搜索
’sRepublicofChinaGryphonSou@AIOU.eduzhoupq@aiou.eduAbstractManyorganizationsareworkingveryhardtoachievegoodqualitygoodsandservices,whichprovidearoutetowardsbusinessexcellence.ThisPaperaimstofindoutwhatistheretolearnfromtheapplicationofISO9001:2000inEducationIndustry,andwhyitisnecessaryforeducationalinstitutionstoacquireISOCertification.Firstly,thecurrentthinkinganddevelopmentofISO9000Standardaresummarized.ThentherationalesofdevelopingQMSunderISO9001:2000asavehicletowardsqualityeducationalservicesorproductsareestablished.Next,therelationshipsbetweentheQualityManagementProcessModelunder8fundamentalprinciples&4keyelementsandeducationalqualityarediscussedalongwiththeKirkpatrickModeloftrainingevaluation.Finally,aprototypeofQualityManagementModelforHigherEducationbasedonaquantitativecumqualitativeresearchissuggested.Keywords:AdultEducation;ISO9001:2000;MBADegreeProgram;QMS;QualityManagementModel.1IntroductionIn1982,DENGXiao-ping,thelateex-PremierofthePeople’sRepublicofChinafirstlypromotedtheintroductionofMasterofBusinessAdministration(MBA)DegreeProgramintotheMainland.Inthelasttwodecades,therewassignificantdevelopmentofmanagementeducationfortheworkingadultsinthemainlandChina.Inrecentyears,therehasbeenincreasingneedsofmanagementeducation.SomelargeenterprisesorinternationalcompaniesevenrequiretheiremployeesatmanagementleveltopossessMBAdegrees.Thus,workingadultsalwaysseekmanagementeducationsuchasExternalMBADegreeProgramtomeettheiroccupationalneeds.1.1ManagementEducationNeedsIntheBeijingYouthDailydatedSeptember15,2003,itwasreportedthattherewouldbeapressingdemandofhundredthousandsofMBAgraduatesintheMainland’smanagementfield.WhenMBADegreeProgramsaremainlyundertakenbyworkingadults,theyarecategorizedas‘AdultEducation’.(BeijingYouthDaily,2003)WhentheeconomyoftheMainlandhasbeenbloomingsincethe21stcentury,MBADegreeProgramsshouldbedesignedtosuittheeconomicdevelopment.Otherwise,theseparticulareducationalproductscouldneverfulfilltheneedsoftheAdultEducationalMarket.Traditionally,curriculumdesignofaneducationalprogramalwaysaimstocultivatethetargetlearnersthussatisfyingtheirindividualneeds.Itsultimategoalistofacilitatetheexpectedgrowthofthetargetlearnersintheaspectsofethics,intellectualism,physiqueorcapabilities.TakingMBADegreeProgramasanexample,itprimarilyaimstoboostthetargetlearners’individualandoccupationalqualities.Italsoaimsatenhancingthetargetlearners’powerofrealization,renovationandentrepreneurship.Itsgoalistocultivatethetargetlearnerswhoareworkinginthecommerceorindustrytowardskeypostsofmanagement.Havinggraspedthefundamentalmanagementtheoriesandspecializedskills,thetargetlearnerscoulddemonstratecompetenciesofleadingtheothersincommercial,industrialoreventraininginitiatives.IntheMainland,MBADegreeProgramsareofferedbydifferenthigherinstitutions.Theyvaryonthecurriculumdesignandprogramspecialization.Someofthemhaveattractedcriticismontheirincompatibilitywiththeworkingadults.SuchshortfallmightbeattributedtothehistoricalbackgroundofthehigherinstitutionsintheMainland.SchoolsofBusinessinsomehigherinstitutionsareoriginatedintheirSchoolsofEconomics.TheirfacultiesareeconomicscholarswhomighthavelaidmuchemphasisontheeconomicaltheoriesandoverlookedthequalityrequirementsofanMBADegreeProgram.1.2QualityRequirementsofManagementEducationTargetlearnersofanMBADegreeProgramarealwaysexpectingmanagementeducationofhighqualitywhentheytakeitasapathoftheirLifeLearning.Thesocietyisalsocherishingqualityeducationtoboostupitspeoplewhowouldcontributetotheeconomicdevelopment.Therefore,thecurriculumdesignofaMBADegreeProgramshouldmeettheneedsofthetargetlearnersaswellasthesociety.CurriculumofaMBADegreeProgramneedstoberefinedcontinuallysincethecommerceandindustryofadevelopingcountrylikethePeople’sRepublicofChinaisalwaysonthewheelofchange.Insuchcircumstances,aQualityManagementModelforHigherEducationisdesirable.In2000,arenownedWorldClassQualityManagementToolviz.ISO9000:2000alsoextendeditscoveragetodifferentindustries.Inthefollowingyears,therewerequalityassuranceguidelinesintroducedtotheEducationIndustry.Thisevidencesthatqualityrequirementssubsistineveryorganizationincludingeducationalinstitutions.2WorldClassQualityManagementToolTheInternationalOrganizationofStandardization(ISO)endeavorstodesignagenericmanagementsystemmodelapplicabletoanyorganizationregardlessofsize,natureofbusinessandindustrysector.ISO9000QualityManagementSystem(QMS)Standardsetsouttoestablish,documentandmaintainaneffectiveandefficientmanagementsystemwhichcoulddemonstrateanorganization’scommitmenttoqualityanditsabilitytosatisfycustomers’requirements.Throughtime,theISO9000standardhasbeenrevisedtoreflectthebestpracticesandchangingmarketexpectationofprogressiveorganizationsandbusinesses.ISO9001: