Self-assessment exercises: A comparison between a private sector organisation and higher education institutions

The debate as to whether public organisations should emulate private managerial practices in the light of contextual differences is a long-running one. The aim of this paper is to compare the way self-assessment processes have been applied in five public administrative services at a public university and in a private organisation. It examines self-assessment exercises, and illustrates differences and similarities between the cases analysed. Based on the case study methodology, the paper suggests that the same management model (EFQM model) and a similar process may be applicable to the private organisation and the public services, although differences exist between them. The results also show that the benefits, difficulties and success factors are similar in the cases compared but their emphasis differs. This paper expands the theoretical literature about self-assessment in higher education institutions and offers lessons for the public and the private organisations to learn from one another.