TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Reith, Florian T1 - Mixed methods for research into higher education BT - Solving the problem of institutionalized introspection? JF - Theory and method in higher education research N2 - Mixed methods approaches have become increasingly relevant in social sciences research over the last few decades. Nevertheless, we show that these approaches have rarely been explicitly applied in higher education research. This is somewhat surprising because mixed methods and empirical research into higher education seem to be a perfect match for several reasons: (1) the role of the researcher, which is associated with strong intersections between the research subject and the research object; (2) the research process, which relies on concepts and theories that are borrowed from other research fields; and (3) the research object, which exhibits unclear techniques in teaching and learning, making it difficult to grasp causalities between input and results. Mixed methods approaches provide a suitable methodology to research such topics. Beyond this, potential future developments underlining the particular relevance of mixed methods approaches in higher education are discussed. KW - Mixed methods KW - methodology KW - empirical research KW - higher education KW - qualitative research KW - quantitative research Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-1-83867-841-8 SN - 978-1-83867-842-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/S2056-375220190000005008 SN - 2056-3752 VL - 5 SP - 111 EP - 127 PB - Emerald Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Ansmann, Moritz A1 - Pohlenz, Philipp T1 - Institutional isomorphism, entrepreneurship and effectiveness BT - the adoption and implementation of quality management in teaching and learning in Germany JF - Tertiary Education and Management N2 - This paper presents empirical evidence on the adoption, implementation and the perceived effectiveness of quality management in teaching and learning in German higher education institutions. Theoretically, the article combines two new institutionalist approaches: institutional isomorphism and institutional entrepreneurship. Empirically, the study refers to qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data. The analysis reveals that isomorphism is a leading driver behind the adoption of quality management in German higher education institutions, whereas institutional entrepreneurship plays an important role in quality management implementation. While isomorphism can be regarded as a conclusive reason behind the absence of a perception of quality management’s effectiveness, institutional entrepreneurship may function as a corrective towards the overall negative impact of isomorphic conformity by institutionalizing quality management in a sustainable manner. KW - Higher education KW - Quality management KW - Quality assurance KW - New institutionalism KW - Isomorphism KW - Institutional entrepreneurship Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-019-09022-3 SN - 1358-3883 SN - 1573-1936 VL - 25 IS - 2 SP - 115 EP - 129 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Ansmann, Moritz T1 - Unfreezing higher education institutions? BT - understanding the introduction of quality management in teaching and learning in Germany JF - Higher Education N2 - Quality management (QM) in teaching and learning has strongly “infected” the higher education sector and spread around the world. It has almost everywhere become an integral part of higher education reforms. While existing research on QM mainly focuses on the national level from a macro-perspective, its introduction at the institutional level is only rarely analyzed. The present article addresses this research gap. Coming from the perspective of organization studies, it examines the factors that were crucial for the introduction of QM at higher education institutions in Germany. As the introduction of QM can be considered to be a process of organizational change, the article refers to Kurt Lewin’s seminal concept of “unfreezing” organizations as a theoretical starting point. Methodologically, a mixed methods approach is applied by combining qualitative data derived from interviews with institutional quality managers and quantitative data gathered from a nationwide survey. The results show that the introduction of QM is initiated by either internal or external processes. Furthermore, some institutions follow a rather voluntary approach of unfreezing, while others show modes of forced unfreezing. Consequently, the way how QM was introduced has important implications for its implementation. KW - Quality management KW - Organizational change KW - Higher education KW - Mixed methods Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0185-2 SN - 0018-1560 SN - 1573-174X VL - 75 IS - 6 SP - 1061 EP - 1076 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - THES A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Unabhängigkeit und Wirksamkeit von Landesrechnungshöfen : eine empirisch-vergleichende Bestandsaufnahme T2 - Interdisziplinäre Organisations- und Verwaltungsforschung Y1 - 2011 SN - 978-3-531-92799-2 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92799-2 VL - 17 PB - VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften / Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH Wiesbaden CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Problems and methods of quality evaluation in different policy fields JF - Zeitschrift für Evaluation N2 - This article distinguishes methodological problems in quality evaluation and measurement in two policy fields, namely higher education and public broadcasting. Both are characterized by similar external and internal basic conditions and are thus suitable for comparative research. The difficulties of quality measurement and evaluation are discussed with respect to three main features: (1) definition of quality, (2) operationalization of quality and (3) interpretation of quality. Furthermore the identified difficulties in both areas are not always the same, because they depend on different research criteria. Thus the debates of quality measurement and evaluation in higher education and public broadcasting can learn from each other and increase the understanding of quality measurement in general. In addition the comparative design provides opportunities for the development of methods and perspectives. KW - Quality-Measurement KW - Evaluation KW - Higher Education KW - Public Broadcasters Y1 - 2012 SN - 1619-5515 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 209 EP - 232 PB - Waxmann CY - Münster ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Setting a fox to guard the henhouse? Determinants in elections for presidents of supreme audit institutions Evidence from the German federal states (1991-2011) JF - Managerial auditing journal N2 - Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence regarding the selection procedures for and characteristics of senior officials in supreme audit institutions (SIAs). Design/methodology/approach - This study follows a quantitative approach using original data collected for presidential elections of SIAs in the 16 federal states in Germany. A fractional logit model is calculated to test different theoretical assumptions in relation to structural, political and individual factors. Findings - The descriptive results confirm the findings of prior research that presidential candidates are elected with very high approval rates. The main determinants are the vote share of the ruling coalition and the executive experience of the presidential candidate. Research limitations/implications - This study focuses on 16 federal states in Germany, but an international comparative perspective covering subnational levels would further augment analysis through the variance of selection procedures and electoral outcomes. Social implications - Independence of auditors is a fundamental issue for the control of the executive, but it seems that there are inevitable trade-offs therein, such as between knowledge of the auditing objects or the politicization of the election process and the independence of the auditor. Originality/value - This study provides novel empirical insights into the election and selection procedures for senior SIA officials at the subnational level, and shows that the executive exerts strong, but functionally reasonable, influence on candidate selection. KW - Independence KW - President KW - Sub-national KW - Supreme audit institutions Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-03-2015-1168 SN - 0268-6902 SN - 1758-7735 VL - 31 SP - 492 EP - 511 PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Seyfried, Markus A1 - Siegel, John Philipp T1 - Was bewirken Gebietsreformen? BT - Eine Bilanz deutscher und europäischer Erfahrungen JF - Der moderne Staat : dms ; Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management N2 - Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst die bisherige Forschung über die Wirkungen von Gebietsreformen zusammen und analysiert diese aus inhaltlicher und methodischer Perspektive. Basierend auf einer Auswertung von ausgewählten nationalen und europäischen Studien werden Wirkungsbefunde in drei zentralen Dimensionen dargestellt: (1) Leistungsfähigkeit, Verwaltungs- und Veranstaltungskraft, (2) Einsparungen, Skalenerträge und Wirtschaftlichkeit und (3) Partizipation und demokratische Kontrolle. Im Ergebnis kann festgestellt werden, dass die Leistungs- und Handlungsfähigkeit kommunaler Verwaltungen durch Gebietsreformen überwiegend positiv beeinflusst wird. Dagegen sind die empirischen Befunde bezüglich Wirtschaftlichkeit, Einsparungen und Skalenerträge sowie zur Partizipation und demokratischen Kontrolle nicht eindeutig. Y1 - 2018 SN - 1865-7192 SN - 2196-1395 VL - 11 IS - 1 SP - 119 EP - 141 PB - Budrich CY - Leverkusen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jann, Werner A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Does executive governance matter? executives an policy performance Y1 - 2009 SN - 978-3-86793-013-0 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hustedt, Thurid A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Co-ordination across internal organizational boundaries: how the EU Commission co-ordinates climate policies JF - Journal of European public policy N2 - Through an analysis of climate policy-making in the European Commission (EU), this article argues that co-ordination in the Commission displays the same characteristics as the co-ordination across ministries in central governments, i.e., the properties of negative co-ordination. The article is based on a survey among Commission officials. Overall, the article reveals that a public administration perspective on the Commission proves invaluable to gain insights on how decisions are made at the European Union level. The article contributes to the emerging literature viewing the Commission as an ordinary bureaucracy - as opposed to a unique supranational organization. KW - Bureaucratic organization KW - climate change policy KW - co-ordination KW - Directorate General KW - EU policy-making KW - European Commission Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2015.1074605 SN - 1350-1763 SN - 1466-4429 VL - 23 SP - 888 EP - 905 PB - Springer Publishing Company CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fleischer, Julia A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Drawing from the bargaining pool: Determinants of ministerial selection in Germany JF - Party politics : an international journal for the study of political parties and political organizations N2 - This article expands our current knowledge about ministerial selection in coalition governments and analyses why ministerial candidates succeed in acquiring a cabinet position after general elections. It argues that political parties bargain over potential office-holders during government-formation processes, selecting future cabinet ministers from an emerging bargaining pool'. The article draws upon a new dataset comprising all ministrable candidates discussed by political parties during eight government-formation processes in Germany between 1983 and 2009. The conditional logit regression analysis reveals that temporal dynamics, such as the day she enters the pool, have a significant effect on her success in achieving a cabinet position. Other determinants of ministerial selection discussed in the existing literature, such as party and parliamentary expertise, are less relevant for achieving ministerial office. The article concludes that scholarship on ministerial selection requires a stronger emphasis for its endogenous nature in government-formation as well as the relevance of temporal dynamics in such processes. KW - Candidates KW - Germany KW - government-formation Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068813487108 SN - 1354-0688 SN - 1460-3683 VL - 21 IS - 4 SP - 503 EP - 514 PB - Sage Publ. CY - London ER -