Framework for Measuring Innovation Performance in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Current approaches to measuring innovation in higher education (HE) provide a very limited picture about the real scope of the innovation activities of higher education institutions (HEI) as they address only some dimensions of HEI innovativeness, which negatively affects the ability of the HEI to manage its innovative efforts. The purpose of this paper is to present a way forward on how to measure HEI innovation performance that will go further than the usual indices. It describes a five-perspective framework with dedicated, comprehensive metrics for the measurement of HEI innovation performance. To test the concept and the possibility of empirical application two consecutive surveys have been conducted. Survey of innovation performance was conducted in order to collect hard data on HEI innovation performance and 14 persons in charge of completing the innovation performance questionnaire were interviewed in order to better understand the availability and reliability of the requested data.

Academic Third Mission through Community Engagement: An Empirical Study in European Universities

“…However, it is worth noting that the average for Q1 is only slightly above the midpoint of the scale (4.5), which means that the results are not overwhelmingly in favor of the statement. There were some participants who disagreed or were uncertain about the statement; thus; there is a need for further investigation [18].…”

“…(Q8), the p-value and F-value are both relatively high, indicating that there is not a significant difference in responses between this question and the other questions. This shows that integrating external services may not be a major factor in promoting public engagement [15,18,19]. The Error Source of Variation is the variability that is not explained by the other sources of variation.…”

“…The justification for this statement is based, in the opinion of the respondents, on the fact that the universities consider the opinion of the public based on the feedback received from them, especially formulated during internships, and volunteering. It could be beneficial to follow up with strategies that have proven successful over one common framework [18,22,24].…”

“…These challenges include a lack of awareness and understanding of the Third Mission among citizens, difficulty in involving citizens in decision-making processes, and conflicts of interest that arise in the participatory process. In light of these challenges, it is essential to develop strategies for improving public engagement in tertiary education through the Academic Third Mission [18,19,22]. Some possible strategies include increasing awareness and understanding of the Third Mission among citizens, involving citizens in decisionmaking processes and providing them with the tools and resources to participate effectively, and addressing conflicts of interest in the participatory process.…”

“…This can include measures such as the number of patents filed, the number of startups created, and the number of community outreach programs [16,17]. Studies and evaluations are conducted worldwide to assess the impact of universities' Third Mission activities on the community and society [18]. Universities are encouraged to engage with regional development strategies and to align their Third Mission activities with regional priorities [19,20].…”