Integrated quality evaluation in higher education

Abstract The role of higher education as an essential component of the productive economy has been emphasized in the 21stcentury, resulting in a constant need to demonstrate compliance and excellence to various stakeholders. To achieve this, a large variety of internal and external evaluation processes have been developed. However, to connect these evaluations with continuous improvement has often proved challenging due to factors arising from organizational complexity. This compilation dissertation examines how various quality evaluations in higher education could be integrated in a meaningful and synergistic manner. Integration is analyzed both horizontally across the three missions of the university, as well as vertically ranging from external evaluations to self-assessment. The four research articles each support this whole from a different viewpoint. The results of the articles are complemented by a literature review of chosen relevant topics on quality management and evaluation in higher education. The results of this work suggest that a planned process of evaluations starting from the institution level could help evaluations build upon each other and to drive continuous improvement. A holistic view on evaluation and evaluation criteria could be of use in avoiding sub-optimization and ensuring that issues such as stakeholder engagement and societal impact are included in evaluations. The integration of evaluations would constitute a part of integrating an institution’s management system and advance unity of effort. The ubiquitous concept of excellence can be seen as linking factor in integration, and an excellence award model was used as an example of a holistic evaluation framework. The theoretical contribution of this study contributes in the discussion regarding quality evaluation, excellence and the integration of management activities in higher education. For practitioners this dissertation work provides both practical tools arising from the results of the research articles, as well as a synthesis of theoretical and practical issues that should be accounted for when developing quality evaluation approaches in institutions of higher education.Tiivistelmä Korkeakoulujen rooli tuottavan talouden olennaisena osana on korostunut uudella vuosituhannella. Tästä on seurannut jatkuva tarve osoittaa vaatimustenmukaisuutta ja erinomaisuutta eri sidosryhmille. Tämän seurauksena on kehitetty suuri määrä erilaisia sisäisiä ja ulkoisia arviointiprosesseja. Kuitenkin näiden prosessien yhdistäminen toiminnan jatkuvan kehittämiseen on usein osoittautunut haastavaksi johtuen organisatorisesta monimutkaisuudesta. Tässä kokoomaväitöskirjassa tarkastellaan, kuinka erityyppisiä laadunarviointeja korkeakoulutuksessa voitaisiin integroida mielekkäällä ja synergistisellä tavalla. Integraatiota tarkastellaan niin horisontaalisesti yliopiston kolmen tehtävän läpi, kuin myös vertikaalisesti ulkoisista arvioinneista itsearviointiin. Väitöskirjaan liittyvät tutkimusartikkelit tukevat tätä tutkimusongelmaa eri näkökulmista. Kirjallisuuskatsaus tukee artikkelien tuloksia valittujen laatujohtamisen ja arvioinnin aiheiden tarkastelun kautta. Tämän työn tuloksien mukaan suunnitelmallinen arviointikokonaisuus lähtien korkeakoulutasolta voisi tukea arviointien tulosten kumuloitumista ja edistää jatkuvaa kehittämistä. Holistinen näkökulma arviointiin ja arviointikriteereihin voisi ehkäistä osaoptimointia ja varmistaa, että seikkoihin kuten sidosryhmien osallistuminen ja yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttavuus huomioidaan arvioinneissa. Arviointien integrointi tukisi osaltaan korkeakoulun johtamisjärjestelmän integrointia ja edistäisi yhteisiin tavoitteisiin pyrkimistä. Erinomaisuuden yleistynyttä käsitettä voidaan pitää yhdistävänä tekijänä integraation toteutumisessa, ja siihen perustuvaa laatupalkintomallia käytettiin työssä esimerkkinä holistisesta arviointimallista. Väitöskirjatyön teoreettinen kontribuutio liittyy korkeakoulujen laadunarvioinnin, erinomaisuuden ja johtamistoimien integroinnin tieteelliseen keskusteluun. Käytännön työn kannalta tutkimustulokset tarjoavat käytännön työkaluja artikkelien tulosten kautta, sekä yhdistelmän teoreettisista ja käytännön seikoista jotka tulisi huomioida korkeakoulun laadunarviointia kehitettäessä

Digitalisation of industries:a comparative analysis from Australia and Finland

Abstract This paper features a two-country study on digitalisation: Australia and Finland. The empirical data was acquired from the national accounts for 1995–2015 in Australia and for 1998–2012 in Finland. This data was averaged for a cross-sectional comparison of industries and then for the two countries. Different industries’ advancement in digitalisation seems to follow approximately the same pacing in both countries. Financial and insurance services, telecommunications and media, and professional, technical and scientific services are the most active digitalisers. The empirical testing of the a priori assumption that digitalisation over a long period of time leads to greater productivity shows that the observed correlation between information and communication technology (ICT) investment and productivity is weak. The results partly confirm Solow’s productivity paradox

Guiding corporate social responsibility practice for social license to operate:a Nordic mining perspective

Abstract Mining activities can benefit the local economy, although they can also have a negative impact on society and the local environment. As the negative impacts have engendered an increased stakeholder pressure over the last decades the mining industry has given considerable attention to its social and environmental impacts by practicing corporate social responsibility (CSR). This article presents a case study on the Nordic mining industry and its stakeholders with the aim of investigating how a mining company and its stakeholders evaluate sustainability aspects, describing the similarities and differences in their evaluations and exploring whether the concept of materiality analysis can be used as a tool for a company’s strategic CSR practice. The mining company X was selected as the case company based on its high CSR profile, sustainability reporting, local context and interesting field competencies. Data has been collected through workshops with management groups, stakeholder surveys and stakeholder interviews. A sustainability aspect matrix was developed which the management groups at Company X and their identified stakeholders evaluated. The materiality analysis visualized the similarities and differences in a good way and the management groups regarded it as a useful tool for their strategic CSR practice

Networking for sustainable supplier development:evidence from a Finnish industrial cluster

Abstract This article examines a network approach to sustainably developing suppliers in the context of a Finnish industrial cluster. The approach (HSEQ AP) aims to assess and develop the health, safety, environmental and quality-related capabilities of the suppliers of the buying companies that form the cluster. In this study, the impact of this approach, which has been operating for more than a decade, is examined through a mixed-methods approach. Suppliers that have been audited two times or more (n = 29) were quantitatively analyzed in terms of safety performance, consecutive assessment scores and the relationship between assessment scores and financial indicators. To support the quantitative analyses, interviews were conducted with buyers and suppliers. The results suggest that the HSEQ AP can be linked to improvement in operational results and to enhancing social sustainability in the supply network, and that the suppliers and buyers generally find it a worthy investment. The antecedents for this network approach are partially similar to supplier development in general: Buyer demonstration of commitment, particularly through purchasing processes, is crucial and not fully realized in all cases. The use of a competent, trained third-party assessor was seen to bring value, and the suppliers also rated buyer participation very highly. Interestingly, no significant improvement was found regarding environmental capabilities. The HSEQ AP can be viewed as a CSR practice, but the results show there could be further potential to unlock

Buyer networking in supplier HSEQ development:a macroergonomics analysis in a CSR framework

Abstract Process industries focus on their core processes whilst certain activities are bought as outsourced services from a variety of suppliers. Corporate social responsibility highlights the need to manage and develop suppliers’ HSEQ capabilities. This study focuses on large Finnish industrial companies’ HSEQ cluster, and its’ actions for supplier development. This study includes interviews for large Finnish industrial companies and a database analysis on a sample of supplier audit reports. A macroergonomics analysis is conducted to show how the observations made in the audits, i.e. identified development topics or deviations, are of internal origin and mainly identify issues related to suppliers’ management processes and health and safety performance. In addition, suppliers’ own stakeholder management practices and processes were questioned in some cases. This study shows that this current HSEQ assessment practice by the cluster somewhat strongly identifies issues related to CSR. Yet, some development topics and future research aspects are identified that could help in tying the assessment procedure better with CSR

Pohjois-Suomen yritysten kasvutekijät

Abstract Growth in companies is an important engine of the national economy and a force that maintains well-being in the society. Who determines when and how the company should grow? This study is part of the Platform for Micro Enterprise Growth project funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. A micro enterprise is defined as an enterprise employing fewer than 10 employees and whose turnover or balance sheet total is less than two million euros. The aim of this study is to produce new and timely knowledge about the growth factors of companies in Northern Finland. The survey was targeted at the business leaders of Kainuu, Lapland and Northern Ostrobothnia provinces. The respondents were invited to respond the questionnaire by e-mail from 6 April 2016 to 18 April 2016. The survey was answered by 301 companies, of whom 230 (76.4%) were micro enterprises. There were 143 solo entrepreneurs (62.2%), 57 (24.8%) employing of the enterprises employed 2-4 and 30 (13.0%) of the enterprises employed 5-9 persons. The company's growth factors were evaluated by the following indicators: entrepreneurial orientation, the impact of the business environment, resource management, and the direct or indirect impact of management's personal attitudes on corporate growth. On the basis of the results, it is evident that companies should develop their capacity for risk-taking. Even though most companies report their efforts to anticipate competitors' innovations and new products, a minority of companies are ready to invest in technology development. As a result, most of the companies do not even aim to market leadership with their products. Nearly half of respondents think that the business environment of the company is challenging. In part, this can be explained by price competition, which led to a more aggressive attitude towards competitors. However, over the past three years, less than one third of the companies had invested in research and development activities. Despite the fact that about one-third of respondents anticipate a decline in demand. Based on the responses, many professional networks have not been able to provide sup-port for decision making. In addition, very few micro-enterprises are outsourcing entrepreneurs to support the company's development. In this study, businesses are seeking 43% growth in domestic business, 14% growth in exports and 35% in staff growth. Growth opportunities are further undermined by the fact that, according to the responses, companies are carefully exploring opportunities offered by new business opportunities. The entrepreneur is facing a major challenge as a result of the growth in net sales. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are of the opinion that the growth in net sales gives us better opportunities to invest in steering, control and and management of the company. Correspondingly, the growth in turnover was particularly important for the company development so that the turnover and the value of the company could develop faster than their competitors could.Tiivistelmä Yritysten kasvu on tärkeä kansantalouden moottori ja yhteiskunnan hyvinvointia ylläpitävä voima. Kuka määrittelee milloin ja miten yrityksen pitäisi kasvaa? Tutkimus on tehty osana Euroopan aluekehitysrahaston (EAKR) ja Pohjois-Pohjanmaan liiton rahoittamaa Mikroyritysten kasvualusta -hanketta. Mikroyritykseksi määritellään yritys, joka työllistää vähemmän kuin 10 työntekijää ja jonka liikevaihto tai taseen loppusumma on vähemmän kuin kaksi miljoonaa euroa. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tuottaa uutta ja ajankohtaista tietoa Pohjois-Suomen yritysten kasvutekijöistä. Kysely kohdennettiin Kainuun, Lapin ja Pohjois-Pohjanmaan maakuntien yrityspäättäjille. Vastaajat kutsuttiin kyselyyn sähköpostitse 6.-18.4.2016 välisenä aikana. Kyselyyn vastasi 301 yritystä, joista mikroyrityksiä oli 230 (76,4 %). Yksinyrittäjiä heistä oli 143 (62,2 %), kahdesta neljään työllistäviä yrityksiä oli 57 (24,8 %) ja viidestä yhdeksään työllistäviä yrityksiä oli 30 (13,0 %). Yrityksen kasvutekijöitä arvioitiin seuraavilla mittareilla: yrittäjäsuuntautuneisuus, liiketoimintaympäristön vaikutus, yrityksen resursointi sekä johdon henkilökohtaisten asenteiden suora tai epäsuora vaikutus yrityksen kasvuun. Tulosten perusteella yritysten tulisi kehittää valmiuksia riskinottoon. Vaikka valtaosa yrityksistä kertoo pyrkivänsä ennakoimaan kilpailijoiden innovaatiot ja uudet tuotteet, niin vähemmistö yrityksistä on valmis panostamaan voimakkaita teknologian kehittämiseen. Tästä seuraa, että suurin osa yrityksistä ei edes tavoittele tuotteilleen markkinajohtajuutta. Lähes puolet vastanneista kokee, että yrityksen liiketoimintaympäristö on haastava. Osittain tätä voidaan selittää hintakilpailulla, josta johtuen kilpailijoiden toiminta koettiin muuttuneen aggressiivisemmaksi. Kuitenkin viimeisen kolmen vuoden aikana tutkimus- ja kehitystoimintaan oli investoinut alle kolmannes vastanneista yrityksistä. Siitäkin huolimatta, että kysynnän vähentymistä ennakoi noin kolmannes vastanneista. Useat ammatilliset verkostot eivät ole vastausten perusteella tarjonneet riittävästi apua tärkeiden päätöksien teossa. Lisäksi vain hyvin harvoissa mikroyrityksessä on yrittäjän apuna ulkopuolisia, jotka tukisivat yrityksen kehittymistä. Tässä tutkimuksessa yrityksistä kotimaan liiketoiminnan kasvua tavoittelee 43 %, viennin kasvua 14 % ja henkilöstön kasvua 35 % vastanneista. Kasvumahdollisuuksia osaltaan heikentää se, että vastausten perusteella yritykset tutkivat varovasti uusien liiketoimintamahdollisuuksien tuomia mahdollisuuksia. Yrittäjä kokee isona haasteena liikevaihdon kasvusta aiheutuvan lisäkuorman. Toisaalta yrittäjät ovat sitä mieltä, että liikevaihdon kasvu antaa paremmat edellytykset panostaa yrityksen ohjaamiseen, valvontaan ja johtamiseen. Vastaavasti liikevaihdon kasvu oli erityisen tärkeä yrityksen kehittymiselle niin, että liikevaihdon ja yrityksen arvon pitäisi kehittyä jopa kilpailijoita paremmin

Integrated HSEQ management systems:developments and trends

Abstract The integration of health and safety, environmental and quality (HSEQ) management systems has become a current topic in the 21st century, as the need for systems thinking has grown along with the number of management system standards. This study aims to map current developments and trends in integrated HSEQ management. Three viewpoints are taken: the current state of the main HSEQ management standards, research literature on integrated management systems (IMS), and a case study of an industry-led HSEQ cluster in Northern Finland. The results demonstrate that some of the most prominent current trends are the harmonization of the high level structure of management systems by ISO, the evaluation of IMS, accounting for the supply chain in HSEQ issues, and sustainability and risk management. The results of the study can be used by practitioners to get a view of the current state of HSEQ management systems and their integration, and by researchers to seek out potential directions for HSEQ and IMS related research

Improving supply chain transparency between a manufacturer and suppliers:a triadic case study

Abstract This paper addresses supply chain transparency improvement in a triadic manufacturersupplier-supplier relationship. It investigates the problem of improving transparency using a set of interviews; then, a detailed problematization and a simulation model is formulated based on the results. The interview results show that there are two key issues to be considered: information systems issues related directly to transparency and capability issues related to utilizing transparency. The simulation results support developing capabilities by illustrating the effects of different options for coordinating material flow. The results of the study also indicate that while solutions to improve transparency can be relatively straightforward to implement, developing the capability to benefit from it can be more challenging, even in a well-established close partnership. In addition, suppliers may be hesitant to collaborate without active manufacturer involvement

HSEQ at shared industrial workplaces:experiences from collaboration on supplier audits

Abstract The trend of outsourcing in industries has led to a situation in which various service providers are working at industrial sites. Managing such complex multi-employer worksites is a challenge. This study introduces a collaboration procedure for supplier audits in the context of integrated health, safety, environment, and quality management by large Finnish industrial buyers. A supplier-audit database is analyzed and supplemented by interviews with the buyers. Altogether, 456 audit observations are categorized in seven thematic areas to introduce what kinds of development areas suppliers have. With regard to the collaborative nature of the procedure, the benefits from the buyers’ side were identified from the interviews. Cluster collaboration has proven advantageous in financial savings, objective assessments, and supplier development

Game-based learning and students’ motivation in project management education

Abstract Research on game-based learning (GBL) methods shows that they may increase students’ motivation and learning in the context of higher education. However, there is still unclarity regarding whether and how GBL methods can be utilized in project management education. Our quasi-experimental study analyzes project management students’ experiences of a GBL method applied in six European higher education institutes during late 2021 and early 2022. Data about students’ experiences were collected using a post-game survey in which students were asked to evaluate how the applied GBL method affected their motivation and learning. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our findings include students’ positive and negative perceptions related to the applied GBL method, which influenced students’ motivation to study and learn project management phenomena. Our findings indicate that game-based learning solutions can be used to motivate students and to prepare learners to deal with uncertainty, as in real-life projects