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"LUCIAN BLAGA" UNIVERSITY SIBIU

FACULTY OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES

MAIER BONDREA GEORGETA

SUMMARY OF THE PhD THESIS

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN PRIVATE

HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA

CASE STUDIES AT THE SPIRU HARET

UNIVERSITY

Scientific advisor:

Prof.univ.dr. Dr.HC ION PETRESCU

2011

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INTRODUCTION

The proposed topic is of a compelling actuality, taking into account the

unprecedented evolution of human knowledge. Globalization and internalization are turning

knowledge into the main capital. Education is the backbone of any nation. The current global

trends are also present in the Romanian private higher education. Having emerged during a

period of profound change, it requires sustained managerial efforts in order to switch from

turbulence, through normality to sustainability. Sustainability itself can only be achieved

through quality.

Humankind evolution towards a knowledge-based society involves a rapid

development also in the field of education and quality assurance becomes an essential

requirement at the present stage, an objective that can be attained through the Total Quality

Management. The premises upon which the paper is based are the following:

– change is a characteristic of the current society and has no connection with the

economic crisis, on the contrary it has to do mainly with the unprecedented

development of technology; quality becomes the essential feature of products and

services; the new management models provide support to companies and other

social institutions, among which are the private universities.

– in the current economy, connectivity plays an essential role, internationalization

and globalization not being possible in its absence; a really global generation

emerges and education quality acquires this connotation as well, as the young

people who have grown up exposed to the digital media have similar generational

attitudes and behaviors;

– competition stimulates inventiveness which meets the society’s requirements;

– EDUCATION IS THE MAIN ENGINE of adaptation, development and

transformation of the human society.

For a realistic approach in relation with the quality in higher education, we must take

into account the essential aspects of learning. All of those who choose to study at the

university have acquired some knowledge from previous forms of education and from the

environment they come from. Learning is a natural process that initially takes place effortless,

only as a result of the desire to understand the world. Education is the one that filters this

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knowledge and provides it with quality. With the increase in the information complexity the

need for organization emerged and educational management started to take shape.

The Total Quality Management applied in learning is meant to bestow upon

education the human quality dimension of both trainers and students. The utmost function of

higher education is to create upright individuals who are able to consider life in its entirety,

even if they are specialized in a particular field. Hence the necessity for the the rector to be a

good professor, a good organizer and a leader for the institution that he manages.

The study makes reference to the private higher education as a form of preparation

resulted from the desire of a large number of persons to study. During the communist period,

the number of seats in universities was drastically reduced. As a result of the demand and the

large number of professors with managerial vocation, the first private universities were

established. At the same time the existing universities were developed. Legal regulations

made these transformations possible in the Romanian higher education system.

In January 2011, The National Education Law was adopted, establishing the

principles governing the Romanian public and private higher education, as well as lifelong

learning. The law proposes the development of an education system that meets the national,

European and international requirements. Based on the quality principle, the teaching

activities comply with the reference standards and with the national and international good

practice. The law provisions are put into practice by each institution by introducing a quality

management system. The rector’s office must drive the university towards results, towards

clients, towards the continuous improvement through an adequate management. From this

perspective, a study on the possibility to implement the Total Quality Management in the

Romanian private universities is opportune.

The subject approach manner is in compliance with the general provisions of Law

no.1, whose assumed mission is „the training, through education of the mental infrastructure

of the Romanian society, in accordance with the new requirements derived from Romania’s

status as a member state of the European Union and the functionality in the context of

globalization and with sustainable engendering of national highly competitive human

resources, able to function efficiently in the present and future society” .” 1

The starting point are the existing studies in the field of university management, the

purpose of which are quality orientation and control.

1 Law no.1/2011, p.1

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Starting from the European regulations, the present condition of quality in the

Romanian private higher education is presented and methods of implementing the quality

management are proposed.

We will analyze the manner in which, by applying the Total Quality Management,

the Romanian private higher education will respond to the requirements established under the

Education law adopted in 2011. To the same degree, we propose a debate over the law’s

provisions in relation to its applicability.

The paper is structured into seven chapters and presents the distinctive features of

european and national private institutions of education.

In order to establish the research hypotheses, with material resonance in the

Romanian private education , we will take into account its characteristics and the national and

international background. The research will be carried out at „Spiru Haret” Unversity and will

comprise a sample of 1082 students and 1055 alumni.

For the purposes of the paper, the following hypotheses are used as a starting point:

• hypothesis 1 - internationalization and globalization will bring major changes

in the field of higher education which addresses for the first time a generation

which has grown up surrounded by the digital media; focusing on the student

will become a reality and the dynamics of relations between students and

professors will change radically.

• hypothesis 2 – the private higher education in the European space appeared as

a result of the process of internationalization and globalization and will

continue to develop; approaching quality by taking into account its distinctive

features is necessary;

• hypothesis 3 – in Romania the Total Quality Management will need to be

implemented in private higher education, in accordance with the legal

requirements and in order to defeat the forces of inertia, a series of activities

of transferring international experience adapted to our conditions will be

necessary.

• hypothesis 4 – universities must develop a culture of quality and create a

personalized Total Quality Management system.

• hypothesis 5 – the current turbulence in the new reality, hither education

addresses mainly the new generations which have grown up surrounded by

the digital media and which will change the world.

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As regards the scope and objectives, the research at „Spiru Haret” University is aimed

at obtaining results on multiple plans, defined at the beginning, which should provide the

researcher and also the universities with elements of extremely high value to serve the

implementation of their own Total Quality Management systems. At „Spiru Haret”

University, the chaotics model integration will be of real usefulness, even more so because, in

perspective it may provide education programs throughout the life.

In order to attain the objectives, the following stages must be completed:

� secondary research regarding the trends in private and public higher education in

national and international context;

� secondary research regarding the implementation of Bologna process in the

European and Romanian higher education;

� secondary research on the dynamics of the conceptual approaches regarding the

Total Quality Management (TQM) in higher education;

� secondary research on the chaotics model proposed by Philip Kotler in the Total

Quality Management (TQM), in the Romanian private higher education.

� case study at „Spiru Haret” University (SHU)

� applicative research on the analysis of the satisfaction degree of SHU students and

alumni

In order to meet the objectives, the following tasks were imposed:

1. selection of the bibliography for study;

2. study of the bibliographic material;

3. make some annotations on the studied material;

4. study of the managerial process in public and private universities, represented by

„Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu and „Spiru Haret” University of Bucharest;

5. using questionnaires as a research method in establishing the allocation of effective

working time in order to apply them to different university centers in the country.

6. SHU case study and assessment of the possibility to integrate the chaotics model.

Taking into consideration the established objectives, in order to attain them, the paper

will be structured based on the purpose and tasks imposed in the seven chapters.

Chapter 1 Trends in public and private higher education with direct consequences

on the total quality management is aimed at summarizing the current international context

and in direct relation with it, the emergence and development of international, European and

Romanian private higher education.

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Private education, despite being considerably old at global level, it has developed

rapidly in line with the social requirements, gradually switching over to a new generation of

universities with entrepreneurial university management that follows the American

universities model.

The chapter ends with a comparative study of the evolution in the present context of

two universities acknowledged in Romania, „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, a state

university and „Spiru Haret” University of Bucharest, a private university.

In Chapter 2 – Concerns over quality assurance in higher education within the

European boundaries– we will follow the most important decisions taken during the

education ministers’ meetings, in order to attain the objectives established in 1998 in Bologna.

Chapter 3 –Total Quality Management in private higher education presents the

general aspects of the Total Quality Management. Since the universities are considered

organizations that provide services, the education management acquires particular

significance, as the evolution of higher education in the following years depends to a great

extent on its efficient implementation.

In Chapter 4 – Suggestions regarding the integration of the chaotics management

system in the Total Quality Management, we will analyze the possibility to adapt the

chaotics management model proposed by Philip Kotler, considered the founder of modern

marketing, to the Romanian private higher education.

If the new universities adopt a management system that rapidly faces the changes,

they will have the chance to teach students from the entire world, based on the new

technologies.

It is a useful model in maintaining the quality and at the same time the continuity of

the institution in the globalization and internalization context.

Chapter 5 – Evolution and perspectives in TQM in the Romanian private higher

education. Case study at „Spiru Haret” University.

„Spiru Haret” University is representative for the Romanian private education and it

distinguishes itself through an outstanding technological equipment. Beyond the discussions

concerning the high number of students in distance learning in the previous years, this

university has a remarkable opening towards the implementation of new trends in higher

education, by adopting the American model.

The activity’s complexity and flexibility, as well as the massification process at SHU

resulted in the construction of an network organizational structure which facilitates the

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execution of each stage of application of the student-centered management and, implicitly, the

performance of the management processes functions.

Chapter 6 – Selective scientific research on the assessment of the quality of

education at „Spiru Haret” University by analyzing the students’, alumni’ and employers’

satisfaction degree consists of the presentation of the research made at „Spiru Haret”

University and comprises suggestions on the evaluation and continuous improvement of the

private education system. With the contribution of the Sociology and Public Opinion Institute

(ISOP) under SHU, questionnaires to evaluate the students’ and alumni’ perceptions

regarding the institution’s capacity of providing student centered education were prepared.

The results of the research are an important source of feedback information for the

continuous improvement of quality management.

Chapter 7 – Summary of the conclusions, opinions, solutions and the original

contribution

During the entire paper, particular attention was given to the national and european

strategies for maintaining the interest towards perfecting the level of preparation in private

higher education under its continuous extension trend influenced by the great international

organizations interested in the field.

The implementation of the Total Quality Management is a solution for each separate

institution as regards its existence in the university.

The first three chapters represent the theoretical substantiation of the research on the

implementation of the Total Quality Management in the Romanian private higher education.

Chapter 4 is a personal contribution and proposes an analysis of the possibility to

integrate the chaotics model proposed by Kotler P. and Casoline J, a new and innovative

model that takes into account the managerial dynamism increase, into the Total Quality

Management from the private higher education.

� For the purposes of the theoretic substantiation, documentation was the main

activity.

The new studies in the field of crisis management and management of change, were

consulted such as Crisis Management – Petrescu Ion, A force for Change and A Sense of

Urgency – Kotter John, Organizational and Managerial Culture – Năstase Marian, were

consulted. The authors analyze the current managerial models and propose solutions for

managers and leaders.

Given the complexity of the subject, the documentation activity generated a

systematization into basic components, namely a systematization in defining processes, thus

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enabling the grasping of all basic factors, of essential concepts, specific to processes that

should be approached, in establishing thoroughly designed criteria concerning their role and

the way they fuse on the whole, offering a clear and realistic picture of all the mechanisms

that will interact. A large number of articles studies and reports on the current trends in the

national, European and international higher education were studied. Information retrieved

from the sites of the European Ministries of Education stands out as a source for in analyzing

the policies of these countries with regard to the private higher education. University offers

alongside statistics on student mobility have also constituted a starting point in analyzing the

tendencies when tackling on the topic of internationalization.

Given the boost management related fields, communication and education have known

during the last quarter of a century, specific specialized literature had but to follow suit.

Furthermore the later has succeeded in finding the main converging elements bringing them

closer as a result of the growing implication of research into the field of this particular branch

of science.

� Research levels in the field of private education.

At international level, studies on this topic date back to the half of the past century,

namely to the 60s, and do predominate in the US, since private education has been and still is

prevalent within this territory. Since education has turned into a field of utmost interest

enabling the development of the entire society both beneficiaries and authors have proved an

increased keenness towards higher education related studies. In 1968, upon drawing up the

introduction to the memorable works “The Academic Revolution” David Riesman and

Cristopher Jencks noted: “Back when we started studying the field of higher education, 10

years ago, the number of students was so small that we used to know most of them in person

and we even kept a correspondence with them. This is no longer possible nowadays”2

It is worth mentioning that in the US the first studies on private higher education date

back to the concept of higher education itself. The first dedicated issue was “New England’s

First Fruits”, issued in 1643 at Harvard. It stands for the beginning of an enduring tradition of

writing in this field, polemics, introspections and pragmatic aspects included.

The number of publications has risen exponentially. Also the number of students has

equally grown and thus engendered the need of attaining some systematization and

thoroughness. Themes such as equity, accessibility, and excellence rejoice special emphasis.

2 http://www.higher-ed.org/HEUS/Important_Books.pdf

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Scientist have tried to find answers to questions on the purpose of higher education, the

meaning of education in the present-day conditions marked by world- wide changes , or on

education-related opportunities..

Within the European area, works on higher education make reference both to the

public and the private one since both systems fall under the governance of the same laws

elaborated by the ministries.

In Romania the cornerstone in university management is the “University

Management Treaty” edited under the aegis of Dr HC Petrescu Ion, released by Lux Libris

publishing house, Brasov 1998. “This type of situations call upon a university management

mainly focused on complexity control, a pro-active type of leadership meant to trigger useful

changes”.3

The TQM Psycho-socio-economy - written by the same author and issued in 1998

joins the previously mentioned one

Even 10 years ago professor Liviu Antonesei would draw attention in his work “The

New University Management” to the need to implement university management: It is only by

applying principles that success can be achieved. The new management science requires,

among others, finding solutions for inter-humane relationships before finding solutions for a

non-functional system, promoting didactic staff based on merit against age, relationships or

favoritism (nepotism), putting into practice empathic communication and promoting a win-

win oriented mentality.”4

The works published by prof dr Bratianu Constantin, among which mention should

be made of University management paradigms, Editura Economica, Bucuresti, 2002, have

also proved to be of a real help.

These themes have been thoroughly analyzed in ARACIS (The Romanian Agency

for higher education quality) publications as well as in UNESCO ones. In the report on

Higher Education Quality Level – Quality Barometer 2010, ARACIS analyses the degree of

completion of assumed conditions in the field of quality granting by means of European

adherence and through Bologna process accession. As a matter of fact it is not an ARACIS

report per se but rather a publication of some of the results gathered upon conducting the

project “Quality Assurance in higher education in Romania within the European context.

Academic quality development within the system as well as institutionally” under the contract

3 Petrescu I. (coord.), 1998, University Management Treaty, Editura Lux Libris, Braşov, p. 13 4 Antonesei L, Dr. Yehia A.I. ABDEL-AAL, Dr. Mohamed R. EL-TAHLAWI, Dr. Nabila T. HASSAN, 2000,

University Management form management vision to successfull mission), Editura Polirom, ColecŃia „ŞtiinŃele

educaŃiei”, Iaşi.

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POSDRU 2/1.2/S/1, project code 3933, activity monitored by prof dr L Vlasceanu. The

analysis undertaken comprised private universities just as well.

Mention should be made of the Romanian Foundation for Quality Promoting that,

from its very beginnings, has taken a keen interest in continuously improving the quality of

higher education institutions. It has brought forward a self-assessment model meant for higher

education entities to evaluate their total quality management.

Further project s drawing their financing on the European Social Fund are currently

taking place:

- „Quality and leadership for higher education”

- „European quality within the higher education” – coordinated by the Spiru Haret

University

- „Development and implementation of a monitoring system, quality improvement

and quality assessment for distance higher education based on performance

indicators and international quality standards” – coordinated by Spiru Haret..

� For the Spiru Haret University case study, a thorough documentation was

made at the headquarters of this university but also at the university centers in

the rest of the country

The “National Opinion collection” – a weekly information publication containing

opinions and ideas for the wide national interest, released by the foundation “Fundatia

Romania de maine” - has proved to be yet another help; information broadcast in time

through this publication reflects the entire activity of the institution. The magazine prompts

scientific analysis on essential aspects pertaining to economy, law and education -performed

by reputable specialists such as the members of the Romanian Academy and higher-education

teachers- accompanied by counseling offers meant for university students, as well as teacher-

student communication improvement suggestions. Supplements containing the detailed

institutional offer of the university had been released yearly. They also contain a presentation

of courses and course books printed and made available to students within the internal

network of libraries and bookshops.

� The Research Methodology

1.The Observation Method:

Taking into account that my daily activity takes place with one of the Technological

Support Centers of Spiru Haret my choice of method was the direct observation. My aim

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was to observe the degree of satisfaction reported by Students and alumni managed by the

Support Center during unfolding activities.

The study was made during college year 2009/2010 mainly at „Spiru Haret”

University”. Its targets were:

� Student behavior during research and information period at the CT Sibiu

secretariat.

� Aspects related to the communication between university staff and students,

graduates respectively.

� The way in which students demand classes and books by observing the activity

in the center’s library and bookshop.

The information collected with the help of observation can be found in the final

analysis of the research.

2. The Dialogue method

As it is mentioned in the title, this method represents a discussion between researcher

and investigated subjects.

„The dialogue is considered as being the most complicated psychological method”.5

Taking into account this point of view, we have tried to eliminate certain errors that could

have been reported by the mutual influence between researcher and subject.

The dialogue has been achieved with approximately 100 students and graduates at

the moment of enlistment for the following academic year as well as with the graduates that

came at the faculty secretariat.

Considering the great degree of subjectivity, the results analysis has been performed

in correspondence with the results obtained through the other methods.

3. The Investigation Method

It is the widest spread method in Total Quality Management.The questionnaire was

the type of investigation applied.The objective of the investigation being the measurement of

the satisfaction degree of the beneficiaries of private college services, we have used a

questionnaire for students and another one for graduates.There were closed and hierarchy

questions.

5 I. Petrescu,1998, Psycho-socio-economy of total quality management, Ed. Lux Libris, Braşov

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The organization of the scientific research in Total Quality Management in

Romanian private education, has been triggered by the need of optimizing the study process

starting from the institution managers. The managers and the leaders are those who assure the

quality within their institution and who adopt the necessary measures to assimilate the change.

The private higher education in Romania is according to the chaotic model, on a

strategic point of inflexion due to the internal and international context, to the globalization

and internationalization. That is why the managers are forced to cope with their own

institution vulnerabilities in comparison with other similar institutions and to manage the

arisen opportunities.

The research results allow us to submit the following aspects of innovative nature:

• To determine the new trends in private higher education in Romania;

• To underlie the need to adjust the taken decisions by the European forums in

order to ensure the quality of private higher education;

• To underlie and to argue the need of the manager position in higher education

from the perspective of total quality;

• To identify the integrations and implementation paths of chaotic model proposed

for the organization subjected to an ample process of rapid change;

• To demonstrate the usefulness of IT technologies for the implementation and

development of an effective management system;

• To argue the need of development of a private higher education concentrated on

„clients”, when these are very well informed with the help of internet;

In the conclusion chapter, the great diversity of problems involved by the systems of Total

Quality Management in private higher education, our intercession has included only those

considered fundamental for their improvement. We have concentrated on emphasizing the

risks and the opportunities regarding the evolution of private higher education with direct

consequences for the need to implement some TQM systems personalized and efficient.

CHAPTER 1

Trends in Private and Public Higher Education with Direct

Consequences in Total Quality Management

We are witnessing a major change in higher education throughout the entire world.

Young people already study, communicate, work and create very different communities from

the ones of their parents. They represent the force of social transformation.

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„All over the world, this generation dominates the work market, the commodity

market and every niche of society. They bring their demographic force, media intelligence,

they take-over the power, introduce new collaboration and education models for children,

new models of entrepreneurship and political power”6

By quick adjustment to the market’s demands, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu

proves its knowledge of Total Quality Management principles.

Spiru Haret University, even since its foundation, had as an objective the promotion

of a new way of studying, based on the young students’ abilities in interactive communication

between teachers and students by using the computer networks and media devices.

Higher education in current society is continually changing.

The approach over the course of this chapter of important aspects brought in higher

education of internationalization and globalization has allowed the emphasis of specific parts

of quality management.

The role, nature and managerial aspect of quality in private higher education

We would like to underline the fact that we find ourselves at a generation switch. The

quality passes from a technical characteristic to that of a universal value. For an university it

influences the entire reputation and it represents a combative factor in attracting the young

students.

The expansion of some technological discoveries in the educational field brings

forward the problem of increasing the social and economic efficiency and that of providing

total quality.

A university manager has complex tasks derived from the characteristic of private

higher education. As well as in other types of organizations, in universities, the introduction

of quality management represents a major change and the defeat of some resistance due to

staff and current structure, is necessary.

The resistance of university managers already known for the introduction of the new

methods is exceeded faster by those of the new founded universities, who are aware of the

need to focus on students. The managers must in this context interact with students and must

take into account their propositions regarding the assurance of quality.

Crossing over from an uniform education that does not take into account students’ features, to

an individualized education, is necessary. These aspects must be constructed starting with

defining the mission, the aim, the vision and the institution’s objectives.

6 Tapscott D., 2011, , Raised digitally. Internet Generation changes your world, Ed. Publica, Bucureşti, p. 24

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„Management art consists in the mastery and talent of manager to apply the

knowledge of managerial science to the realities of different situations of the respective

organization, resulted from his interaction with the environment and to obtain the desired

established results, in efficient conditions..”7

With the help of the study regarding the changes in higher education imposed by

internationalization and globalization, we can verify the first hypothesis according to which

focusing on the student becomes a necessity.

Visionary teachers from all over the world draw attention to the change of teaching

methods for this must match the demands of the XXI-st century. The quality of teaching

resides not only in applying directly some knowledge and abilities, but to stimulate the

capacity of thinking, of discovering new things as well. Long term changes are necessary, for

the universities, which are difficult to achieve in the absence of an efficient educational

management.

Private universities, due to self-financing, are interested in focusing on clients. A part

of these have understood the fact a drastic change of the relationship teacher-student within

the teaching process is necessary, which makes it difficult to be accepted by the conservative

teachers.

CHAPTER 2

Concerns over Quality Assurance in Higher Education within the European

Boundaries

In 2000, European Union, by the Lisbon Strategy, has set as its objective to become

the most competitive and dynamic economy, based on knowledge, capable of a lasting

growth. In 1998, the chancellors of European universities have signed the Magna Charta

Universitatum of Bologna, which addressed the creation of an European space in higher

education field. From that moment on, has begun an intense concern for improving the

education system and increasing its efficiency. European universities have gathered in a

network of continental organizations that have as a purpose the development of a quality

culture.

The need to establish some rules at European level has also risen, in order to ease the

mobility of work force inside the union, referring to ways of validating the diplomas.

7 Bibu N., Predişcan M.,2006-2007, Management- Support course, Universitatea de Vest, Timişoara, p.3

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The emergence and development of private universities is due to a big process of

globalization and internationalization.

Over the course of this chapter, we will analyze the need to approach on national,

regional and European level, the quality in higher education, mentioning, where it is

applicable, the characteristics of private universities.

By signing the Magna Charta Universitatum of Bologna, the chancellors of Romanian

universities, have created an important moment for the evolution of higher education.

All the universities in Romania, both public and private have begun the application of

the six established objectives for Bologna.

Annually, each country that has signed the Magna Charta develops projects regarding

the stage of implementation of the main reforms that concentrate on the following:

• The structure of higher education in three cycles ( license degree, masters degree

and doctorate degree),

• Assurance of quality in higher education and

• Acknowledgement of qualifications and periods of study

Law no.1/2011 incorporates these directives and implements them in Romania

In order to ensure a good communication, attendance to different forums is

necessary, within which there is an experience exchange, progress made is marked as well as

the encountered obstacles. We deduct the following aspects for the development directions of

higher education which still are on the agenda of international forums:

1. Education remains a priority at global level

2. College education is actively involved in passage towards the society of

knowledge.

3. Looking back and forth: analysis and projections – in every moment we create,

having as a starting point the achievements, establishing at the same time the objectives.

4. Permanent collaboration to come up with ideas and solutions for the future of

education.

All decisions must take into account the fact that they address a new generation, the

main beneficiaries of the education systems being the young students „raised digitally, they

are initiators, collaborators, organizers, readers, writers, critics, they investigate, they

ridicule, they imagine, search and inform themselves.”8

8 Tapscott D., 2011, Raised digitally. Net generation changes your world , Ed. Publica,Bucureşti,p.53

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Countries, regions, will still have original cultures and independent characteristics

but the young people from all over the world are more alike. We are in front of a global

generation which will revolutionize the study methods and will force the countries to

elaborate applicable politics at global level.

The adopted decisions regarding the assurance quality are rapidly outgrown if the

characteristics of the new generations are not taken into account. Those who make the rules

are their parents that have been raised in another world, but the change is many times very

difficult.

Once the information is no longer an asset for companies and other institutions that

decide the direction of society, and the young students have the necessary tools to access it

and to use it in order to organize themselves, life as we know it today, will change.

Because of these reasons, we need permanent adjustments of politics in the study

field, at the action style of a new generation. And the frame crosses over the national

boundaries, even the regional ones.

CHAPTER 3

Total Quality Management in Private Higher Education

Private higher education, developed in the last 20 years, has the advantage of a rapid

study at the current standards according to which the university is an organization which

provides services. „Total quality management represents a synthesis of organizational

elements, both technical and human, taken into consideration by the general managers, who

compact all the information and provide impartial data for the elaboration of strategic

decisions for designing and performance of products and services demanded by the clients at

the level of the highest quality standards.”9

The training obtained by higher education is necessary for the employment on the

work market but also for the shaping of integral human beings. Not even the perfect

adjustment to current society, nor the promise of a future utopia cannot give young students

the interior freedom they need.

Total quality management responds best at global generation demands. The

managerial practice will change as „the importance of communication within the

extraordinary orientation towards cooperation, typical for this generation, important trait for

9 Petrescu I.,1998, Psycho-socio-economy of total quality management, Ed. Lux Libris, Braşov,p. 35

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the business of XXI century”10

, is achieved, according to Don Tapscott after a research made

during a project worth 4 million dollars, financed by great companies, called „ The Internet

Generation: a strategic investigation”. Within the project, 10.000 people have been

interviewed and over 100 reports have been elaborated.

These days, private higher education has branched out in Europe, following the

demands of knowledge society and has as a model the American universities. We believe that

orientation towards clients is of major importance.

1. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a philosophy that fits perfectly in the current

educational context. It is necessary for the promotion of private universities oriented towards

clients. These are institutions that are founded according to trends in global higher education.

A good orientation in the internal and international context supposes an updated analysis of

information and a good strategic management.

2. Not only the orientation towards clients on declarative level is necessary, to be in

correspondence with the provisions of internal and international forums, but also the existence

of a structure to assure the performance of made promises too.

3. No institution can buy a TQM system, each has to create its own private one. And

from here, arises the wide range of decisions made by managers in higher education to

respond the market’s demand by establishing new universities with up-to- date majors, to

have a better image, etc.

4. Perseverance is necessary for the introduction of total quality because this system

can not be applied over night, does not solve all the problems and does not provide immediate

success, because education is not an industrial product which sells fast and the reaction of the

market is sort of instantaneous.

Chapter 4

Proposals regarding the integration in Total Quality Management of the

chaotics management system

The reality is that we live in a hectic era, we might even say increased agitation. The

countries are encountering major problems such as increased commercial deficit, difficulty in

financing the pension system and last but not least of the education system.

The chaotics management system is submitted by its authors for the organizations which

operate in the business field. It starts off by stating that the world today is more

10 Tapscott D., 2011, Raiseddigitally. Net gneration changes your world, Ed. Publica, Bucureşti,p.32

18

interconnected and interdependent as always. The globalization’s effects are the import of raw

materials from one country and the export to another. Technology enables the information

transfer in a very short time.

We propose the integration of this modern management model of the superior

education system in Romania that was born in this period of turbulence.

As an alternative to the superior education system financed exclusively by the

government appeared in Romania the tax – paying students in public institutions and another

alternative – private universities.

Turbulence may be defined socio – economically as unorganized commotion and if

this lasts long, it can push the whole economy in a downfall state.

We have chosen to present the chaotics management system both as a new element

in management and marketing organizations and proposals for its integration in the total

quality management in private superior education institutions.

Even if the liberty of these institutions is evolving in a limited surrounding, the

development of a dynamic management model is more indicated.

The case study was carried out by the ‚Spiru Haret’ University, and the idea of

applying a new model in management was suggested by the need of adapting the university’s

offer to a legal framework, through the authorization and accreditation of all majors and ways

of learning.

Another aspect that led to proposing this model to the private universities is the fact

that university means inovation, intenet, avangarde, permanent revolution and it addresses

more and more the digitally enhanced generation and a permanent analysis of the situation

regarding the proposal of more scenarios for new situations is useful.

In the present society conditions leaders and managers of the superior education

system have to adapt to the fast changes, to the increased levels of complexity and to the

escalading of riscs and uncertainty. Due to the fact that education, through research fields has

the possibility of analysing the tendencies and projecting new elements, good leaders and

build their internal capacity to „expect the unexpected”. And in this way they always reinvent

business models and marketing strategies available in the entire economy for chaotic periods

so that they can quickly adapt as the requirements in the labour market modify.

The following aspects have to be considered:

1. Clients are better informed than ever. Through mass media and internet they can

find out almost everything they want to know about any specialization, private or public

university anywhere in the world. They are informed about the national and international

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regulations. To be observed that the TQM system, through its client orientation, can bring

great benefits to private institutions when it’s being used properly and the result is long term

service quality, overtaking crisis periods. In the TQM colleagues are also considered clients

and participatory management is encouraged.

The students’ involvement in the management process is an aspect brought forward

by the TQM.

2. A large number of young people are inclined to go to elite universities, well

known and are quickly reorienting to new population sectors. The eternal image created by

quality assurance is essential to attracting students.

3. Competition has become intense even in the educational field, there are new

universities that can be more attractive in the beginning through the educational offer but also

through their low prices. The universities that don’t reduce the quality of their services and

will invest more in their employees and technology will still be standing.

4. The internet has made possible the on-line information and development courses,

with brand new information sources. Technologizing the institutions is more than necessary.

We consider this model proposed to quickly adapt to socio – economic changes can be

applied to private universities in Romania as well.

Chapter 5

Evolution and perspective in the TQM in the private superior education in Romania

Case study at ‘Spiru Haret’ University

The ministers of education in the EU countries have mutually established in the

Berlin conference in 2003 and have reiterated at the following meetings the fact that „the

main responsibility to ensure the quality of the superior education belongs to each institution”.

The ‘Spiru Haret’ University is a representative institution for the private superior

education system in Romania although it has been founded only 20 years ago.

It appeared as a result of the request for education in Romania and because it was founded by

the Foundation Romania de Maine some of its objectives are „raising the national culture and

the active contribution to forming the personality of the future generations11”.

Spiru Haret (1851 – 1912) is the university’s spiritual patron, mathematician and

internationally renown sociologist, minister of education whose name is inseparably

connected with the reform process of education in Romania.

11 11 Petrescu I. coord., 1998, „Tratat de Management Universitar”, Ed. Lux Libris, Braşov, p. 501

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The development of the ‘Spiru Haret’ University in a network structure led to the

disruption of the traditional and highly restrictive borders in terms of accessing the

university’s courses that were in Romania.

a. The mobility border, created by the inherited structure of the university space,

organized on a few great centres: Bucharest, Cluj Napoca, Iasi, Timisoara etc and close areas

of recruitment. This model was changed after 1990. The difference is that in each area there

showed up one or two new universities, mainly private, which generated competitive

relationships, not regarding the offer of the studies as much, but the accessibility and

education conditions.

The network solution applied by the USH was even more radical, having founded

centres in each of the territorial sectors (counties).

b. The social costs border, which highly restricts the access to the superior education

in Romania, where the high financial cost of space mobility ads to the actual studies cost. The

pursuit of the USH as a promoter of study opportunities, on a national scale, was made

possible by the development of a customized infrastructure, by the organizing of a valuable

academic community, by spreading the study materials on a large scale to the students, by

methodological and specialized consultancy and by advanced computer science.

c. The occupational border, created by the model of the traditional university, where

the students’ time budget is being covered almost exclusively by sequential activities and by

an agenda which cannot be modified (timetables, seminars, meetings etc) excludes practically

other occupations such as permanent or part –time employment. The solution offered by USH

radically changes this concept, no matter the type of study (compulsory attendance or not), it

offers the chance to attend to the educational obligations in a flexible manner, both in a

traditional space (amphitheatres, seminar classrooms, laboratories etc) and a virtual space

allowing students to have the time for occupations which provide their primary or secondary

source of income.

At the end of the case study of USH we observe that the results acquired by the USH

from the beginning objectively reflects the achievement of its management functions, through

full coherence and assuring the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the entire activity of

the academic community. This was shown by the measuring indicators some of which are: the

continuous growth of the investment with the purpose of increasing the academic activities,

scientific research and other social, cultural and sporting activities, increasing the students’

and academic community’s satisfaction and generally, of the Romanian community.

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Chapter 6

Selective scientific research regarding the quality assessment of education in ‘Spiru

Haret’ University analysing the satisfaction level of students and graduates

The current research proposes the assessment of the satisfaction level of ‘Spiru Haret’

University clients, represented by students and graduates in direct connection to the

applications of principles of the Total Quality Management.

The academic quality of the activities in the private superior education in Romania is

also taken into consideration by analysing the results of the activities from the social

perception perspective, a state analysis is proposed, not of perceptions and representations

made by students, graduates, teachers and employees but through subjective data and

objective information and data. Last but not least it identifies successes and performances and

also critical problems or situations with the purpose of opening valid discussions regarding

the reorganization and adjustment to the Romanian and European university standards in the

perspective of quality of the educational act.

After assessing the surveys and analysing the results the following aspects were

observed:

A. The main motivation of enrolling at USH both for students and graduates was

accessing the educational resources, the good distribution in the country as well as the

acceptable taxes.

B. The availability of resources is an important indicator of the education process

quality. USH has two printing machines and provides courses and course books on paper for

all its students. There are libraries at every support centre in the faculties as well as on-line

libraries on the university’s website.

The courses are broadcasted through their private TV channel and the RRM radio

channel. The university answers the internet generation’s requirements by the rich offer in

digital format. By consulting these there is a great freedom regarding time and space frames.

C. Communication quality is given by the way students communicate with teachers,

secretaries, auxiliary staff and between themselves. On-line communication opens new

channels between students and teachers, therefore having a higher freedom of expression.

Students and graduates of the USP consider the communication to be good and very good, in

a large number.

D. As observed in the case study, the university has an advanced and modern assessment

system – the BlackBoard system. The examination in this system is made using grid tests. It’s

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a well appreciated form of examination by students and graduates, being one of the enrolment

criteria for most of them. Students and graduates consider that organizing the examination on

grid tests shows objectively the accumulated knowledge.

E. The quality of the teachers’ activity is appreciated by students and graduates by the

quality of communication as well as by comparison to their ability to transmit information.

The teachers’ assessment is positive.

F. Regarding the speed that characterises the present period, a large part of the students

spend less time studying and, even if the courses have a good quality the effects are in

comparison to the beneficiaries’ interest. This is a feature belonging not only to the students

of USP.

G. The basis of the university is the material basis that consists of the computer network,

two printing machines, libraries, classrooms, laboratories, dorms, sports clubs and grounds.

For the students who live in dorms the quality of the laboratories is well considered.

There is also the good perception in comparison to the recreational possibilities.

Regarding the students’ expectations from the graduated university, graduating on a

high scale is a priority. We can notice answers identical to those linked to the reason of

enrolment.

The answers are filtered and presented as tables and diagrams.

The studies have to be continued and correlated in order to obtain a realistic image as

part of an internal and international context. The external image of the ‘Spiru Haret’

University isn’t good at all, but there are going to be legal procedures in order to obtain the

institutional accreditation.

The conclusions are optimistic – the university has the necessary ability to change and

improve. It can quickly adapt to the present higher education demands if it is managed

efficiently.

This is why the present subject has been tackled as a very urgent one. The development

of the sense of urgency regarding the university managers of the Romanian state and private

education system has become a necessity.

Chapter 7

Conclusions, opinions, solutions and original contributions synthesis

The thesis is dealing with a sensitive topic for the present moment, the higher

education system being in a full transformation process. Young people and all higher

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education ‘customers' have certain expectations when becoming part of the knowledge

society. The approach and solving of the problems regarding quality importance and values

is requested. The applied Total Quality Management allows the parties involved in the

educational process (teaching staff, students, auxiliary personnel etc) to place the actions

regarding quality in a larger, richer and more meaningful context.

The topic was chosen mainly due to the training needs of the managers working in the

private higher education system. In the current context, the universities are facing multiple

challenges which bring both opportunities and vulnerabilities.

In the context of a more and more interconnected and interdependent world, new

educational tendencies have emerged, some of which are: massification, exemplified through

the number of students growth which exceeds the public universities capacity, leading to the

growth in private ones; mobility as a consequence of globalization, which is the age variety

as a consequence of the study period extension and technologizing.

All of these have brought changes in the perception of the quality and the way it is

found in national and regional policies. Thus new types of higher education institutions

have appeared. ‘Spiru Haret’ University is one of these and also a novelty according to case

studies and research. During this period, the university is going through a thorough

institutional accreditation process and has implemented a quality management system

according to the current regulations. We are suggesting the integration of the chaotic

management model.

The role, nature and the specific managerial quality character of the private higher

education

We are emphasizing the fact that we are in the middle of a generations change. The

quality now passes from the technical quality to the one of a universal value. This is

influencing the whole reputation of a university and it is a combative element in attracting

young people.

The extension of some technological achievements in education brings to light the

problems of the economical and social efficiency increase and the ensuring of the total

quality.

The university manager is faced with complex tasks which are specific for the private

higher education. Same as in other types of organizations, the introduction of quality

management in universities is a major change and the overcoming of some resistance due to

the personnel and current structure is necessary.

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All around the world, professors endowed with vision draw the attention to the teaching

methods change in order for this to comply with the requirements of the 21st century. The

learning quality consists not only of the direct appliance of some knowledge and abilities but

also of the stimulating of the ability to think and discover new things. Long term changes are

necessary when it comes to universities and this is difficult to carry out without an efficient

educational management.

Due to self-financing, private universities are interested in focusing on clients. Some of

them are aware of the fact that a radical change in the teacher-student relationship is necessary

throughout the learning process and this is a hard to accept process by the conservative

teachers.

The following objectives have been sketched:

• the clarification of the total quality concept in the private higher education

context

• which are the challenges that the TQM of the private higher education has to

face

• the clarifying of the difference between management and leadership in private

education

• the adaptation of the new models that have appeared worldwide in the

management and marketing of the new organizations; we took into account the

fact that the university is considered to be a service providing institution;

• the determination of the perception of quality from the SHU students and

graduates’ point of view;

• the correct placement of the ‘Spiru Haret’ University in an internal and

international context.

Regarding the goal and objectives, when doing the ‘Spiru Haret’ University research,

the multiple level results are taken into account, giving the researcher and the

universities very valuable elements which will help the implementation of their own

total management systems. When it comes to the ‘Spiru Haret’ University, the

integration of the chaotics model will be very useful especially because it can develop

life-long educational programs on the long term.

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The first question that comes up from the TQM point of view is “Who is the private education

system addressed to?” The first hypothesis refers to this question and states that

internationalization and globalization bring about deep changes in the higher education which

addresses to a digitally raised generation for the first time; the student focus must become real

and the evolution of the teacher-student relationships will change radically. The hypothesis is

verified through facts and national and international references in the first chapter. The

selective research in chapter 6 brings precise data regarding the students’ perception of the

new technologies used in learning and assessment.

Quality is the main element of any type of activity and it has specific characteristics

when it comes to education. When talking about education the most important element that

we want to point out is that people are the ‘products’ and the total quality refers to the human

being as a whole. Not only professionals but also characters are built up. Creative,

spontaneous, flexible visionary managers and leaders are needed to carry out the TQM.

The second hypothesis was verified through studies and documentary evidence – the

European private higher education system has appeared as a result of the internationalization

and globalization process and will continue to grow; the need to deal with quality arises

taking into account its characteristic aspects. The need to implement the TQM is emphasized

through the ‘Spiru Haret’ University case studies.

The third hypothesis, which is verified throughout the third chapter, refers to the

need of implementing the Total Quality Management in the Romanian private higher

education according to the legislative regulations. A set of adapted international practices are

needed to overcome the inertness forces.

With the help of the given case studies and on the basis of the selective research, the

need of developing a quality culture and the implementation of a TQM system by the private

universities was verified and defined in the fourth hypothesis.

Another question from the TQM perspective is “Which are the university clients’

demands?” This is a fundamental question for which I looked for answers with the help of the

selective research I’ve made.

The higher education must become an interactive one as the change of generations

brings about the need to pass from the presenting of information to the one of selecting

information. Young people are asking for an education that allows them to be creative, to

change rules and situations. The learning process and the communication with their

professors have to offer them the ability to differentiate, to find the moral sense together with

the ability to temper the rigidity of some rules through understanding.

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The fourth chapter consists of personal contributions and refers to the integration of

the chaotics model in the Total Quality Management.

The chaotics model helps the university managers and leaders to establish strategies

when confronting with turbulent situations. The most difficult problems of the contemporary

society are uncommon and unfamiliar, are not included in the current laws, are completely

different from the ones in the past and all these frequently take the managers by surprise. With

the current social status and the proportion given by the research institutes, the higher

education must be lead the development. We also want to point out the fact that education is

the main stimulus when it comes to development.

Private universities, according to the world-wide organizations approach, are now in a

modulation state of the society. According to the chaos theory, this point represents the border

between order and chaos, between sitting comfortably and knowing what’s going to happen

and being unprepared for what’s going to come. The integration of the chaotics model can

place them in an advantageous position. When it comes to well trained managers, this is a

point when they can fully take advantage of the opportunities and minimize risks. Today’s

leaders must have the profound sense of meaning and value.

The educational system of the future speaks to the digitally raised young people who

communicate and cooperate naturally. They value liberty and the liberty of choice. It’s very

hard to keep them in class if they get only information that they can access anyway. A

continuous values exchange must be established. Their perspective on quality characteristics

is integrated in the TQM. Young people want to personalize and approach things; they are

natural coworkers and prefer conversations to lectures. They analyze their professors carefully

and give adequate answers. A positive aspect emphasized by the “Internet Generation: a

strategic investigation” research which was the basis of the work named “Digitally raised –

by Tapscott Don” , is that today’s young people care about integrity, honesty, politeness,

transparency and commitment.

We can bear in mind out of the selective research the fact that similar values are to be

found in the case of the Romanian private higher education students. They appreciate on-line

courses, virtual libraries and are good coworkers. And they also love speed due to the fact that

most of them use computers. They are used to fast answers. They seek innovation even in

teaching.

From this point of view, the total quality answers the demands beyond procedures and

standards. Anyhow, procedures have to exist as they are a background without which we

27

cannot define the training level. This brings about the need of a permanent collaboration

between ‘providers’ and ‘clients’, between assessment agencies and universities.

In this field innovation implies the conceiving of new working procedures which

encourage collaboration and creativity.

My thesis is just a starting point for further research on Total Quality Management

models.

The aspects taken into account for further studies from the Total Quality Management

point of view could be:

• the world’s economy and the digital era require new abilities for all the education

clients while the learning process extends throughout life; domains like the technical

one, where a topic can be outdated even during the learning period and the ability to

learn new things is now more important than ever;

• students must be able to think creatively, critically, collaboratively and master basic

knowledge;

• Visionary professors around the world talk about the changes in teaching;

• The passing from the old system of transmitting information to the interactive

learning.

Taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of the case studies, we

consider that both ‘Spiru Haret’ and ‘Lucian Blaga’ Universities belong to the new type of

universities and are prepared for the next step, they have their own management systems

and can adapt to a changing society.