The Impact of Awards on Operational Excellence: An Empirical Study among International Schools in Singapore

Abstract

Operational excellence is paramount for educational institutions striving to deliver highquality teaching, research, and support services. Recognising outstanding achievements in operational excellence through awards has become increasingly prevalent in the education sector. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which awards have impacted the operational excellence of international schools in Singapore. By using purposive sampling method, a total of 421 staff, students, and parents from international schools in Singapore participated in this study. The Descriptive Analysis and Inferential Analysis were administrated in analysing the collective and independent relationships and impacts of the five aspects of awards, i.e., types, number, relevancy, value, and prestige and reputation on operational excellence of the institutions. As a result, this study revealed that there was a high level of achievement in terms of awards for operational excellence by the institutions. There were significant differences on the level of operational excellence in accordance with the location where the schools situated, and programmes that the schools offered. However, no significant differences were found for the aspects of category of respondents, gender, and age groups respectively. Correlation Analysis revealed that there was a significant, strong, and positive relationship between awards and operational excellence. The Multiple Regression Analysis showed that awards had significant and strong impact on operational excellence. The combined influence of all the predictor factors explained 59.9% of the variance change in operational excellence. This study contributed to the enrichment of current literature on the impact of awards on operational excellence from the education institutions perspective. Based on these findings, several recommendations were made for the management of the institutions, as well as for the future research.