(Abstract)
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC), introduced by Kaplan and Norton, has spread not only into the business sector but also into the public and not-for-profit sectors. A few of the foreign colleges and universities already report an implementat...
(Abstract)
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC), introduced by Kaplan and Norton, has spread not only into the business sector but also into the public and not-for-profit sectors. A few of the foreign colleges and universities already report an implementation of the BSC systems, while domestic ones are yet to learn the model.
This study aims to examine the usefulness of BSC models for higher educational institutions. To survive in a competitive environment, colleges and universities are forced to make long-term plans and visions. BSC is a strategic tool to help colleges achieve their goals. It is, therefore, needed to study the feasibility of implementing BSC models in the educational organizations, and to examine the effectiveness of BSC models in promoting competitiveness.
To achieve research purposes, this study conducted a survey of previous literature, constructed a questionnaire to collect data from students, and applied the path analysis method to examine the causal relationships among non-financial perspectives of the BSC model.
The results are summarized as follows:
First, the BSC model is proved effective in accomplishing long-term goals and visions set by the universities. The causal relationships between the non-financial perspectives of the model, long-term goals by universities, and their competitiveness are confirmed.
Second, human resources, organizational resources, and information resources have positive effects on the internal business process perspective of the model.
Third, the internal business process perspective of the model has positive effects on the customer perspective, which, in turn, has positive effects on customer satisfaction.
Fourth, factors of customer satisfaction, defined as the reliability of educational services, the prospect of students' growth, and the sensitiveness to students' needs, have positive effects on the factors of competitiveness such as fortification of students' capability, improvement of the research and development, and education of persons with practical competence. The implication is that educational services with an emphasis on students' needs and efficient operation of educational organizations promote competitiveness through the sufficient satisfaction of students' needs.
Fifth, contrary to the expectation, customer satisfaction has no effects on the promotion of competitiveness.
Future studies should expand the horizon of this study by collecting data from faculties and staff members of colleges, including financial perspectives in the analysis, and developing reliable measures applicable to public sectors.