The paper starts with a description of higher education in the United Kingdom and of reforms over the last 50 years. By reference to specified output measures, the performance of UK universities is judged to be good. The factors affecting this performance are postulated by comparing policies and approaches in the United Kingdom with those…

There is a large literature on the productivity of universities. Little is known, however, about how different types of leader affect a university's later performance. By constructing a new longitudinal data set, I provide evidence that the research quality of a university improves after it appoints a president (vice chancellor) who is an…

Change and continuity in university administration is discussed in the British university context. It is argued that while there is no ideal form of university management, change should be accompanied by a degree of continuity, particularly because the nature of university activity relies heavily on individuals of high academic quality functioning…

Institutional research as a tool for supporting management decision making has a relatively short history in the United States and is much less prevalent in the United Kingdom, especially in colleges. This paper outlines the principal roles and functions of an institutional research office, discusses staffing issues, and suggests practical roles…

Despite the tendency to draw on experience from the commercial sector when it comes to theorising about school leadership, there is a paucity of research on comparisons between commercial and educational management. This article presents findings from a research project that followed a number of (experienced and newly appointed) school and…

The Committee of University Chairman publishes a code of good practice designed, among other things, to ensure clarity about the authority on which decisions are taken on behalf of universities, subordinate domestic legislation created and the exercise of discretion regulated. In Carltona Ltd.v. Commissioners of Works [1943] 2 All ER 560 AC the…

Aimed primarily at practitioners, this book's main objectives are to illuminate significant educational administration issues, sensitize readers to rapid and inevitable changes in the field, guide well-informed administrative action, review emerging developments, and demonstrate the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration's leadership…

Instances from case studies of comprehensive schools in the United Kingdom show that cultural influences restrict possibilities of "rational" action by educational leaders. This article warns against business theory and concludes that we need to know more about how people in schools make choices. (Author/TE)

Discusses student support systems in distance education based on experiences at the Open University (United Kingdom). Topics addressed include distance education versus traditional education; changes in the learning process; management theory; student support as a service industry; course production; resource allocation; and decision-making…

This book discusses organizational, management and professional dimensions of change as credit-based systems are introduced in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Credit-based systems are taken to mean the flexible academic structures based around the parallel but interrelated concepts of credit and modularity. They are being…

Using Milton's "Paradise Lost" as metaphor, this article examines shifting positions of authority, and the role of technology, in higher education practice. As higher education becomes caught up in the performative agendas of globalised market rationalism, technology is mobilised in a specific way which sits uncomfortably with…

The design, management, and effectiveness of systems of higher education are examined in 12 countries: Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Previous reports have been published by ICED on each country, upon which this report is based.…

This article has two objectives: to explore the changing power relationships within the quality management practices of United Kingdom higher education with specific reference to online learning and the role of learning technologists; and to explore some of the issues surrounding the potential to represent academic discourse through media other…

This book presents the views of 15 individual authors on the principles of management in higher education from a British perspective. Preliminary material includes brief biographical sketches of each contributing author and a list of selected abbreviations. Individual chapters are: (1) "Setting the Scene" (David Palfreyman and David…

The United Kingdom management population is a large and moving target. A growing number of individuals describe themselves as managers; the widely held view is there will be many, many more. Figures suggest the scale of the potential market and need for management education and training development (METD) is considerable. Levels of qualifications…