Management Information System and Quality Assurance

Abstract

Supported by Martin’s and Parikh’s (2017) systemic view of quality management (as a synonym of quality assurance), this study examined the availability of key data in a management information system (MIS) of a higher education provider and how these data are used for decisionmaking. This study also examined the use of the results of several quality assurance processes, mainly from surveys by students and employers and faculty. A questionnaire was designed to survey top and middle leaders of Vietnamese universities and faculty and support staff from 13 HEPs on MIS for QA through stratified sampling techniques. It was found that higher education providers (HEPs) collected key data on teaching and learning in their MIS but made limited use of the information generated for decision-making and quality assurance. Similar results were found in how they used data collected from students, employers, and faculty to assure quality. Yet, there are significant differences in collecting three kinds of data in MIS between public and private universities. Private HEPs are better at using the surveyed results by students and employers for discussion by faculty at the departmental level, rewarding faculty and support staff, and continuing or ceasing contracts with visiting faculty; and using surveys by faculty and staff for reviewing academic programs and continuing or ceasing contracts with visiting faculty. Furthermore, the findings indicated that large-size HEPs had more comprehensive MIS, with more data and higher use of these data than small-size HEPs in the Vietnamese context. To promote a culture of evidence whereby decision-making is data-driven, it is necessary to orient internal stakeholders, such as academic and administrative staff, to use the information generated through MIS for quality improvement and open up dialogues between top management and these stakeholders for the deployment of the information collected.