IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/poango/v8y2020i2p1-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Editorial: Quantifying Higher Education: Governing Universities and Academics by Numbers

Author

Listed:
  • Maarten Hillebrandt

    (Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Finland)

  • Michael Huber

    (Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Germany)

Abstract

Over the past decades, ‘governing by numbers’ has taken a flight in the higher education sector. Performance-based budgeting and quality assurance schemes orient universities to new objectives, while rankings have globalised the metrified observation of higher education at large. Where previously no indicators existed, they are being introduced; where indicators already existed, they are being standardised for purposes of comparison. This thematic issue aims to work towards a more comprehensive understanding of the growing diversity of quantification-based instruments in higher education sectors in three European countries. The effects of quantification are noticed at all levels of the higher education system, from policy makers at the top of the regulatory pyramid down to students and academic staff. Yet even quantifiers outside of the regulatory system, such as ranking and metrics organisations, may have an important bearing on the operation of the university organisation and the sector at large. Thus, an entire governance landscape emerges in which actors at various levels turn to numbers for guidance. The articles in this thematic issue analyse the life cycle of such numbers, from their origins, through to their production and finally, their consequences. This editorial outlines the central questions and overarching issues addressed by the thematic issue and introduces its various contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Maarten Hillebrandt & Michael Huber, 2020. "Editorial: Quantifying Higher Education: Governing Universities and Academics by Numbers," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 1-5.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v8:y:2020:i:2:p:1-5
    DOI: 10.17645/pag.v8i2.2585
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/2585
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/pag.v8i2.2585?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Huber, 2020. "Steered by Numbers: How Quantification Differentiates the Reform of a German University," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 26-35.
    2. Guus Dix & Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner & Joeri Tijdink & Govert Valkenburg & Sarah de Rijcke, 2020. "Algorithmic Allocation: Untangling Rival Considerations of Fairness in Research Management," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 15-25.
    3. Maarten Hillebrandt, 2020. "Keeping One’s Shiny Mercedes in the Garage: Why Higher Education Quantification Never Really Took Off in Germany," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 48-57.
    4. Maarten Hillebrandt, 2020. "Keeping One’s Shiny Mercedes in the Garage: Why Higher Education Quantification Never Really Took Off in Germany," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 48-57.
    5. Michael Huber, 2020. "Steered by Numbers: How Quantification Differentiates the Reform of a German University," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 26-35.
    6. Camille Kandiko Howson & Alex Buckley, 2020. "Quantifying Learning: Measuring Student Outcomes in Higher Education in England," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 6-14.
    7. Julian Hamann, 2020. "Governance by Numbers: A Panopticon Reversed?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 68-71.
    8. Camille Kandiko Howson & Alex Buckley, 2020. "Quantifying Learning: Measuring Student Outcomes in Higher Education in England," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 6-14.
    9. Julian Hamann, 2020. "Governance by Numbers: A Panopticon Reversed?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 68-71.
    10. Guus Dix & Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner & Joeri Tijdink & Govert Valkenburg & Sarah de Rijcke, 2020. "Algorithmic Allocation: Untangling Rival Considerations of Fairness in Research Management," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 15-25.
    11. repec:bla:pmomgt:v:27:y:2007:i:2:p:95-102 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Christopher Hood, 2007. "Public Service Management by Numbers: Why Does it Vary? Where Has it Come From? What Are the Gaps and the Puzzles?," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 95-102, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julian Hamann, 2020. "Governance by Numbers: A Panopticon Reversed?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 68-71.
    2. Maarten Hillebrandt & Michael Huber, 2020. "Editorial: Quantifying Higher Education: Governing Universities and Academics by Numbers," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 1-5.
    3. Julian Hamann, 2020. "Governance by Numbers: A Panopticon Reversed?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 68-71.
    4. Anne K. Krüger, 2020. "Quantification 2.0? Bibliometric Infrastructures in Academic Evaluation," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 58-67.
    5. Anne K. Krüger, 2020. "Quantification 2.0? Bibliometric Infrastructures in Academic Evaluation," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 58-67.
    6. Juan Enrique Gonzálvez-Vallés & José Daniel Barquero-Cabrero & Natalia Enseñat-Bibiloni, 2023. "Voter’s Perception of Political Messages Against the Elite Classes in Spain: A Quasi‐Experimental Design," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(2), pages 175-186.
    7. Maarten Hillebrandt, 2020. "Keeping One’s Shiny Mercedes in the Garage: Why Higher Education Quantification Never Really Took Off in Germany," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 48-57.
    8. Fabian Muniesa & Dominique Linhardt, 2009. "At stake with implementation: trials of explicitness in the description of the state," Working Papers halshs-00362285, HAL.
    9. Ariesta Heksarini & E. Harleni Aroma & Martinus Robert Hutauruk, 2023. "The Influence of Employee Responsibility and Knowledge on the Speed of Service and Employee Performance Moderated by the Hospital Management Information System: A Case Study of Type D Hospitals in the," Oblik i finansi, Institute of Accounting and Finance, issue 4, pages 132-142, December.
    10. Sonia Adam-Ledunois & Romuald Mansuy & Sébastien Damart, 2016. "An innovative tool for territorial shared diagnosis on poverty and social inclusion: a support for cooperation?," Post-Print hal-01445696, HAL.
    11. Joseph Drew & Brian Dollery, 2015. "Inconsistent Depreciation Practice and Public Policymaking: Local Government Reform in New South Wales," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 25(1), pages 28-37, March.
    12. Fusco, Elisa & Allegrini, Veronica, 2020. "The role of spatial interdependence in local government cost efficiency: An application to waste Italian sector," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    13. Gerhard Hammerschmid & Steven Van de Walle & Vid Stimac, 2013. "Internal and external use of performance information in public organizations: results from an international survey," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(4), pages 261-268, July.
    14. Jaime Vázquez-Caro & Richard M. Bird, 2011. "Benchmarking Tax Administrations in Developing Countries: A Systemic Approach," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1104, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    15. Asmus Leth Olsen, 2018. "Precise performance: Do citizens rely on numerical precision as a cue of confidence?," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 1(1).
    16. Mihály Fazekas, 2012. "School Funding Formulas: Review of Main Characteristics and Impacts," OECD Education Working Papers 74, OECD Publishing.
    17. Dukes, Ruth & Streeck, Wolfgang, 2020. "From industrial citizenship to private ordering? Contract, status, and the question of consent," MPIfG Discussion Paper 20/13, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    18. Stuart Cooper & Graham Pearce, 2011. "Climate change performance measurement, control and accountability in English local authority areas," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(8), pages 1097-1118, October.
    19. Gwyn Bevan & Richard Hamblin, 2009. "Hitting and missing targets by ambulance services for emergency calls: effects of different systems of performance measurement within the UK," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 172(1), pages 161-190, January.
    20. Jane Broadbent & James Guthrie, 2008. "Public sector to public services: 20 years of “contextual” accounting research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(2), pages 129-169, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v8:y:2020:i:2:p:1-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.