Evaluation of Corporate Governance Measures: An Application to the Australian Higher Education SectorEvaluation of Corporate Governance Measures: An Application to the Australian Higher Education Sector (original) (raw)
Related papers
Governance has emerged as a major concern in the higher education sector. Although evaluation of performance of governance is widely used in the private and public sectors, little attention has been given to the assessment of good governance practices in university contexts. The purpose of this paper was to describe the changes in government policy associated with the introduction of Governance Protocols that have impacted on the higher education sector and to answer the research question: do Australian Universities apply the best practice corporate governance measures?. Data for the study were compiled from annual reports and the Web pages of 37 publically funded universities in Australia and Selected Higher Education Statistics Collection. The assessment criteria were derived from the National Governance Protocols. Findings revealed that Australian universities as independent corporations apply the universal best practice corporate governance indicators as governance measures.
Assessment of good governance in the Australian university sector
2011
Good governance has emerged as a major concern in the higher education sector. Although evaluation of performance of governance is widely used in the private and public sectors, little attention has been given to the assessment of good governance practices in university contexts. The purpose of this paper was to describe the changes in government policy associated with the introduction of Governance Protocols that have impacted on the higher education sector. Data for the study were compiled from annual reports and the Web pages of 37 publically funded universities in Australia and Selected Higher Education Statistics Collection. The assessment criteria were derived from the National Governance Protocols. Findings revealed that governance structures of Australian universities are moving towards a model of universal governance best practice. Keywords; governance; Universities Protocols; higher education
Evaluation Journal of Australasia, 2015
CHITRA SRIYANI DE SILVA LOKUWADUGE | ANONA ARMSTRONG An evaluation of governance mechanisms as determinants of performance A case study of Australian universities The premise underlying the introduction of corporate governance principles in the Australian higher education sector is that good governance results in good performance. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of internal and external corporate governance mechanisms as determinants of performance in the context of Australian publicly-funded universities. Secondary data from annual reports were transformed to create indices of internal and external governance practices, and teaching, research and financial performance. Relationships between governance and performance were analysed using correlation analysis. The study illustrated in this paper is important as literature suggests that corporate governance mechanisms and the influence of these mechanisms on performance are contradictory. The results of this study do not support the contention that in Australia, the governance of universities has a significant relationship with their performance. De Silva Lokuwaduge, Armstrong-Evaluating governance mechanisms as determinants of per formance in Australian universities
Governance and Performance: An Empirical Study of Australian Universities
2011
Governance structures have become one of the most debated aspects of the public sector and during the last decade good corporate governance practices have come to be regarded as important in enhancing the performance of all government-funded institutions. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between governance structures, practices and the performance of the university sector in Australia. During the period investigated in this study, the universities were undergoing significant governance reforms. Agency theory, which focuses on separation of ownership and control, and stewardship theory, which assumes the governing boards and managers both act in the best interests of their principals provided the theoretical basis for this study. The conceptual framework describes how the university council structures, processes and practices of the Australian universities could impact on their performance. In this framework, internal governance variables were council composition, council independence, committee structures, council process and transparency in reporting, and external governance mechanisms were represented by the influence of major stakeholders and the regulatory authority. The research explored the relationship of these variables to the performance of the universities in Australia. The dependent variable, university performance, was assessed by measures of research performance, teaching performance and the financial viability of universities. The sample for the study was 37 of the 39 publicly-funded universities in Australia. Two universities were omitted due to the special nature of these universities. Data were obtained from annual reports of the universities and the
The impact of governance on the performance of of the higher education sector in Australia
Australian government concern for improved governance in the higher education sector over recent years has driven the implementation of governance protocols. However, there has been little evidence of any evaluation of the impact of the governance structures on the performance of universities. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of the governance structures on performance in government-funded universities since the Australian National Governance Protocols were introduced in 2004. The methodology involved analysing the relationships between indices of governance structures namely board size, board independence and board committees, and financial, research and teaching performances. Results showed that the board size did not relate to financial, research or teaching performance in any way. In terms of board independence, the more independent the boards, the less impact they had on both research and teaching performances. Financial performances were not impacted. This finding may suggest that boards dominated by internal members rather than independent ones could have a better influence on teaching and research performances. While stronger board committees positively impacted financial and research performances, this was not the case for teaching performance. Board committees showed a negative relationship with teaching performance, suggesting that excessive monitoring may negatively influence teaching quality.
A model for corporate governance, decision-making, and accountability in today's universities
2005
The government's goal over the past decade of increased self-reliance has required universities to adopt the corporate mantle of governance consistent with that used in the private sector. The corporatisation of the university sector brought with it a unique set of problems to which senior university management had not previously been exposed. The solution to some of these problems includes developing governance systems to guide strategic decision-making based on well-developed ethical principles. This paper suggests such an approach to governance based on contemporary management and ethical foundations. In this model governance is depicted as an achievement of thinking across four levels, each building on the one below, providing governance through appropriate delegation and empowerment.
Corporate governance of universities: improving transparency and accountability
International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 2018
There is currently a growing interest in the improvement of university governance and the disclosure of information on corporate governance processes as an essential part of the transparency and accountability of universities. This paper aims to know the importance given by Spanish university stakeholders to the disclosure of information about structure and mechanism of corporate governance. To meet this objective, we propose a model for disclosing information on the main aspects of university governance in Spanish universities. This model will be validated using a questionnaire sent to members of the Social Councils of public universities in Spain. Our results show that Spanish university stakeholders attach great importance to the disclosure of specific information on aspects of corporate governance, which would result in improved transparency and accountability. No previous research was conducted for Spanish universities. This brings new expertise regarding the need to carry out a proactive publication of information on corporate governance in the Spanish university accounting information model.
Corporate Governance Models for Higher Educational Institutions: An Analysis
2021
Since 2000, public and private higher education institutions systems in Malaysia are promoted to meet the nation’s needs. Consequently, restructuring the public university system took place in 2005 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010). Under the new structure, the system differentiates between the types of universities in Malaysia, including research, comprehensive, specialised, and technical universities. The new structure offers a strong answer to students’ diverse complexity of skills and attention and permits the best use of faculty with different skills subject to specific objectives. The higher education system in Malaysia responds to globalisation, marketing, and the information economy similar to other developing countries. This impact of the new initiative can be seen from the increment of the enrolment, combination of universities, better process in administration, the growth of private colleges and universities has been supported and all aspects of academic program...
Corporate Governance Practices in Higher Education Institutions: The UK vs Bahrain
International Journal of Learning and Development, 2018
This research aims to investigate the application of leadership and governance in higher education organizations in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UK. The study also intends to gather evidences on the practices of academic management in different cultures. The methods of the study relies on reading lists of governance standards from several advanced educational institutions and uses a “comparative methodology” based on the data from the Kingdom of Bahrain and The UK. This research reviews the various models of “the higher education governance” and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each model. The study employs the three principles of UNDP (Transparency, Participation and Accountability) to assess application of leadership and governance in higher education institutions.The findings of this study reveal that Arab universities need to perceive the significance of clarifying the reason for governance. The examination likewise distinguishes the significance of relating their job a...