Comparing economical-financial performances of Universities. A ratio-based model

Journal title MANAGEMENT CONTROL
Author/s Isabella Mozzoni, Simone Fanelli, Antonello Zangrandi
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2017/1
Language Italian Pages 22 P. 91-112 File size 252 KB
DOI 10.3280/MACO2017-001005
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

In Europe and in Italy, Universities are pressured to increase their performance. As a matter of fact, recently, several national governments have introduced quasi-market mechanism, pursuing the aim of encourage competition among Universities, improving efficiency, effectiveness and increasing economic viability. In this scenario, the practice of benchmarking is becoming more important as it provides a realistic approach for assessing the performance in critical areas for learning from the experience of other organisations. However, the majority of performance indicators only refers to the two main core activities of University (research and teaching), underestimating the economical-financial performances. The idea is to provide managers with a multidimensional performance evaluation system, which also consider the accounting dimension as an essential element to support strategic decisions. The paper aims to define a set of balance sheet ratios, which take into account the peculiarity of University management, meanwhile developing data-benchmarking process for monitoring and compare economic and financial dynamic in higher education institutions.

Keywords: Higher education, benchmarking, balance sheet ratios

  1. Plaček M., Ochrana F., Půček M. (2015), Benchmarking in Czech Higher Education, Journal of Public Administration and Policy, 8, 2, pp. 101-124.
  2. Agasisti T., Bonomi F. (2014), Benchmarking universities’ efficiency indicators in the presence of internal heterogeneity, Studies in Higher Education, 39, 7, pp. 1237-1255. DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2013.801423
  3. Agasisti T., Catalano G. (2013), Debate: innovation in the Italian public higher education system: introducing accrual accounting, Public Money &Management, 33, 2, pp. 91-94.
  4. Agasisti T., Catalano G. (2006), Governance models of University systems - towards quasi-markets? Tendencies and perspectives: a European comparison, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 28, 3, pp. 245-262.
  5. Agasisti T., Pohl C. (2012), Comparing German and Italian Public Universities: convergence or divergence in the Higher Education Landscape?, Managerial and Decision Economics, 33, 1, pp. 71-85.
  6. Anessi Pessina E. (2014), L’evoluzione dei sistemi contabili pubblici: aspetti critici nella prospettiva aziendale, Milano, Egea.
  7. Ball R., Wilkinson, R. (1994), The use and abuse of performance indicators in UK higher education, Higher Education, 27, 4, pp. 417-427. DOI: 10.1007/BF01384902
  8. Battaglia G., Leoni G. (2000), L’analisi per quozienti di bilancio nelle aziende sanitarie pubbliche: il caso della regione Piemonte, Mecosan, 9, 36, pp. 99-112.
  9. Bolognani M., Catalano, G. (2007), Strategie competitive e università, Sviluppo & Organizzazione, 222, pp. 1-20.
  10. Borgonovi E. (2001), Principi e sistemi aziendali per le amministrazioni pubbliche, Milano, Egea.
  11. Burquel N., Van Vught F. (2010), Benchmarking in European Higher Education: a step beyond current quality models, Tertiary Education and Management, 16, 3, pp. 243-255.
  12. Catalano G. (2009), La contabilità economico-patrimoniale nelle università. Aspetti metodologici e principi contabili, Bologna, il Mulino.
  13. Catturi G. (1997), Lezioni di economia aziendale, Padova, Cedam.
  14. Christiaens J., De Wielemaker E. (2003), Financial accounting reform in Flemish Universities: an empirical study of the implementation, Financial Accountability & Management, 19, 2, pp. 185-204.
  15. Cinquini L., Nuti S., Boccaccio A., Vainieri M. (2005). Il confronto di performance economico-finanziarie tra aziende sanitarie: l’esperienza della Regione Toscana, Mecosan, 54, pp. 43-63.
  16. Coda V., Brunetti G., Barbato M.B. (1991), Indici di bilancio e flussi finanziari: strumenti per l'analisi della gestione, Milano, Etas.
  17. Coran G., Sostero U. (2007), I sistemi contabili universitari come strumenti di monitoraggio dell’economicità: un’evoluzione possibile? in Cugini A., La misurazione delle performance negli atenei. Logiche, metodi, esperienze, Milano, FrancoAngeli, pp. 227-276.
  18. ENQA, European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (2002), Benchmarking in the Improvement of Higher Education, Workshop report, Helsinki, European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.
  19. Ferrero G., Dezzani F., Pisoni P., Puddu L. (1966), Le analisi di bilancio, Torino, Giuffré.
  20. Frattini G. (2011), Contabilità & bilancio (Vol. 2), Torino, Giuffré.
  21. Gaither G., Nedwek B.P., Neal J.E. (1994), Measuring up: the promises and pitfalls of performance indicators in higher education, Washington, DC, ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report N 5.
  22. Giarda P. (2006), Il finanziamento dell’università italiana, Economia pubblica, 3, pp. 5-30.
  23. Gray R.E., Haslam J. (1990), External reporting by UK universities: an exploratory study of accounting change, Financial Accountability & Management, 6, 1, pp. 51-72.
  24. Guthrie J., Neumann R. (2007), Economic and non-financial performance indicators in universities, Public Management Review, 9, 2, pp. 231-52.
  25. Hesa (2010), Benchmarking to improve efficiency, Cheltenham, HESA status report.
  26. Jackson N. (2001), Benchmarking in UK HE: an overview, Quality Assurance in Education, 9, 4, pp. 218-230. DOI: 10.1108/09684880110411955
  27. Marchi L., Paolini A., Quagli A. (2003), Strumenti di analisi gestionale, Torino, Giappichelli.
  28. Matacena A. (1993), Il bilancio di esercizio, Bologna, Clueb.
  29. Meek V.L., Van der Lee J.J. (2005), Performance indicators for assessing and benchmarking research capacities in universities, Paris, APEID, UNESCO Bangkok Occasional Paper Series Paper No. 2.
  30. Montrone A. (2005), Il sistema delle analisi di bilancio per la valutazione dell'impresa, Milano, FrancoAngeli.
  31. Mussari R. (2011), Economia delle amministrazioni pubbliche, Milano, McGraw-Hill.
  32. Mussari R., Sostero U. (2014), Il processo di cambiamento del sistema contabile nelle università: aspettative, difficoltà e contraddizioni, Azienda Pubblica, 27, 2, pp. 125-146.
  33. Naufal D. (2012), Benchmarking and implications for Universities: in depth look inside Universities, Paper presented at the regional workshop Lessons Learned from Benchmarking University Governance in MENA. 11-12 December 2012, Rabbat, Marocco.
  34. Ossiannilsson E. (2012), Benchmarking Elearning in Higher Education: lessons learned from International Projects, Doctoral dissertation, Finland (120227), Oulu University, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.
  35. Paolini L., Soverchia M. (2013), Le università statali italiane verso la contabilità economico-patrimoniale ed il controllo di gestione, Management Control, 3, pp. 77-98.
  36. DOI: 10.3280/MACO2013-003005
  37. Sostero U. (2003), L’economicità delle aziende: rappresentazione e valutazione delle performance e dell’equilibrio nelle imprese, nelle aziende non profit e nelle aziende pubbliche, Torino, Giuffrè.
  38. Tee K.F. (2016), Suitability of performance indicators and benchmarking practices in UK universities, Benchmarking: an International Journal, 23, 3, pp. 584-600.
  39. Teodori C. (2008), L’analisi di bilancio, Torino, Giappichelli.
  40. Turner D. (2005), Benchmarking in universities: league tables revisited, Oxford Review of Education, 31, 3, pp. 353-371. DOI: 10.1080/03054980500221975
  41. Unesco New Papers on Higher Education (1998), Benchmarking in Higher Education: a study conducted by the Commonwealth Higher Education Management Service. New Papers on Higher Education: Studies and Research, Paris, UNESCO.
  42. Van Helden G.J., Tillema S. (2005), In search of a benchmarking theory for the Public Sector, Financial Accountability & Management, 21, 3, pp. 337-361.
  43. Whitty G. (1997), Creating quasi-markets in Education: a review of recent research on parental choice and school autonomy in three countries, Review of research in education, 22, 1, pp. 3-47. DOI: 10.3102/0091732X022001003
  44. Zairi M. (1994), Measuring performance for business results, New York, NY, Springer.
  45. Zangrandi A. (1999), Amministrazione delle aziende sanitarie pubbliche: aspetti di gestione, organizzazione e misurazioni economiche, Torino, Giuffrè
  46. Zangrandi A. (2008), Economia delle aziende pubbliche. Management e cambiamento, Milano, Egea.

  • Il bilancio degli atenei: schemi di analisi Giovanni Coran, Ugo Sostero, in MANAGEMENT CONTROL 3/2020 pp.113
    DOI: 10.3280/MACO2020-003006
  • L'analisi del bilancio delle università attraverso gli indici: indagine su un campione di atenei statali Giovanni Coran, Giorgio Donna, Ugo Sostero, in MANAGEMENT CONTROL 1/2023 pp.165
    DOI: 10.3280/MACO2023-001008

Isabella Mozzoni, Simone Fanelli, Antonello Zangrandi, Il confronto di performance economico-finanziarie nelle Università: un possibile modello di analisi per indici in "MANAGEMENT CONTROL" 1/2017, pp 91-112, DOI: 10.3280/MACO2017-001005