Search

Given the new trends in the higher education system in Colombia, this paper raises the question of how the introduction of credit systems may transform the management system of a university. To answer that question, the paper introduces the case of Universidad del Rosario, one of the most traditional universities in Colombia, transformed its institutional setting to implement this system years before the legal credit system requirement to do so even existed. Reviewing the unsystematic literature on this topic and introducing the concept of credit systems, the paper provides a model which systemizes managerial change due to credit systems into four categories: (i) governance and structure, (ii) culture/values and institutional identity, (iii) managerial practices and techniques, and (iv) the relationship with the environment (internal and external). The paper also presents concerns about cultural and institutional particularities which may affect and distort the expected impact of introducing a credit system, and it finally observes how important it would be to consider process dynamics when dealing with this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how the institutional processes, the school management as well as the contexts in which the school and the students are circumscribed, could impact the performance in the high-school graduation-year test (ICFES). A survey was applied with the purpose of know the actions and interactions among educative process actors. Factor Analysis and Hierarchical econometric models were used with the purpose of construct indexes and measure the impact of the considered variables. We found that school level variables, including management, explain a high percentage of the performance variability, while those constructed variables associated to student's characteristics have a low impact. And parent human capital and the initial student conditions are much more important than the teacher human capital. Contrary to the expected, it's not clear what kind of use and if to increase infrastructure resources favors the achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to develop conceptual models of cultural traits, Colombian characteristics, work behavior and processes, to determine the factors that resulted from a qualitative study on supporting attitudes and impeding attitudes regarding creativity in the workplace in certain Colombian companies. Data analysis of the interviewees' statements produced 16 categories, such as ownership, trust building, support, influence management standards, envy / jealousy, and voluntary creativity. Some of these categories were incorporated into the conceptual models. In addition, several of the interviewees explicitly referred to Colombian culture promoting or smothering creativity in the workplace. The authors conclude by saying that it is rare to find structured descriptions that indicate a link between cultural characteristics and forms of thinking, feeling or behaving, which have an effect on issues of administrative importance. These potential explanations suggest that cultural climates influence behavior and, therefore, it is necessary to explore their possible origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]