Resources, Capabilities, Strategies and Competitive Advantage of Research University in Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol6.7.2017Keywords:
competitive advantage, resource, capability, strategy, research universityAbstract
This article identifies important elements acquired and bundled by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to attain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the crucial concept of sustainable development of Research University (RU). This article explores the competitive advantages of research university (RU) with a specific focus in the Malaysian context. The article guided by these questions - “What is competitive advantage?” and “What are competitive advantage elements for RU?” - in examining the resource, capability and strategy for RU. Using a qualitative method, interview was conducted. A qualitative thematic strategy was adopted to analyze and interpret the data. Results show that the RU has been acquiring and bundling sufficient resources and high capabilities to implement university strategies. This finding in line with the aspect of internationalization of HEIs such as managing resource, personnel and international networking, international research projects, international research outputs, student-staff mobility, and the internationality of curriculum and academic profile of institutions.Thus, this article provides a base to construct a model tailored for Malaysian Research University.
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Barnard, Z. and Van der Merwe, D. (2016).),"Innovative management for organizational sustainability in higher education", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 17 Iss2 pp. 208 –227.
Bobe, B.J, and Kober, R. (2015). Measuring organisationalcapabilities in the higher education sector. Education + Training, Vol. 57 Iss3 pp. 322 –342.
Boyatzis, R. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: thematic analysis and code development. Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Chan,W.W.Y. and Dimmock, C., (2008).The internationalisationof universities: globalist, internationalist and translocalistmodel, Journal of Research in International Education, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 184-204.
Cheung,H.Y. and Chan, A.W.H. (2010). Education and competitive economy: how do culturaldimensions fit in?Higher Education, Vol. 59 No. 5, pp. 525-541.
Collini, S. (2012).What Are Universities For?London: Penguin.
Collis, D.J.and Montgomery, C.A. (1995).Competing on resources: strategy in the 1990s. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 73 No. 4, July-August, pp. 118-28.
Dawson, S., Burnett, B., and O'Donohue, M. (2006). Learning communities: an untapped sustainable competitive advantage for higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 20 Issue: 2, pp.127-139.
Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. (1967).The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. Aldine:Chicago, IL.
Greve, H.R. (2009). Bigger and safer: the diffusion of competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal. Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 1-23.
Helen de Haan,H.(2015). Competitive advantage, what does it really mean in the context of public higher education institutions?.InternationalJournal of Educational Management, Vol. 29 Iss1,pp. 44 –61.
Kettunen, J. (2002). Competitive strategies in higher education. .Journal of Institutional Research. Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 38-47.
Knight, J. (2004). Internationalization remodeled: definition, approaches, and rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 5-31.
Knight, J. (2011). Education hubs: a fad, a brand, an innovation?. Journal of Studies in International Education, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 221-240.
Knight, J.and MorshidiSirat. (2011). The complexities and challenges of regional education hubs: Focus on Malaysia. Higher Education, 61(5), 593-606.
Larran, M., Herrera, J., Calzado, Y., and Andrades, J. (2016). A proposal for measuring sustainability in universities: a case study of Spain.International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 17 Iss5.
Liefner, L. (2003). Funding, resource allocation, and performance in higher education systems.Volume 46Issue4,pp 469-489.
Littledyke, M., Manolas,E and Littledyke, R.A. (2013). A systems approach to education for sustainability in higher education.International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 14 Iss4 pp. 367 –383.
Lynch, R. and Baines, P. (2004). Strategy development in UK higher education: towards resource-based competitive advantages.Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 171-187.
Marginson, S. (2007). University mission and identity for a post post-public era. Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 117-131.
Mazzarol, T., and Soutar, G.N. (1999). Sustainable competitive advantage for educational institutions: a suggested model.International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 13 Iss6,pp. 287 –300.
Mazzarol, T. and Soutar, G.N. (2008). Strategy matters: strategic positioning and performance in the education service sector.International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 141-151.
Naidoo, V. (2010). From ivory towers to international business are universities export ready in their recruitment of international students? Journalof Studies in International Education, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 5-28.
Peteraf, M., Stefano, G.D. and Verona, G. (2013). The elephant in the room of dynamic capabilities: bringing two diverging conversations together. Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 1389-1410.
Porter, M.E. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. London: Macmillan.
Powell, T.C. (2001). Competitive advantage: logical and philosophical considerations.Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 22 No. 9, pp. 875-888.
Reinhart, L. (2010). Giving back to your community through sustainability.Facility Manager, Vol. 26 No. 2, p. 59.
Riad Shams, S.M. (2016). Capacity building for sustained competitive advantage: a conceptualframework. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 34 Iss5,pp. 671 –691.
Ribeiro, M.M., Hoover, E., Burford, G., Buchebner, J., and Lindenthal., T. (2016). Values as a bridge between sustainability and institutional assessment.International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 17 Iss1,pp. 40 –53.
Shah, M., andNair, C., S. (2016). Turning the ship around. Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 22 Issue2,pp. 145 –157.
South, S.E. (1981). Competitive advantage: the cornerstone of strategic thinking.Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 1 No. 4, pp. 15-25.
Stephenson, J., M. (1998).Capability and quality of education. London: Kogan Page Limited.
Sigalas, C. (2015). Competitive advantage: the known unknown concept.Management Decision, Vol. 53 Iss9,pp. 2004 –2016.
Sigalas, C., Pekka-Economou, V. and Georgopoulos, N.B. (2013). Developing a measure of competitive advantage. Journal of Strategy and Management, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 320-342.
Uyterhoeven, H., Ackerman, R.and Rosenblum, J.W. (1973). Strategy and Organisation, Irwin,Homewood, IL.
Wan, C.D., Sirat, M., and Abdul Razak, D. (2015). The Idea of a University: Rethinking the Malaysian Context.Humanities 2015, 4, 266–282;
doi:10.3390/h4030266.
Wooltorton, S., Wilkinson, A., Horwitz P., Bahn, S., Redmond, J and Dooley, J. (2015). Sustainability and action research in universities.International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education,Vol. 16 Iss4,pp. 424 –439.
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Published
2017-10-22
How to Cite
Mohd Rosdi, S. A. (2017). Resources, Capabilities, Strategies and Competitive Advantage of Research University in Malaysia. Management Research Journal, 6, 74–85. https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol6.7.2017
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