Balanced Scorecard in Managing Higher Education Institutions

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IJEM 21,1

Balanced scorecards in managing higher education institutions: an Indian perspective
Venkatesh Umashankar and Kirti Dutta
Institute for International Management and Technology, Haryana, India
Abstract
Purpose – The paper aims to look at the balanced scorecard (BSC) concept and discuss in what way it should be applied to higher education programs/institutions in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on extant literature on the balanced scorecard concept per se, as well as applications of BSC in higher education as reported by other researchers. Findings – The BSC approach offers an institution the opportunity to formulate a cascade of measures to translate the mission of knowledge creation, sharing and utilization into a comprehensive, coherent, communicable and mobilizing framework – for external stakeholders and for one another. Research limitations/implications – In the absence of any specific Indian case study, the possible impact could only be conjectured or deduced. Practical implications – A useful model is proposed that can be adapted with appropriate modifications to the management of tertiary institutions of education in India, whether it be a university, affiliate college, autonomous institution or private educational institution. Originality/value – In the absence of evidence of the application of BSC to the educational institutional domain in India, the current paper may be a starting-point for a debate and possible strategies to implement BSC methodology in this area. Keywords Balanced scorecard, Strategic management, Higher education Paper type Conceptual paper

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International Journal of Educational Management Vol. 21 No. 1, 2007 pp. 54-67 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0951-354X DOI 10.1108/09513540710716821

Introduction Organizational failure can usually be traced to deficient

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