Particularity of the Organization
The Stavropol State Agrarian University is one of the leading institutions of higher learning in Stavropol city, within Russian Federation. Started in 1930, this institution has experienced massive development in various areas as it seeks to be in line with the international standards of learning at this higher level. The management of this firm has a reputation when it comes to freedom in research and development.
As defined in the mission statement of this firm, the organisation has high regards to morals and societal values, and there has been a concerted effort to merge science with culture. SSAU is a fully chartered university that does not only target the local students but also the international learners within European Union and in the global society.
The management of this institution appreciates the fact that competition in the education sector has become very stiff. For this reason, there has been effort to introduce management practices and strategies that would make the university attractive to the local and international society.
The institution has introduced programmes, which focus on improving the students’ experience. When it was started, the focus of this institution was to offer products, which at this time was standardized with knowledge in various fields.
The management had to realize that all the lecturers attended their classes and the syllabus was covered as was expected. However, things changed systematically based on the changes in the environment. The institution’s focus changed from product to service. The management realized that it owes their clients (students) a lot, and there was a need to offer them good services.
It was in this era that the university introduced new courses to meet the diversified needs of the learners. In this era, the management of this institution has realized that offering services to the clients is not good enough. There is a need to offer solutions.
Institutions of higher learning are seen to be the solution to any issue that is affecting the society in one way or the other. This means that offering learners the courses they need in an effective learning environment is not enough. The current society expects more from these institutions. They need solutions to the social and scientific problems they face from time to time.
The management of SSAU has been offering this solution to its clients in different approaches. Each of the departments at this institution has its own budget that is specifically meant for research. The university believes in solutions that are obtained by conducting reliable researches both socially and scientifically.
The graduates from this institution go into the job market after they have been fully prepared to offer solutions to some of the problems that an organisation or society may face. This has put this institution at a prestigious position where the society seeks solutions to some of the problems they face. SSAU is an institution to reckon with not only within the Russian Federation, but also in the entire region of Eastern Europe.
Good Practice at the Company
Achieving success in the current competitive market is not an easy task. It requires a concerted effort by the management to do what is right, in the right manner, at the right time, and with the right people. The management of this institution has started various programmes, which are meant to enhance good practice as a way of enhancing its competitiveness.
The first programme was the focus on concentrating talents. The management of this firm introduced internationalization process in hiring the staff. It came to the attention of the top management that most of the staffs at this institution were professionals who are citizens of this country. This was not a big issue, but it had negative impacts on the marketability of the institution as a global learning centre.
The management, therefore, started a programme that aimed at concentrating talents. Most of the positions were left open to both the local and international staffs in order to enhance competition. The process of hiring staffs was made competitive in order to select the best-qualified candidates irrespective of their nationalities. This enhanced diversity at this institution as the new staff members came from various countries in Europe, North America and even other parts of Africa.
Concentration of talents was not just restricted to the teaching staff. SSAU has been keen when it comes to selecting students for various programmes. Students also have a massive potential when it comes to enhancing research in various fields. The institution has one of the highest bars when it comes to selecting of the students for various courses. Having such a pool of talented students and teachers enhances the capacity of the university to engage in research.
The second approach that this firm has been using to enhance good practice is to diversify its resources. The institution has introduced new ways of earning extra income besides what is generated from the students. Currently, this institution is the largest consultant in various fields within this country. Private institutions and non-governmental institutions have been coming to this firm for consultation in various fields.
The institution can now be commissioned to research on both social and scientific issues by these private institutions in order to find solutions to some of the issues that are affecting them. The biggest single client of this institution in the field of consultation is the government. The government has consulted this firm on various scientific and social issues that affect the Russian community.
These consultations have earned the firm good income, which supplements what is generated from the learners. This firm has been a leader in technology advancement. Many firms have relied on this institution to help them improve their communication systems, maintain their machines, and various other services related to technology. These extra incomes add value to the main clients at this institution.
The management can afford to lower its fee without necessarily affecting the quality of education. The university is also able to offer subseries to some of the best but needy students in order to improve their experience.
The university also introduced optimal management as a way of enhancing the way processes are managed. The institution has introduced the Decision Support System (DSS) in most of its managerial activities to ensure that every decision is supported by valid facts.
Key Results Demonstrating Achievement of the Objectives
Introduction of the best practices at this firm has brought with it positive results that have helped the university advance in various areas. Coordinating personal goals of the employees with the strategic goals of the firm has been made very simple.
This has been achieved through the employee involvement in strategic planning. This way, it has become possible for them to integrate their personal plans with that of the organisation. This has helped the firm build a large pool of highly skilled human resource that meets the international standards.
The new strategy has also helped in making the contribution of the learners relevant in the overall research at this institution. It has encouraged the student-learner relations at this firm, making it a better research centre.
Use of the RADAR Methodology by the Company
The management of this university has been using RADAR logic to question the performance of various departments in this organisation. The firm has been keen on defining the results that each department is expected to achieve within a specified period. The heads of the departments are tasked with the responsibility of setting the targets that every employee should achieve within a given period.
It has developed sound approaches that are meant to help each department achieve the set goals. The management has also been effective in deploying the approaches to ensure that the most qualified candidate addresses each task in the right manner.
Deploying of the employees has largely been based on the qualifications and interests of the individual worker. This has helped the firm to improve the levels of employee morale in every task they do. Finally, the firm has developed effective ways of assessing and refining the results of each employee and each department of this firm. To help in this area, the management introduced a new system of ‘ideal employee’.
In this new system, employees are encouraged to assess their own performances and to involve peers in finding solutions to their identified weaknesses. With these new strategies, it is believed that the firm will emerge top in this year’s EFQM Good Practice Competition.