management
Morteza Ashourzadeh; Musa Rezvani Chaman Zamin; Hamidreza Rezaei Kelidbari; Badri Abbasi
Abstract
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to design a model for evaluating the performance of human resources with a value-based approach in the higher education system in the Azad University of Gilan province. The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, and an exploratory research. The statistical ...
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Abstract
The purpose of this research is to design a model for evaluating the performance of human resources with a value-based approach in the higher education system in the Azad University of Gilan province. The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, and an exploratory research. The statistical population of the research includes all faculty members of Islamic Azad University units in Gilan province in the academic year 2022-2023. 395 people were selected as a sample by using the method of determining the sample size from Tabachnik and Fidel's formula. Sampling method was cluster, and simple random sampling method was used in the clusters. The tool for collecting data is a questionnaire made by the researcher and derived from the qualitative method. SPSS software was used for data analysis in the present study, and AMOS was used for structural equations. The results showed that the identified components and indicators have an impact on evaluating the performance of human resources with a value-based approach in the higher education system. The results obtained from the structural equations also showed that the research model is a good model in terms of fit with the data.
Extended abstract
Introduction
The performance of employees is one of the most important influencing and determining elements in the performance of the organization and improving its credibility (Anesukanjanakul et al, 2019). The importance of employee performance has increased over the past several years and has become the first important variable in any organization (Khtatbeh et al, 2020). Universities, as organizations that pursue both the training of specialized human resources and the production of science, should pay more attention to the evaluation of the performance of their faculty members than any other organization. Because evaluating the performance of faculty members, in addition to determining their strengths and weaknesses, leads to the development of science and the realization of the university's goals. Since the educational activities of the faculty members pursue different goals; the patterns and evaluation criteria of educational success are also diverse. Despite the variety of existing evaluation models, none of them are used to evaluate the performance of faculty members in different situations; they are not useful and completely appropriate (Khedevi & Al Hordi Khan Waziri, 2015).
Based on this, the current research is looking for an answer to this question: What is the evaluation model of human resource performance with a value-based approach in the higher education system in Azad University of Gilan province?
Theoretical Framework
Human resource performance
Performance means accomplishing the tasks assigned to human resources by the organization. In other words, it refers to the result or effect of individual activities in a certain period. Employee performance can be defined as employee behaviors or actions that are related to organizational goals and is a measurable and important outcome in work-related studies. Employees who perform better consider expressing their opinion as one of their job responsibilities, and the level of employee performance has a positive relationship with the continuation of their opinion expression (Farhadinejad et al, 2020).
Human resource performance evaluation
Performance evaluation in management is one of the effective tools that, with its correct application, not only are the goals and missions of the organization realized with optimal efficiency, but also the real benefits of employees and society are provided. This can clarify the job promotion path and identify the training needs of employees; or identify inefficient people and change the way they are managed (Raofi Kalachaye et al, 2020).
Value-based performance evaluation
It is not possible to plan and make cultural and social policies without knowing the system of values and factors related to it. Regarding the mission of the universities, UNESCO emphasizes that the universities are committed to always make a diligent and persistent effort to spread the culture of monotheism, love and brotherhood, social order and work conscience, sensitivity and social commitment, and individual national values. In the new era, the function of universities is not limited to education, research, entrepreneurship and the like; rather, in the role of an epistemic base, they deal with the creation of new culture and civilization. Today, every university in the light of its own organizational culture follows specific values to provide its specific functions (Zulfiqarzadeh, & Saadabadi Arani, 2015).
Amiri Ghale Rashidi & Razaghi Kashani (2023) investigated the pathology of the employee performance evaluation model and the effective implementation of this model. The findings were categorized into three themes: evaluation results, personal and behavioral growth and development, and executive and performance problems. The findings show that indicators inconsistent with the position, managers' indifference to evaluation, lack of awareness of evaluation errors, and the interference of personal judgments are the main concerns of this field, which require serious attention. The obtained result shows that employee performance evaluation is one of the effective tools in human resource management, with its correct application; not only are the goals and missions of the organization realized with optimal efficiency, but also the real interests of the organization and employees and, consequently, the interests of the society as well, is provided
Parnian et al, (2020) in their research identified the components of the value system of Islamic Azad University faculty members in academic culture. The variables of the study included: benevolence values, moral values, social values, safety values, material values, scientific values, instrumental values, and ultimate values. The results of the research indicated the presence of favorable variables in the value system of Islamic Azad University faculty members.
Research methodology
The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, and exploratory research in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of the research includes 395 faculty members of Islamic Azad University units in Gilan province in the academic year 2022-2023, who form the main axis and focus of the study. To select the samples, the cluster sampling method was used and in the middle of the clusters, the simple random sampling method was used. The research tool in the quantitative part is a researcher-made questionnaire derived from the qualitative method.
Research findings
SPSS software was used for data analysis. Then AMOS software was used to fit the conceptual model of the research. The results showed that the identified components and indicators have an impact on evaluating the performance of human resources with a value-based approach in the higher education system. The results obtained from the structural equations also showed that the research model is a good model in terms of fit with the data.
Conclusion
The current research was conducted with the aim of designing a model for evaluating the performance of human resources with a value-based approach in the higher education system at the Azad University of Gilan province. This result is in agreement with the research results of Amiri Ghale Rashidi & Razaghi Kashani (2023), Imani et al, (2021), Samoui & Sattari (2021), Parnian et al, (2020), Reofi Kalachaye et al, (2020), Hajhoseini et al, (2020), Karimi et al, (2020), Mohammadi et al, (2015), Khedevi & Al Hordi Khan Waziri (2015). Shakozaei et al, (2018), Aghamolaei & Abedini (2014). In order to increase their organizational capability, universities must learn to work successfully in an environment full of permanent mergers, rapid technological advances, extensive social changes, and increasing competition. To adapt to new changes, an organization must emerge that fits the new conditions and provides the basis for the growth and excellence of the organization, among the most successful of these organizations, were the learning organizations. Since universities and higher education centers are institutions that must be at least one step ahead of other institutions in terms of knowledge, science, techniques and behavioral patterns, and considering the role of universities in responding to social and global needs and expectations, it is required that higher education and educational organizations continuously improve the quality of their processes and activities
According to the results obtained from the research, it is suggested:
The results of the current research showed that interdisciplinary thinking is of high importance compared to other values, so it is suggested that universities provide opportunities for various interdisciplinary activities by encouraging, investing and spending time, and such opportunities in Curricula and extracurricular activities should be included in different academic levels, and of course, the culmination of these programs should be the cultivation of interdisciplinary thinking.
Another value that was of great importance in this research is the value of job liquidity. Therefore, it is suggested that university faculty members should develop the principles of professional criticism by increasing their skills such as increasing self-confidence, extensive communication with people, more power in confronting with problems, and learning the latest ideas, in order to reduce tensions and job wear and tear in the workplace; and as a result, human resource performance will be more effective.
Mitra Moubed; Reza Rafi
Abstract
In this research, a model is presented to measure the importance and performance of different dimensions of agility in the university. To analyze the results, in addition to the calculations related to importance and performance, the importance-performance matrix (IPA) is used, which can show the location ...
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In this research, a model is presented to measure the importance and performance of different dimensions of agility in the university. To analyze the results, in addition to the calculations related to importance and performance, the importance-performance matrix (IPA) is used, which can show the location of the agility dimensions and the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This model was implemented as a case study in Ardakan University and the obtained results were evaluated and analyzed. A questionnaire and a survey of faculty members and employees were used to evaluate agility, and the results show that there is no significant difference between these two groups. The evaluation and analysis of the obtained information about the importance and performance of different agility items has been done with the help of the IPA matrix, and decisions about these items have been presented based on their position in the matrix. Based on this matrix, the strengths and weaknesses of Ardakan University and the cases that do not need to be allocated a budget at the moment have been identified and suggestions have been made for the university managers.Extended Abstract IntroductionAgility as the business paradigm of the new century is a winning strategy to be able to compete in the global market with customers whose needs change rapidly (Sarlak, Delangizan & Kakeh baraie, 2016). There are different definitions for organizational agility, but in simple terms, it can be said that it is the ability of the organization to survive and progress in an environment with continuous and unpredictable changes. In addition to surviving in such environments, agile organizations can also gain benefits and opportunities for themselves (Karami, 2008).The need for the agility of higher education in dealing with the changes in the world after the corona pandemic showed itself well. In this change, trying to maintain the quality of education while responding to the needs of students, staff and professors, and clear and accurate communication with these groups, universities faced new challenges (Connolly & Farrier, 2022). Virtual education and the use of digital tools have also strengthened concepts such as virtual university, agile university and 4th generation university (Shrivastava & Shrivastava, 2022).The main question of this research is to identify the state of agility in Ardakan University and the position of different aspects of agility in terms of their importance and performance and their prioritization. With such an analysis; the strengths, weaknesses and problems of the university in the field of agility can be identified and ranked.Theoretical FrameworkAgility as a strategy for organizations in the 21st century to quickly adapt to changes was introduced to the world by Iacocca Research Institute in 1991. Later, many researchers in this field researched and presented models and defined different dimensions for agility in organizations (Sarlak, et al, 2016). Agility in academia is defined as its ability as a living human system to thrive and learn from continuous changes in the environment, so that change becomes part of normal organizational life and not a threatening event (Sharpe, 2012).The IPA matrix was first proposed in 1977 to evaluate service quality. As a simple and understandable tool, IPA has wide applications in evaluating the organization by managers and shows a good picture of the organization's performance.Moradi, Hosseinpour, & Mehralizadeh, (2021) investigated the primary and secondary factors affecting agility in the University of San'at Naft and showed that university culture, knowledge management and information technology are effective on the strategic agility of managers and training and empowerment of employees and value addition of employees on organizational agility.Pourjavid, Khosravipour, & Alibaygi, (2021) examined agility in the dimensions of causal, contextual, intervening, core, strategies, and consequences of agility in agricultural education in Iran. This research describes the methods of achieving agility in agricultural universities and has not provided a model to evaluate the level of agility. MethodologyThis qualitative research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method. The statistical population under investigation was all Ardakan University personnel (including staff and faculty members), whose number was 110 at the time of the research. By calculating the sample size through Cochran's formula at the error level of 10%, the number of 51 people was obtained as a sample. A total of 50 answer sheets were collected and the data of 47 of them were confirmed.To conduct this research, a questionnaire with 27 items on a 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the importance and performance of different agility factors in Ardakan University. In order to use the IPA model, the questionnaire is set in two sections: importance and performance. In order to measure content validity, the opinion of seven professors and experts in this field who had at least one article on university agility was received.Discussion and ResultsSPSS 19 software was used to check the research hypothesis and analyze data, and ANOVA test was used to check the difference of opinion of different occupational groups, and the results showed that the significance level (Sig.) for all dimensions of agility is higher than 0.05, that is, the reason is not enough to reject the null hypothesis, and in all dimensions the sample mean is equal to the expected mean. In other words, the importance of all aspects of the university's agility is high from the viewpoint of the university's staff and faculty. Friedman's test was also used for the performance of different dimensions of agility. The results of this test show that according to the significance value less than 0.05, the average performance of agility in different dimensions is not the same. The performance ranking results of different dimensions with the help of Friedman's test in Table 9 show that although agile leadership ranked first in terms of importance, it was ranked third in terms of performance. The ANOVA test results show that the significance level (Sig) for all dimensions is higher than 0.05, that is, the average gap in all dimensions is equal for different occupational groups. As a result, there is no significant difference between the opinions of the faculty, staff, and faculty with the executive position.ConclusionThe present research was conducted with the aim of assessing the agility in universities with the IPA model (case study: Ardakan University). Rapid changes in the environment, businesses, educational needs, teaching methods and new technologies have drawn the attention of university managers and higher education institutions to agility in the university. In the past, many studies in this field have been conducted in other countries and also in our country. Most of these studies have estimated the level of agility by surveying university faculty members about different dimensions. In this article, the performance-importance tool is proposed to measure different aspects of agility in the university and it has been used specifically in Ardakan University. Also, in addition to faculty members, employees have also been surveyed for evaluation. The results of the research showed that the importance of all dimensions of agility is high and performance in all dimensions is less than that. Comparing the performance gap in all dimensions and the opinions of faculty members and employees showed that the opinions of the different groups surveyed did not differ significantly. At the end, by placing the different dimensions and items of the questionnaire in the importance-performance matrix, the situation of each is analyzed and solutions are provided for them.According to the current research, the following are suggested:- Focusing on more interaction and encouraging teamwork between employees and faculty members by holding face-to-face and virtual meetings and defining projects and tasks as a teamStrengthening the industry communication unit to create and expand cooperation networks with different industries and specialists and hold related seminarsDesigning and creating appropriate systems and processes for evaluating and supporting the research of students, staff and faculty.
