors and it has shown a major impact on the logistic industry in terms of workforce transformation. The question that arises is that to what extent the logistic sector is ready for the digital transformation in Industry 4.0 and what factors should be considered by industry players, governments and multi-stakeholders in order to simplify workforce transformation. This study followed a qualitative approach using Grounded Theory to explain the phenomenon of workforce transformation within the logistic sector in Industry 4.0. Furthermore, a literature review was used to explain the role of human resource management in simplification of this process .The findings show that there is a lack of adequate awareness about the impact of the digital transformation on labour. Furthermore, it discusses the role of human resource management as an agent of change in Industry 4.0. The current research presents recommendations for different stakeholders on how to prepare the current and future workforce for the upcoming changes.This study is significant in the sense that it will add to the existing literature and provide practitioners with vital information that can be used to simplify the digital transformation of logistic industry by preparing labor market

COVID-19 and obligatory remote working in HEIs: an exploratory study of faculties’ work-life balance, well-being and productivity during the pandemic

At present, COVID-19 has caused a possible paradigm shift in education, especially in education delivery for higher educational and learning institutions. To align with the national government and relevant national/international authorities’ policies and to avoid the spread of the virus, educational institutions in many nations have decided to temporarily suspend the traditional classroom-based education and replace it with online-based education. This study aims at exploring the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and obligatory remote working on work-life balance, mental health and productivity of faculty members working in higher education institutions (HEI). The study is exploratory and uses a qualitative approach using an online survey strategy to include voices of faculty members from different countries. While the results of this study indicate both positive and negative effects of obligatory remote working on faculty members’ work-life balance, well-being and productivity at the same time our findings indicate that university administration must pay heed to address concerns presented in the results

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundEstimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period.Methods22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution.FindingsGlobal all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations.InterpretationGlobal adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic