Examining key quality management issues in transnational higher education: how do global partnerships ensure academic credibility of programmes?

This thesis has explored practices of quality management for transnational higher education (TNE) across a University’s partnerships in Singapore, Sri Lanka and the UK. The need for this research was identified as I observed that colleagues in diverse regions at partnerships viewed quality management of programmes differently. These differences in opinion demanded further investigation to examine quality management practices in differing regions and were complemented using literature. Quality management practices were separated out into seven themes for investigation. These practice-led, literature-based themes were (1) strategy, (2) managing partnership expectations, (3) TNE development, (4) TNE challenges, (5) quality assurance practices, (6) culture and (7) postcolonialism. This inquiry of quality management development and practices has been conducted through literature and by interviewing regional colleagues as TNE academic practitioners. Three interviews were conducted in each country: Singapore, Sri Lanka and the UK; at strategic, tactical and operational levels respectively. These hierarchical, semi-structured interviews enabled data collection from a purposive sample of nine practitioners. Academic leaders were interviewed for strategic level considerations, programme leaders for the tactical level and operations managers for the operational level. Semi-structured interview questions were developed from the seven themes, supported by findings in the literature. Using keyword analysis, significant findings within each theme were identified as ‘units of quality’ management. These units have been organised into a framework. The framework provides a mechanism through which expectations and perceptions can be better managed and shaped for TNE. The framework can be used by TNE practitioners in any region, at any hierarchical level and at any given time in the partnership. This affords an opportunity to revise and revisit current quality management practices of TNE, with respect to time, growth and maturity of partnerships, to ensure academic programme credibility