Dr Aftab Dean

The marketisation of Higher Education (HE) has created a rhetoric of individuality in terms of how students are defined and the extent to which they as individuals ultimately benefit and flourish. Yet as we propose, the system is actually based on a notion of commonality driven by financial imperatives which affect both the university and the student. To recognise this is not to be controversial but to confirm the rhetoric of what is delivered by universities. We suggest that the recognition of the inherent tensions can have benefits for students and for the university itself and suggest a notion of relationship might provide a worthwhile conceptual framework to effect this. We argue that a fundamental remit of universities should be to implement policies to nurture diversity amongst the cohort and to develop the individuality of each student and demonstrate that the feeling of being treated as a valued individual by academic tutors is fundamental to the symbiotic relationship between students and university. Our findings reveal that the feeling of being treated as an individual is highly significant to the student’s experiences. We briefly discuss the managerial implication for this through the lens of relationship marketing.

Modern information and communication technologies influence almost all business processes and are playing an increasing role in personnel management practices. The integration of technology into business and social practices is changing the nature of how information is acquired. The social revolution, that is taking place due to the influence of the Internet, is creating new opportunities for personnel marketing managers to explore new avenues to engage with their audience. There are several online mediums such as social networking sites, rating portals, and micro-blogging which are becoming prime portals to promote job vacancies and recruit potential candidates. Job applicants are using these facilities to find information on employers to gauge a picture of the companys corporate culture and working practices. Consequently, the traditional career brochure and company websites are no longer sufficient sources of information to new applicants who are seeking a more personal review, from employees, about the organization. This transparency of information and working practices requires personnel marketing departments to take a proactive role in conveying the corporate culture of a company and making it tangible for job applicants in a digital environment. This paper will put forward a conceptual framework of the usage of web 2.0 technology and social media to transmit a corporate culture that helps companies to attract, recruit and retain talented candidates. The findings will aid human resource managers to address the communication challenges and opportunities that new technologies and media present.

The rise in the number of international students, in the UK over the last decade, has led to a growth in the cultural diversity of many UK universities. While many recognise the cultural enrichment that these students bring to the University Killick, 2008, there is growing concern at the academic performance, of these students. While considerable effort has been expended on recruiting an increasing number of international students, from specific target markets, very little has been spent on understanding the challenges these students face studying in UK universities. This paper will highlight the opportunities to successfully recruit and help students overcome, many of the challenges, and adapt to the learning style of higher education in the UK. The results reveal that if universities are to claim to have a global reach they will need to introduce a strategy to internationalise their university. A claim that many make but the reality of the international student experience, through national student surveys, reveals contradictory findings. Therefore, to help universities develop a coherent and internalised strategy of internationalisation the author has developed a nine stage approach to help universities create an environment that welcomes cultural diversity and aids students and staff to develop a global perspective. While it could be argued that there is a moral imperative to strive towards global awareness the pragmatic financial forecasts reveal that by 2025 the demand for international education will grow to 7.2 million students and if universities intend to play an active role in this market they urgently need to implement an international strategy. That not only helps international students adapt to the UK academic environment but also permits UK students to gain a much richer academic and cultural experience to help them prepare for a career in industry that is increasingly looking for graduates with a global perspective.

Cost-of-capital rates are used for a variety of applications in corporate finance such as value-based management or investment appraisal. While company cost-of-capital is regularly determined with the help of capital market data, proxy methods have to be used in the case of business units since no share price data is available. The aim of this paper is to give a short introduction to the field of cost-of-capital of business units and to discuss and evaluate the methodology applied in previous literature. In this paper, literature on cost-of-capital of business units is classified into categories first. Next, research designs applied by other researchers in the past are discussed. It is found that research questions concerning the development and evaluation of cost-of-capital estimation techniques are addressed with the help of large sample analysis of financial market data while research questions concerning the application of the techniques by practitioners are dealt with in survey or interview approaches. It is concluded that there is no best method to conduct research on cost-of-capital, but that it might make sense to combine some of the methods in a mixed methods approach in future research projects in order to combine the advantages.

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. The relationship between trust and information sources for new purchasers of higher education is discussed. A range of sources is evaluated by potential entrants into UK higher education, and indicates that universities tend to be regarded as the most trustworthy when information is directly associated with them and social networks, and friends and student-derived sources the least, along with Key Information Set data.

Academic tutors take on a multitude of roles in their current positions at university and while teaching is expected, from most, it is often assumed that the tutor will apply appropriate pedagogical tools to convey knowledge to the students. This view is now being challenged as many students are being actively encouraged to voice their views of the teaching and learning experience, for the module and the university experience, through module evaluation forms and the national student survey. The results from these surveys and comments, left by students, on social networking sites reveal that there is a gulf from student expectations and the actual teaching delivery experienced. The pedagogical elixir appears to have been lost by our fatigued, multi-tasking, poorly resourced academics. This research was driven by a desire to reveal the true nature of an inspired learning experience for students. This is made explicit by the triangulated results (in-depth interviews and a large survey at two universities) that reveal the characteristics that students seek in their tutors. The findings have been categorised into three themes namely: Charisma, Academic skills and Teaching skills (CAsTs) to enable tutors to appreciate the areas that they may need to develop to inspire their students.

This case study outlines an investigation into the acceptance of a new pedagogical paradigm aiming to engage and inspire students in ethical and entrepreneurial activity

Abstract

This paper investigates whether students' personal happiness is different from student satisfaction and considers if this may have consequences for university policy and management. It does this by comparing happiness and satisfaction in two cohorts of students from two United Kingdom universities. One is a distinctive research university and the other a university whose heritage has been in the polytechnic sector prior to its charter, referred to as a post‐1992 university. The results, although preliminary, do appear to show that satisfied students are also happy students. However, what contributes to these states of being is different. The implication for institutional policy is discussed and a warning that to assume satisfaction (measured by satisfaction survey results) as happiness might be problematic in addressing improvement in the student experience.

This study aims to examine the meaning ascribed to luxury by consumers in England and Turkey in terms of their luxury value perception and their influence on purchase intention. The findings will be contextualized by adopting Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, which bring a holistic perspective on the cultural identifies of countries. The population of the study consisted of university generation Z students studying at large modern universities in England and Turkey. A questionnaire was administered to a large sample at both universities that yielded 1133 completed acceptable responses for analysis. Inferential analysis revealed that financial, individual and social dimensions of luxury value perception were significant in influencing purchase intention for English and Turkish students. However, individual value was considerably higher for Turkish students while both financial and social value perceptions higher for English students. This paper provides supporting evidence of the key cultural differences of luxury value perception and how they significantly influence purchase intention among generation Z consumers in England and Turkey.

Over the last decade the adoption of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), at University, has become an accepted norm of support for student learning. However, despite the major investment in VLE’s there is a major disparity between what universities are offering, on their online platforms, and how this material and activities are being utilised by students. This research provides empirical evidence of the passive use, both by tutors and students, of the VLE. The literature provides evidence of the inertia that still exists, within Higher Education (HE), among tutors, to fully embrace the spectrum of VLE engagement tools. The lack of transition, among many tutors, to utilise the VLE as a pedagogical engagement tool continues to impact the expectations of fee paying students in the UK, who no longer expect that a Socratic dialogue will suffice to catalyse their intellectual curiosity. Today’s generation of students have been exposed to a plethora of technologies that facilitates the acquisition of instant information and often through a multitude of sensory (visual, audio) formats. Furthermore, with the growth of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) that are freely available to students the expectations, of HE students, from universities is becoming more demanding. In light of this competitive virtual learning landscape the authors propose a learning framework. To enable universities to create a unique and effective learning experience, for their students, through prudent investment in VLE tools and a complimentary learning environments. Resulting in deeper learning and informed students prepared for seminars.

Purpose The purpose of this research is to support responsible decision-making in Higher Education (HE) settings by understanding what type of learning journey satisfies students most in their HE experience and what they want from the learning. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses the key tool used to assess satisfaction factors for UK students, the National Student Survey (NSS). It adopts peculiar regression statistical tests to identify the NSS items that influence “overall student satisfaction” by reviewing responses over 9 years from accountancy students at business schools located in England. Findings The findings of the study provide evidence that students are most satisfied with a learning journey where they are part of a course that is “well organised and running smoothly”, which provides “intellectual stimulation” that helps in developing their ability to “present themselves with confidence” and provides “academic advice and support”. The findings of the paper show that students are not satisfied so much by utilitarian aspects of learning but rather those that relate to who they are and where they are in their learning journey, the level of intellectual stimulation they have experienced, the self-confidence they have developed and the supportive relationship they have developed with academics. A factor that did not relate highly was “assessment and feedback” which has been the focus of much university resource. Results show the factors that impacted overall satisfaction are most related to students wanting to develop personal responsibility. These findings shape the key principles of responsible design and management of HE programmes and influence strategic decision-making. Practical implications Focussing on helping students experience, the type of learning journey that develops the virtue of responsibility emergent from the analysis will not only satisfy the student but will also have a knock-on effect of improving NSS scores, university league table ranking and accreditation under the Teaching Excellence Framework. The improved reputation aspects would then feed back into increased student satisfaction (Dean and Gibbs, 2015). The findings will also help HE managers and leaders to evaluate their decisions through three lenses: responsibility, students’ experience and students overall learning journey. Originality/value Much of the information published on the NSS have been predominantly descriptive and has resulted in decisions being made for students based on uninformed analysis of the survey’s results. This study uses advanced statistical modelling to evidence the relationship between factors of the NSS and overall student satisfaction providing key information regarding students’ importance to the type of learning journey they value and that this relates to a desire in wanting to develop responsibility. This study shows the link between factors of the NSS to provide useful lenses for HE managers and leaders to use to support responsible decision-making processes.

The debate about socially responsible investment (SRI) portfolio performance compared with its non-SRI counterparts remains inconclusive. This paper contributes to the debate by adding a new approach, examining the issue of a full economic circle through economic boom, recession and recovery. We compare stock performance of two value-weighted investment portfolios: FTSE4Good (SRI portfolios) and FTSE 350 (conventional portfolios) from 2004 to 2011 including 2007 to 2009 financial crash. The results indicate the SRI portfolio performed better and recovered its value quicker in post-crisis than the non-SRI portfolio, indicating that SRI portfolios are more resilient to economic turmoil and market shocks.