Cláudia Sarrico - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Cláudia Sarrico
Research Policy, 2011
This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European c... more This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.
To improve student satisfaction and success, higher education institutions (HEIs) need to find th... more To improve student satisfaction and success, higher education institutions (HEIs) need to find their niche, establish their own identity and get on with doing what they do best. Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) is a comprehensive process that requires understanding markets, supply and demand, programme development, and student recruitment and retention. SEM involves the entire institution, relies heavily on institutional research
Politiques et gestion de l'enseignement supérieur, 2008
Higher Education Management and Policy, 2008
The consequences of the use of absolute weights restrictions on the efficiency score and targets ... more The consequences of the use of absolute weights restrictions on the efficiency score and targets of a DEA model have been explored elsewhere, the same was not true for the use of restrictions on the virtuals. In this paper, a reflection on the uses of virtual weights restrictions is presented. The reasons for using virtual weights restrictions instead of absolute weights restrictions are explained. Following a critique of Wong and Beasley's proposed method for constraining the virtuals in DEA, a new classification scheme for virtual weights restrictions is presented, which brings the concept of assurance regions into virtual weights restrictions. It is shown that the use of simple virtual restrictions and virtual assurance regions are preferable to the use of the more generally advocated proportional virtual weights restrictions. In recognition of levels of decision making at the unit, and external to the unit, the use of the terms unit of assessment (UOA) and controller is proposed. It is concluded that the use of virtual assurance regions applying to the target UOA is the best approach for the natural representation of preference structures and to translate established patterns between the input-output divide. Also, the meaning of the efficiency score and targets in this approach most approximate traditional DEA. Alternatives to using virtual weights restrictions are considered, namely using absolute weights restrictions with a virtual meaning. The relationship between DEA and MCDM in this domain is described.
This paper is part of a bigger research project, in which 123 executives were invited to report o... more This paper is part of a bigger research project, in which 123 executives were invited to report on how their organizations assume their "corporate social responsibility". Three main conclusions are arrived at: (1) 42 % of executives assert that their companies have a code of conduct; (2) in general, executives consider that their companies act ethically towards public entities, but they also consider that these do not reciprocate in the same way; (3) this tendency is corroborated by the fact that, in a scale ranging from 1 to 10, executives give a mean score of 4.8 to the ethical conduct of public entities. These findings are discussed and some suggestions are made concerning the "behaviour" of the companies and the "behaviour" of the State and the public entities in general.
Cadernos de Pesquisa, 2007
Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior (Campinas), 2010
Resumo: Apesar da sua importância para a avaliação das instituições de ensino superior, os estuda... more Resumo: Apesar da sua importância para a avaliação das instituições de ensino superior, os estudantes parecem não constituir, ainda, um objecto de estudo relevante no campo da investigação sobre este processo de regulação institucional. Reconhecendo esta lacuna, o presente estudo pretende, através da análise das representações que os estudantes elaboram deste processo, indagar sobre os contornos que emolduram as suas atitudes relativamente ao mesmo. Recorre, neste sentido, ao enquadramento metodológico e aos resultados empíricos de uma investigação mais abrangente, que tem por objecto a análise do conteúdo das representações estudantis da avaliação das instituições de ensino superior. A análise dos resultados permite concluir que os estudantes assumem atitudes tendencialmente positivas face à noção e à implementação da avaliação, como resultado da legitimidade que lhe reconhecem. Esta legitimidade surge, por sua vez, conectada, essencialmente, com razões instrumentais, ligadas ao incremento da qualidade das instituições, dos cursos e da docência e, em última instância, à promoção da integração dos futuros graduados no mercado de trabalho.
Tertiary Education and Management, 2010
The paper has a conceptual nature, and will depart from the literatures on performance manage-men... more The paper has a conceptual nature, and will depart from the literatures on performance manage-ment in general and public management in particular and confront them with the literature on higher education studies. Higher education mirrors the developments of other sectors, ...
Research Policy, 2011
This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European c... more This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.
Quality in Higher Education, 2012
ABSTRACT The accountability versus improvement debate is an old one. Although being traditionally... more ABSTRACT The accountability versus improvement debate is an old one. Although being traditionally considered dichotomous purposes of higher education quality assessment, some authors defend the need of balancing both in quality assessment systems. This article goes a step further and contends that not only they should be balanced but also that other purposes can be devised for assessing quality in higher education. Five different purposes are proposed: communication, motivation, control, improvement and innovation, derived both from the higher education and the organisational performance literatures. Then the answers given to a set of questions related to these five intended purposes are analysed. The answers were collected through a questionnaire designed to investigate Portuguese academics’ perceptions on higher education quality assessment. Overall the analysis performed reveals a certain degree of support for all the purposes, albeit higher in the case of the improvement and communication purposes and lower for control and motivation. Since an adequate implementation of quality assessment systems needs the support of academics, this article can inform the design of systems integrating academics’ views on the subject.
Quality Assurance in Education, 2010
The purpose of this exploratory study is to measure and compare the performance of Portuguese sec... more The purpose of this exploratory study is to measure and compare the performance of Portuguese secondary schools. Some data on the schools was collected via an electronic questionnaire sent to 103 secondary schools of the Centre Region of Portugal; other needed data was available through the Centre Regional Education Authority. Of the 33 schools that participated in the study, there was complete data for 29. We first use a non-parametric technique, data envelopment analysis, to assess the sample of schools. Then we compare the results obtained with some preliminary results of a national evaluation programme of schools.
Public Management Review, 2010
... Ana Isabel Melo School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) University of Aveiro Águeda, Port... more ... Ana Isabel Melo School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) University of Aveiro Águeda, Portugal E-mail: ana.melo@ua.pt Cláudia S. Sarrico Department of Social, Juridical and Political Sciences University of Aveiro Aveiro, Portugal E-mail: cssarrico@ua.pt Zoe Radnor ...
Public Integrity, 2006
... Is Portuguese culture so lax in respect to tax compliance that managers do not think of taxes... more ... Is Portuguese culture so lax in respect to tax compliance that managers do not think of taxes when they think about their civic obligations? ... Page 13. Trust in Portuguese Public Authorities PUBLIC INTEGRITY WINTER 20056 89 ... 2003. Values for Public Service: Lessons ...
Minerva, 2010
Page 1. Assessing Quality and Evaluating Performance in Higher Education: Worlds Apart or Complem... more Page 1. Assessing Quality and Evaluating Performance in Higher Education: Worlds Apart or Complementary Views? Cláudia S. Sarrico Maria J. Rosa Pedro N. Teixeira Margarida F. Cardoso Published online: 18 March 2010 © Springer Science+Business Media BV 2010 ...
Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1997
This paper is concerned with the process of performance measurement undertaken by different stake... more This paper is concerned with the process of performance measurement undertaken by different stakeholders in the UK higher education sector, focusing on the perspective of the potential student. The appropriateness of the Times League Table in guiding applicant's choices is ...
The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2000
... In the current applica-tion the valuation of the factors was inferred from the ... Even the f... more ... In the current applica-tion the valuation of the factors was inferred from the ... Even the funding councils recognise this effect, taking account of this external research income in ... CS Sarrico and RG DysonÐUsing DEA for planning in UK universitiesÐan institutional perspective 795 ...
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 2012
Despite being one of the major reasons for the development of quality assessment, students seem r... more Despite being one of the major reasons for the development of quality assessment, students seem relatively unaware of its potential impact. Since one of the main purposes of assessment is to provide students with information on the quality of universities, this lack of awareness brings in to question the effectiveness of assessment as a device for promoting institutional accountability. Aiming to contribute to increase knowledge in this field, the paper addresses Portuguese students' perceptions of the impact of quality assessment. Resorting to the findings of a qualitative study on this subject, it is argued that students seem to assume a rather ambiguous position vis-à-vis this impact. While seeing assessment as having only a limited capacity to produce changes, students seem reluctant about the possibility of measures being adopted to increase it.
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2009
Home > International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management > Volume 58... more Home > International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management > Volume 58 issue 8 > Measuring and comparing the performance of... ... Icon: Abstract. Icon: Backfiles. Icon: Print. Icon: Reprints & permissions. ... A previous version of this paper was presented at ...
Research Policy, 2011
This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European c... more This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.
To improve student satisfaction and success, higher education institutions (HEIs) need to find th... more To improve student satisfaction and success, higher education institutions (HEIs) need to find their niche, establish their own identity and get on with doing what they do best. Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) is a comprehensive process that requires understanding markets, supply and demand, programme development, and student recruitment and retention. SEM involves the entire institution, relies heavily on institutional research
Politiques et gestion de l'enseignement supérieur, 2008
Higher Education Management and Policy, 2008
The consequences of the use of absolute weights restrictions on the efficiency score and targets ... more The consequences of the use of absolute weights restrictions on the efficiency score and targets of a DEA model have been explored elsewhere, the same was not true for the use of restrictions on the virtuals. In this paper, a reflection on the uses of virtual weights restrictions is presented. The reasons for using virtual weights restrictions instead of absolute weights restrictions are explained. Following a critique of Wong and Beasley's proposed method for constraining the virtuals in DEA, a new classification scheme for virtual weights restrictions is presented, which brings the concept of assurance regions into virtual weights restrictions. It is shown that the use of simple virtual restrictions and virtual assurance regions are preferable to the use of the more generally advocated proportional virtual weights restrictions. In recognition of levels of decision making at the unit, and external to the unit, the use of the terms unit of assessment (UOA) and controller is proposed. It is concluded that the use of virtual assurance regions applying to the target UOA is the best approach for the natural representation of preference structures and to translate established patterns between the input-output divide. Also, the meaning of the efficiency score and targets in this approach most approximate traditional DEA. Alternatives to using virtual weights restrictions are considered, namely using absolute weights restrictions with a virtual meaning. The relationship between DEA and MCDM in this domain is described.
This paper is part of a bigger research project, in which 123 executives were invited to report o... more This paper is part of a bigger research project, in which 123 executives were invited to report on how their organizations assume their "corporate social responsibility". Three main conclusions are arrived at: (1) 42 % of executives assert that their companies have a code of conduct; (2) in general, executives consider that their companies act ethically towards public entities, but they also consider that these do not reciprocate in the same way; (3) this tendency is corroborated by the fact that, in a scale ranging from 1 to 10, executives give a mean score of 4.8 to the ethical conduct of public entities. These findings are discussed and some suggestions are made concerning the "behaviour" of the companies and the "behaviour" of the State and the public entities in general.
Cadernos de Pesquisa, 2007
Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior (Campinas), 2010
Resumo: Apesar da sua importância para a avaliação das instituições de ensino superior, os estuda... more Resumo: Apesar da sua importância para a avaliação das instituições de ensino superior, os estudantes parecem não constituir, ainda, um objecto de estudo relevante no campo da investigação sobre este processo de regulação institucional. Reconhecendo esta lacuna, o presente estudo pretende, através da análise das representações que os estudantes elaboram deste processo, indagar sobre os contornos que emolduram as suas atitudes relativamente ao mesmo. Recorre, neste sentido, ao enquadramento metodológico e aos resultados empíricos de uma investigação mais abrangente, que tem por objecto a análise do conteúdo das representações estudantis da avaliação das instituições de ensino superior. A análise dos resultados permite concluir que os estudantes assumem atitudes tendencialmente positivas face à noção e à implementação da avaliação, como resultado da legitimidade que lhe reconhecem. Esta legitimidade surge, por sua vez, conectada, essencialmente, com razões instrumentais, ligadas ao incremento da qualidade das instituições, dos cursos e da docência e, em última instância, à promoção da integração dos futuros graduados no mercado de trabalho.
Tertiary Education and Management, 2010
The paper has a conceptual nature, and will depart from the literatures on performance manage-men... more The paper has a conceptual nature, and will depart from the literatures on performance manage-ment in general and public management in particular and confront them with the literature on higher education studies. Higher education mirrors the developments of other sectors, ...
Research Policy, 2011
This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European c... more This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.
Quality in Higher Education, 2012
ABSTRACT The accountability versus improvement debate is an old one. Although being traditionally... more ABSTRACT The accountability versus improvement debate is an old one. Although being traditionally considered dichotomous purposes of higher education quality assessment, some authors defend the need of balancing both in quality assessment systems. This article goes a step further and contends that not only they should be balanced but also that other purposes can be devised for assessing quality in higher education. Five different purposes are proposed: communication, motivation, control, improvement and innovation, derived both from the higher education and the organisational performance literatures. Then the answers given to a set of questions related to these five intended purposes are analysed. The answers were collected through a questionnaire designed to investigate Portuguese academics’ perceptions on higher education quality assessment. Overall the analysis performed reveals a certain degree of support for all the purposes, albeit higher in the case of the improvement and communication purposes and lower for control and motivation. Since an adequate implementation of quality assessment systems needs the support of academics, this article can inform the design of systems integrating academics’ views on the subject.
Quality Assurance in Education, 2010
The purpose of this exploratory study is to measure and compare the performance of Portuguese sec... more The purpose of this exploratory study is to measure and compare the performance of Portuguese secondary schools. Some data on the schools was collected via an electronic questionnaire sent to 103 secondary schools of the Centre Region of Portugal; other needed data was available through the Centre Regional Education Authority. Of the 33 schools that participated in the study, there was complete data for 29. We first use a non-parametric technique, data envelopment analysis, to assess the sample of schools. Then we compare the results obtained with some preliminary results of a national evaluation programme of schools.
Public Management Review, 2010
... Ana Isabel Melo School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) University of Aveiro Águeda, Port... more ... Ana Isabel Melo School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) University of Aveiro Águeda, Portugal E-mail: ana.melo@ua.pt Cláudia S. Sarrico Department of Social, Juridical and Political Sciences University of Aveiro Aveiro, Portugal E-mail: cssarrico@ua.pt Zoe Radnor ...
Public Integrity, 2006
... Is Portuguese culture so lax in respect to tax compliance that managers do not think of taxes... more ... Is Portuguese culture so lax in respect to tax compliance that managers do not think of taxes when they think about their civic obligations? ... Page 13. Trust in Portuguese Public Authorities PUBLIC INTEGRITY WINTER 20056 89 ... 2003. Values for Public Service: Lessons ...
Minerva, 2010
Page 1. Assessing Quality and Evaluating Performance in Higher Education: Worlds Apart or Complem... more Page 1. Assessing Quality and Evaluating Performance in Higher Education: Worlds Apart or Complementary Views? Cláudia S. Sarrico Maria J. Rosa Pedro N. Teixeira Margarida F. Cardoso Published online: 18 March 2010 © Springer Science+Business Media BV 2010 ...
Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1997
This paper is concerned with the process of performance measurement undertaken by different stake... more This paper is concerned with the process of performance measurement undertaken by different stakeholders in the UK higher education sector, focusing on the perspective of the potential student. The appropriateness of the Times League Table in guiding applicant's choices is ...
The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2000
... In the current applica-tion the valuation of the factors was inferred from the ... Even the f... more ... In the current applica-tion the valuation of the factors was inferred from the ... Even the funding councils recognise this effect, taking account of this external research income in ... CS Sarrico and RG DysonÐUsing DEA for planning in UK universitiesÐan institutional perspective 795 ...
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 2012
Despite being one of the major reasons for the development of quality assessment, students seem r... more Despite being one of the major reasons for the development of quality assessment, students seem relatively unaware of its potential impact. Since one of the main purposes of assessment is to provide students with information on the quality of universities, this lack of awareness brings in to question the effectiveness of assessment as a device for promoting institutional accountability. Aiming to contribute to increase knowledge in this field, the paper addresses Portuguese students' perceptions of the impact of quality assessment. Resorting to the findings of a qualitative study on this subject, it is argued that students seem to assume a rather ambiguous position vis-à-vis this impact. While seeing assessment as having only a limited capacity to produce changes, students seem reluctant about the possibility of measures being adopted to increase it.
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2009
Home > International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management > Volume 58... more Home > International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management > Volume 58 issue 8 > Measuring and comparing the performance of... ... Icon: Abstract. Icon: Backfiles. Icon: Print. Icon: Reprints & permissions. ... A previous version of this paper was presented at ...