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Increasing instructors' performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University: a gap analysis

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Increasing instructors' performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University: a gap analysis

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Content Running head: INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

1

INCREASING INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES AT
KAO YUAN UNIVERSITY: A GAP ANALYSIS

by

Fang-Ping Huang

________________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2014

Copyright 2014 Fang-Ping Huang

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DEDICATION
The completion of a doctoral program is a personal dream come true as well as an
accomplishment for the entire family. I dedicate this journey of intellectual growth and
discovery to my parents, my dissertation chair and the chief secretary of Kao Yuan University
(KYU). I could never go this far without the support of them.
My parents, who are my role models and true life-long learners, believe that everything is
possible with whole-hearted effort. My parents grew up in the suburb of southern Taiwan, where
quality education was not easily accessible. However, they chose to leave their hometown at a
young age to seek for opportunities rather then being discouraged by limited resources and
obstacles. My father always says that education is a key to doors of better career, quality life,
broader vision and wisdom. When my father decided to send me abroad for better education,
most of my relatives disagreed with his decision. They suggested investing and educating a
daughter was not necessary since I would end up marrying someone and devote myself to the
husband and new family. My father did his best to protect me and provide me equal
opportunities in life as I were a boy would have. He also had high expectations for me in all
aspects of life learning. I remember seeking for comfort from my father on an international
phone call when I encountered difficulties in getting my scuba diving license. I told him that
controlling and balancing myself in the ocean was a lot harder than in a swimming pool. He
barely comforted me; instead, he said “passing such an exam should be easy for someone who
knew how to swim.” Like father like daughter, he knew he would trigger my fighting spirit by
saying that. My mother, who started a family at a young age, dedicated her whole life to her
husband and children. She built the strongest shelter with best homemade food and endless love
for everyone in the family. Besides being a mother, she was also a daughter-in-law, a wife and a
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new member to my father’s family. My mother managed to fit into the big family very well; she
has earned her reputation and respects from all the relatives through out the years. I learned the
beauty of Chinese tradition from her. If I become a great mother one day, my mother will be the
only reason to my success. Thank you to my parents for your encouragement and support. I
finally finished!
My dissertation chair, Dr. Mark Robison, gave me unconditional support, guidance and
patience on this entire journey. The two-year program did not go by quickly and there were ups
and downs. Dr. Robison never gave up on me even during those days when I was falling behind.
He understood that incidents happened in life and he continued to give me full support. I would
not have made it here without him.
Last, I delicate this work to, Dr. Chang Zong-Han, the chief secretary of Kao Yuan
University, who provided me the necessary resources to complete this dissertation, permission to
access data and interact with related personnel. He took time to read my proposal when I first
wrote him and welcomed me as one of his own students, even though I had no connection with
the university prior to this study. Dr. Chang trusted my intention and arranged every meeting
and interview as smooth as possible for me to complete my work. He encouraged a junior
scholar like me to take the challenge and to never stop improving.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ……………………………………………………………………………………… 2
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………. 5
List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Chapter 1: Overview of the Study……………………………………………………………… 9
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature…………………………………………………………… 19
Chapter 3: Methodology………………………………………………………………………. 38
Chapter 4: Report of Findings………………………………………………………………… 53
Chapter 5: Solutions and Implementation Plan………………………………………………. 86
Chapter 6: Evaluation and Discussion……………………………………………………….. 109
References…………………………………………………………………………………….. 120
Appendices
Appendix A: Possible Causes of Performance……………………………………… 130
Appendix B: Worksheets……………………………………………………………. 137

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Knowledge Statements, Means and Standard Deviation...........................................57
Table 2. Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation............................................64
Table 3. Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation …………………………...66
Table 4. Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation............................................68
Table 5. Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation............................................69
Table 6. Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation............................................71
Table 7. Organization Statements, Means and Standard Deviation.........................................78
Table 8. Summary of Key Validated Causes for Knowledge, Motivation and……………....87
Organization
Table 9. Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Knowledge…………………88
Table 10. Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Motivation............................95
Table 11. Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Organization.........................97
Table 12. Summary of Causes, Solutions, and Implementation of the Solutions....................104
Table 13. Goals of Varies Stages for KYU..............................................................................106
Table A1. Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Knowledge and Skills.................................130
Table A2. Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Motivation...................................................131
Table A3. Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Organization................................................132
Table A4. Summary of Assumed Causes for Knowledge, Motivation, and.............................133
Organization Issues
Table B1. Gap Analysis Case Validation Method Worksheet.................................................137
Table B2. Interview Builder Worksheet……………………………………………………...141
Table B3. Survey Builder Worksheet.......................................................................................144
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Table B4. Observation Builder Worksheet..............................................................................147
Table B5. Data Builder Worksheet..........................................................................................150

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Gap analysis model.................................................................................................... 39
Figure 2. Responses by colleges……………………………………………………………….55

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ABSTRACT
In the context of competition for decreasing numbers of students by more universities, many
vocational colleges and universities in Taiwan have suffered from recruitment pressure and
financial challenges due to insufficient enrollment, especially private universities whose daily
operation relies heavily on the tuition and fees (Tseng, Chang, & Kuo, 2009). The purpose of
this study was to conduct a gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008) to examine the causes that might
inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University. The analysis
focused on causes for this problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation,
and organizational issues. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed causes
and then by examining these systematically to focus on actual or validated causes. Assumed
causes for the performance gap were generated based on personal knowledge and related
literature. These causes were validated by using surveys, interviews, a detailed literature review
and document analysis. Three hundred ten instructors at KYU participated in the survey and 10
of them were selected for individual interview. In general, the results indicated that, instructors
needed more supports to effectively practice and assess their performance in recruitment services.
The forms of support could be tangible, intangible, intrinsic and extrinsic incentives. The results
led to analysis of the largest gaps in each category, which were then specifically addressed with
solutions and implementation plans. The major implication of the study is that by solving these
problems student enrollment and operational revenue at KYU will most likely increase, leading
to university sustainability. KYU will also be able to act as a role model for other private
universities in Taiwan.

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CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction of the Problem
Education in Taiwan has always been constructed to foster economic development.
During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese developed a well-constructed educational
system and infrastructure, which has later served as the foundation for industrialization. After
1966, supply of educated labors was geared to meet the economic requirements by national plans;
therefore, the nine-year compulsory education was implemented in 1968. This change not only
nurtured a great number of educated laborers to enhance economic growth but also generated a
huge financial burden to the government. Soon, the concept of cost sharing (Johnstone, 2004;
Teixeira, Johnstone, Rosa & Vossensteyn, 2006) was introduced to reduce educational cost per
capita from the government. A significant growth of universities took place after the
implementation of the Education Reformation Policy in 1996 (MOE, 2013). There were 161
universities in Taiwan in 2013, compared to 67 in 1996. The result indicates an increase of more
than 90 universities in 17 years. Moreover, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of Interior
(2009), there has been a continuous decrease in birth rate from 2.3 in 1981 to 0.86 in 2008 which
is equivalent to a drop of 215,296 persons.
In the context of competition with fewer students and more universities, many vocational
colleges and universities have suffered from recruitment pressure and financial challenges due to
insufficient enrollment, especially private universities whose daily operation relies heavily on the
tuition and fees (Tseng, Chang, & Kuo, 2009). Many private universities have been forced to
equip themselves with the necessary marketing intelligence and mechanisms that would enable
them to face the challenges (Chen, 2007; Lin 2007; Binsardi & Ekwulugo, 2003). Feng Chia
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University collaborated with Taiwan Railways Administration in 2005 and 2006 to arrange a
shuttle (train) service for a two-day on campus orientation event to secure student enrollment.
Feng Chia University is located in Central Taiwan and the location could be quite inconvenient
for students who live in the North and the South. The Shuttle train service allowed students and
parents to see and experience the campus, which is believed to enhance and secure student
enrollment. Although the direct correlation between student enrollment and shuttle train service
was not validated, the student enrollment rate increased 0.66% from 95.96% in 2005 to 96.62%
in 2006 (Hsiao, 2010). A study about the factors related to student enrollment at the National Ilan
University, located in the Eastern Taiwan, also suggested that well-established webpage, teacher
and family’s references and improvement of the departmental characteristics had positive
influences on a student’s decision when selecting universities (Wang, Huang & Yu, 2008). In
general, the most seen marketing strategies of technological and vocational colleges in Taiwan
included 1) advertisement through social media, job fairs, commercial, press release and
seminars. 2) incentives such as deduction in accommodation, tuition and university fees; merit
based scholarships, internship opportunities and career guarantee; 3) public relations
establishment through community interaction and resources sharing; 4) Referenced by alumni,
teachers, relatives, friends and role models; 5) direct marketing through phone call, regular mail
and email invitation (You 2003 & Chen, 2007). Establishing effective marketing strategies is an
unavoidable trend for universities in Taiwan (Chen 2007). Those are not able to fast react or
survive the battle may be forced to surrender; leaving a whole new educational system and
products that fit the needs of a diverse and competitive market.
One institution facing such challenges is the private Kao Yuan University (KYU). It is a
community-centered university providing vocational focused education emphasizing both in
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theory and practice. One response to decreasing enrollments at KYU is to include faculty in
student recruitment. Under the impact of increasing competition, especially in the context of the
low national birth rate, a principal challenge facing the university is to understand the causes that
might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services at KYU and to develop solutions
to improve their contributions to recruitment services.
Context of the Problem
Kao Yuan University, started as the private Kao Yuan Junior College of Technology in
1986, has gone through several transitions since its first recruitment year in 1989. KYU now
serves as a four-year private vocational university (university of technology) that grants master’s,
bachelor’s and associate’s degrees such as BA in Marketing and Distribution Management or
MS in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (KYU, 2013).
Kao Yuan University is located in the Kaohsiung Science Park, Taiwan. It lays great
emphasis on research and has self-reported significant breakthroughs in the fields of fundamental
theory and applied technology research (KYU, 2013). According to the department of statistics
(MOE, 2012), there are currently 7,497 enrolled students and 310 full-time instructors. The
majority of students are Taiwanese citizens. Although strategies to attract more foreign students
have always been an on-going project at KYU, the majority of students remain Taiwanese
citizens so far. As a private university, KYU has high autonomy over its own operation and 80%
of the operation revenue comes from tuition and fees.
Mission and Organizational Problem
The mission of KYU is to prepare graduates with excellent employability by integrating
academic learning and industry practice in a sustainable approach (KYU, 2013). In order to
fulfill its mission, KYU has to first remain financially sustainable. Therefore, it is critical for
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KYU to have adequate numbers of enrollment. This objective has driven KYU’s policy
construction and implementation to focus on recruitment and marketing strategies. Moreover,
the outcomes of a successful marketing plan attract not only potential students but also other
sources of income such as endowments, commercial consultancy, research and many other
activities (Trustrum & Wee, 2007).
As a result, one of the latest marketing strategies and university objectives introduced at
KYU was to increase enrollments. The objective is to have 10,000 enrolled students. However,
KYU has been enrolling 7,000 to 8,000 students and thus operating with limited financial
resources in the past five years. The discrepancy gap analysis model (Smith & Ragan, 2005) is
best suited to frame this problem.
Organizational Goal
The goal of KYU is to operate a university and achieve satisfactory student academic
performance in a financially sustainable condition. In order to attract more students, an institute
needs to research its own image characteristics and match them with the preferences of potential
students (Martin, 1996). As a result, the management team at KYU has been focusing on the
performance of recruitment related tasks and effort. The achievement of this goal is measured by
recruiting 10,000 enrolled students in Fall 2015.
Stakeholders
The stakeholders at Kao Yuan University include the KYU students and their families,
KYU instructors, administrators, the principal, the chairwoman and the board of sponsors. Each
stakeholder makes a unique contribution to achieving KYU’s goal of operating sustainably. The
instructors, for example, have great influence on student academic performance. Successful
student performance may serve as a sales and marketing tool during recruitment related events.
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Current students are also the best representatives in terms of demonstrating their learning
outcomes and experiences at KYU. The Principal, Chairwoman and the board of sponsors who
provided the initial investment and financial support to the university also have significant
influence on operational management and strategy.
Stakeholder for the Study
While the efforts of all stakeholders are needed to achieve the organizational goal, it is
critical to study the knowledge and motivation of instructors who are now largely responsible for
student recruitment. Therefore, the primary stakeholders for this study were the instructors of
KYU. Not being able to achieve the expected performance in recruitment service will result a
shortfall student enrollment, which would be unsustainable for the university.
Background of the Problem
According to the ministry of education (2011), private universities represent two-thirds of
the higher education institutions in Taiwan. There are approximately 30,000 full-time instructors
serving at private universities, representing three-fifths of all full-time university instructors in
Taiwan. Students of private universities represent more than 70% of the entire university student
body. As a result, private universities are core components to the Taiwanese educational system
and structure.
Regarding national support, government policies and decisions have always had
significant influence to the educational sector in Taiwan. This is especially true with regard to
financial support, such as subsidy allocations, that often directly affect the institutional strategies
and operational management of public and private universities alike. According to Chou (2006),
government subsidies represent the greatest portion (approximately 50%) of operation revenue
among public universities while tuition fees represent the most (74%) of those in private
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universities. As a result, private universities that receive less support from the government, have
greater pressure in terms of sustainability and revenue generation. Moreover, the increase of
governmental investment in higher education was not fast enough to align with the rapid growth
of universities (27 in 1960, 92 in 1970, 121 in 1990 and 161 today). Therefore, the concept of
cost sharing (Johnstone & Marcucci, 2010) was adopted and the financial burden of higher
education was slowly shifted from the government to consumers.
Private institutions were first limited to high schools and vocational schools in the time
following the withdrawal of Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government from Mainland China to
Taiwan in mid-December 1949. There were only 25 private institutions with 11,560 students in
total (Chang & Lin, 2011). Although private universities received less financial support from the
government compared to public universities, they were able to maintain stable enrollment rates
with students who were screened and distributed through the National University Entrance
Examination. As result, running a private university was highly profitable and the business was
tempting to many entrepreneurs.
During the 1980s, Taiwanese government decided to release more authority to the public
in terms of higher education. More and more privately owned universities were established. In
1987, Taiwan terminated Martial Law and started dramatic political and social transitions. This
resulted in rising awareness of democracy and freedom with increasing numbers of private social
groups, organizations, and fellowships being established one after another. These groups have
made substantial contributions to the education system of Taiwan (Chang & Lin, 2011). For
example, the Education Reform League, established in 1994 by several private social groups,
focused on minimizing the teacher-student ratio, expanding higher education institutions, and
implementing modernized educational regulations (Wu, 2004). In 1996, building on the
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implementation of Educational Transformation Policy, a specialized team was assigned to drive
educational reformation and expansion in higher education. In the following 10 years, qualified
two-year academic and vocational colleges were encouraged to transform and upgrade into four-
year universities, which has resulted in speedy growth including the creation of 96 universities
from 1996 to 2007 (MOE, 2012). The university admission rate had also increased from 44.35%
(55,353 students) in 1994 to 89.08% (88,991 students) in 2004. As a result, higher education has
shifted from elite education to mass education in Taiwan (Chou, 2007).
Following the expansion of higher education in terms of university numbers and student
enrollments, the Taiwanese government had to deduct financial support (subsidies) for higher
education in order to reduce the central financial burden. In addition to promoting the concept of
cost sharing (Johnstone & Marcucci, 2010), the government also encouraged higher education
institutions to generate additional revenue through other methods such as fund-raising and
offering programs for professional studies (Chou, 2007). Consequently, many public and private
universities had to increase their tuition fees for the purpose of remaining financially viable. At
the same time, starting from 2000, there are 10,000 fewer births per year in Taiwan which
significantly impacts primary and secondary school enrollments and is slowly affecting higher
education, especially at private universities (Wang, 2012). Between 2000 and 2010, more than
30% private universities faced severe low enrollment problems. In order to minimize costs and
generate more revenue, some private universities hired under-qualified instructors and lowered
the entrance requirements to secure more students (Chang and Lin, 2011). Thus, the reputation
and performance of private universities is increasingly uncertain.
As of 2010, the average government subsidy to public university was approximately
NT$168,000 (USD$5,600) per student, in comparison to NT$129,000 (USD$4,300) per student
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in a private university (ET Today, 2012). Therefore, public universities have more benefits and
financial supports from the government, which has resulted in heavy reliance on enrollments and
tuition among private universities. Yet, the Taiwanese government still recognizes the core
value of education and its main mission is to provide access and equity to all students. Partial
financial support that was deducted from government subsidies had turned into scholarships,
grants, and student loans which serve minorities and students of lower-income families. An
average of 4-5% of Taiwan’s GDP is devoted to education, of which 2% is allocated to higher
education (DGBAS, 2012). However, only 10 % (of the 2%) is distributed to private universities,
leaving a greater amount of financial responsibility and sustainability to the universities
themselves. With limited support from the government, private universities have to seek other
financial resources rather than subsidies. While tuition payments represent the primary source of
operational revenue, the impacts of university expansion and low the birth rate have made
recruitment more difficult. It is predicted that 64 universities will be closed in the next twenty
years under the current circumstances. As a result, the administration of KYU realized the urge
for an organizational change to gain competitive edge in order to survive in the higher education
environment.
Importance of the Problem
In 2005, an average of 60% of the operation revenue in private universities came from
student tuition (Yang & Huang, 2007). In 2012, the same statistic increased to 80%. Therefore,
a sufficient number of enrolled students is critically related to the financial viability of a private
university. If the organizational goal is not reached, KYU could be closed in the current
economic climate. If this is the case, university staff and instructors would be unemployed;
students would be left without any way to receive the necessary skills and knowledge upon
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graduation, and students would also be forced to transfer or terminate their studies. Ultimately,
the sustainability of KYU is essential to students who are the future work force for the local
communities and Taiwanese society. If KYU finds a method to increase enrollments
successfully, it will be able to provide recommendations for management schemes, marketing
strategies and generally act as a role model to other private universities.
Purpose of the Study and Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the causes that might
inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University. The analysis
focused on causes for this problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skills, motivation,
and organizational issues. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed causes
and then by examining these systematically to focus on actual or validated causes. While a
complete gap analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholders in
this analysis were the instructors who have been requested to implement recruitment policies and
practices as part of their service to the university.
As such, the questions that guided this study were the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational causes that might inhibit
instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
2. What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge, motivation, and
organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services
at Kao Yuan University?
Methodological Framework
In order to research the potential causes and address potential solutions for the low
enrollment of students to KYU, Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis was utilized: a systematic,
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analytical method that helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the gap between the
actual performance level and the preferred performance level within an organization. Assumed
causes for the performance gap were generated based on personal knowledge and related
literature. These causes were validated using surveys, focus groups and interviews, and a
thorough literature review. Research-based solutions are included in Chapter 5, and a means to
evaluate the efficacy of these solutions is included in Chapter 6.

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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction
According to the ministry of education (MOE), at the end of 2011 there were 116
universities in Taiwan with 46 of them public and 70 private. In other words, private universities
represent two-thirds of the higher education institutions. Regarding numbers of faculty, there are
approximately 30,000 full-time instructors employed at private universities, representing three-
fifths of all full-time university instructors in Taiwan. Students at private universities represent
more than 60% of the entire university student body. As a result, private universities are core
components to the Taiwanese educational system and structure. Unlike the US, private
universities in Taiwan are fundamental education providers that serve local communities in
general, while public universities are designed to nurture and train elite students (Chen, 2005).
By providing broader access to more students, private universities have made specific
contributions to the national economic development as well as human capital cultivation.
Between 1991 and 2002, the number of four-year universities in Taiwan increased from 50 to
more than 160 (Ministry of Education, n.d.). However, the birth rate declined from 4.0 in 1970 to
2.52 in 1980, 1.81 in 1990, 1.68 in 2000 and 1.03 in 2010, resulting a significant decrease in
newborns over five years. (Ministry of statistics, n.d.). It is predicted that a decrease of 80,000
enrollments overall among universities will occur in 2015, impacting the structure and operation
of higher education, especially at private institutions that have higher costs and lower quality.
As a result of the rapid development in higher education followed by a drastic demographic
change have raised many issues, such as the growing supply (universities) and diminishing
demand (students), it is urgent for universities to create core competencies in order distinguish
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themselves and attract more students in the shrinking pool of potential market (Yeh, 2011;
IJVTE, 2013).
This chapter begins by introducing the background of higher education in Taiwan to
provide readers qith a better understanding of the current challenges. Further discussion on
private universities and their strategies to stay sustainable are also addressed. The last topic is
the unique phenomenon of how university management incorporates recruitment service into
instructors’ dutiesby evaluating it as part of an instructor’s annual performance.
Background of Higher Education in Taiwan
Education in Taiwan has always been constructed to promote economic development.
During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese developed a well-constructed educational
system and infrastructure, which has later served as the foundation for industrialization. Taiwan
had the most literate population in Asia when the Japanese left at the end of World War II (Woo,
1991). The education system established by the Japanese colonists was limited in size but
comprehensive and modern. Unlike traditional Chinese education, the Japanese introduced a
more open-minded and scientific educational system to nurture administrators who fit Japanese
job criteria. When the era of colonialism came to an end, many newly independent nations in
Africa and Asia were empowered to demand political and social development. These new
expectations involved access to education at all levels including higher education, which had
been limited to a small group of selected people (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). Other
places in the world also required more skilled and educated personnel for a variety of jobs. The
rise of service industry in the developed countries, along with social change, had all driven the
demand of higher education access significantly (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009).
Meanwhile, women began to declare their right to pursue higher education worldwide, first in the
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developing countries and later elsewhere (Keller, 2001). By the 1980s, women in much of the
world had achieved parity with men and in some countries outnumbered men (Altbach, Reisberg
& Rumbley, 2009). In Taiwan, the supply of educated laborers was geared to meet the economic
requirements by national plans after 1966; therefore, the nine-year compulsory education was
implemented in 1968 (Lee, 1992). The Legislative Yuan (Congress of Taiwan) upheld the old
constitutional requirement and requested the government to allocate 15 percent of the annual
national budget to educational sector, beginning from July 1989 (Li, 1997). The gross national
product (GNP) spent on education increased from 1.73 percent in 1951 to 3.38 percent in 1965 to
5.88 percent in 1990 (Lee, 1992). This change not only nurtured a great number of educated
laborers to foster the economic growth but also generated a huge financial burden to the
government (Li, 1997).
Education also dominates a great portion of expenditure per household in general.
According to MOE (2011), the average annual costs for a public university student was
US$9,000 ($7,008 living cost and $1,992 tuition) and US$11,285 of a private university student
($7,700 living cost and $3,585tuition). Moreover, the average national income and annual
expenditure were US$17,758 and US$12,048 per person. In other words, the cost of higher
education represents approximately 34.68% of total expenditure per household, based on a
double income family. The cost of education rises to 69.3% when sole source of income takes
place. Although education occupies a considerable portion of expenditure per household in
Taiwan, the cost of education is relatively low compare to neighboring socieities such as Japan,
Hong Kong and Singapore. According to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and
Statistics (DGBAS) of Executive Yuan (2011), GNP per capita was US$17,758 in Taiwan
compare to US$48,620 in the US, $44,900 in Japan, US$36,010 in Hong Kong and US$42,930
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in Singapore. However, the tuition cost of a US public university in general was 3 to 7 times of
that in Taiwan and the amount is even greater (3 to 9 times) when comparing with private
universities. Additionally, the average cost of tuition at a public university is 16% more in
Singapore and 35% more in Hong Kong than those in Taiwan. As a result, the cost of higher
education in Taiwan is quite an advantage in contrast to many countries.
There are three levels of the Taiwanese education system: primary, secondary and the
higher education. The nine-year compulsory education includes six-year primary school and
three-years of junior high school. Students who wish to advance their studies after the
compulsory education must take the national examination to determine whether they go on to the
academic track or the vocational track high schools (Woo, 1991; Lee, 1992; Yeh, 2011). The
higher education system can also be divided into two tracks: the liberal arts track where students
come from academic high schools and advance their studies in four-year universities; and the
vocational track, where students start from vocational high schools and proceed to vocational
colleges or universities of technology (Yeh, 2011). Vocational colleges are similar to
community colleges in the United States in that they provide a two-year higher education. These
colleges are vocationally focused and suitable for vocational high school graduates. The biggest
structural change in higher education in the past twenty years was the conversion of vocational
colleges. Between 1991 and 2010, more than 70 vocational colleges converted to four-year
universities of technology (MOE, n.d.). Today, many universities of technology in Taiwan still
provide credentials for two-year graduates, as well as credentials toward a bachelor’s degree.
The long-lasting tradition of the centralized state control has been applied to higher
education in Taiwan. The Ministry of Education routinely determines enrollment levels, tuition
rates, authorized curricula, and appointed institutional leadership (Yeh, 2011; Chiang, 2004).
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Institution autonomy is desired but is implemented slowly. Regarding national support,
government policies and decisions have always had significant influence on the higher
educational sector; especially financial support such as subsidy allocation that often directly
affects the institutional strategies and operational management. According to Chou (2006),
government subsidies represent the greatest portion (approximately 50%) of operating revenue at
public universities while tuition represents the most (74%) at private universities. As a result,
private universities that receive less support from the government, have greater pressure in terms
of sustainability and revenue generation. Moreover, the increase of governmental investment in
higher education was not fast enough to align with the rapid growth of universities: 27 in 1960,
92 in 1970, 121 in 1990 and 163 today (MOE, n.d.). Therefore, the concept of cost sharing
(Johnstone, 2004; Teixeira, Johnstone, Rosa & Vossensteyn, 2006) was adapted and financial
burden of higher education was slowly shifted from the government to consumers, leading an
expansion in the higher education sector.
In conclusion, the expansion of universities has diluted educational resources from the
government. Although the cost of higher education is relatively low compared to many countries,
the shrinking support from government has resulted in a greater financial burden for universities.
Maintaining daily operations and generating additional revenues have become burdensome tasks
for many educational leaders, and increasing tuition fees seemed to be the dominant financial
solution for many universities. From 1997 to 2007, tuition fees have increased 42.7% in public
universities and 11.3% in private universities while only 8% increase took place in salaries (Lin
& Ke, 2009). Although the access to higher education is open to almost anyone who is willing to
study, there is still a small group of underserved students who are left out from the system. They
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are mostly lower income students who are academically unqualified for the cheaper public
universities and cannot afford tuition at private universities.
Under the current entrance examination system for higher education in Taiwan, public
universities that provide better quality and cheaper tuition seem disproportionately benefit
students from middle income and wealthy families. Lower income students who cannot afford
after-school tutoring are more likely to attend private universities at a higher cost. The
differences between tuition costs have become a divider of social status, hindering access and
equity to higher education (Chou & Tseng, 2006). Making higher education equitable for all
students is an ongoing challenge for educational leaders in Taiwan.
Educational Trends
The higher education sector has always been affected by international trends. An
increasing number of students study abroad every year, in addition to the growth of overseas
branch campuses and cross-border partnerships between universities (Hugonnier, 2007). With
the influences of globalization, universities started to operate beyond their traditional physical
boundaries in a broader international community of academic institutions, scholars and research
(Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). The rise of the English language in instruction and the
use of the Internet in information exchange have created a universal means of instant contact and
simplified communication (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). One of the most visible
impacts of globalization is student mobility. More than 2.5 million students were studying
outside of their home countries in 2009 and the estimation is 8 million students by 2020 (Altbach,
Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). International students have become big business, bringing
revenues to host universities through tuition payments and other expenditures. According to
Spinks & Wong (2010), Asian students have formed the single largest sources of the world’s
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mobile students, filling student recruitment quotas for many higher education institutions in the
US and the UK. The International Institute of Education (2012) reported that in 2011/2012 the
number of international students in the United States increased 5.7% to a record high of 764,495
students, with the University of Southern California being the institution with the most
international students (9,269). There were 27,876 (2006), 28,065 (2009), and 24,818 (2011)
Taiwanese students studying in the United States in recent years. In contrast, only 367 (2006),
597 (2009) and 814(2011) students came to Taiwan from the United States to advance their
studies (IIE, 2013). Student numbers from Taiwan have been on the decline in recent years, after
peaking in 1993/94 with 37,581 students in the United States. Taiwan was the leading sender of
students to the U.S. in 1987/88 and 1988/89, before China became the leading sender.
Responding to mass demand, many transformations related to social, economic and
political reasons have taken place worldwide. Public demand was probably the most powerful
force. Higher education has become necessary for economic success, job opportunities and
social mobility in many countries (Altbach 1999; Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). Besides
student mobility, university instructors began to seek better opportunities and more earnings in
the global market. Variations in academic salaries among countries is significant. Faculty in
developing countries can barely support a middle-class lifestyle. Therefore, the global mobility
of the professorate has become another important trend (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009).
Not surprisingly, the flows tend to be from developing countries toward countries with better
economies. Having relocated, university instructors or professors work in a better conditions,
enjoy academic freedom, and receive higher incomes. Some countries such as Singapore, the
Arab Gulf nations, some western European countries, Canada and the United States have policies
in place to attract scholars and researchers from abroad (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009).
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Besides globalization, contemporary higher education has also been influence by
massification. Particularly in Asia and Latin America, private universities have been facilitating
the massive expansion in higher education (Shin & Harman, 2009). According to Ministry of
Education (2013), between 1999 and 2008; the number of colleges and universities in Taiwan
has increased from 137 to 164, and the number of university students increased from 410,000 to
987,000. In other words, the university admission rate increased from 60.45 percent to 96.28
percent. In 2007, the lowest-admitted score was 18.47 out of 300 on the entrance examination
(Dian-Fu & Yeh, 2012). While almost everyone who applied for universities was most likely to
be accepted, colleges and universities had an admissions shortfall of 4,788 students in 2009 and
6,802 in 2008 (Dian-Fu & Yeh, 2012).
Until the late 1980s, Taiwan had only one organization, the Ministry of Education,
making important decisions for all higher education institutions including enrollment levels,
tuition rates, authorized curricula, and appointing institutional leadership. The allocation of
government funding was also politically decided (Yeh, 2011; Chiang, 2004). Before 1998, the
tuition fee structure of each university, both public and private, was solely constructed by the
central government (MOE). In 1998, the Flexible Tuition Law was implemented and MOE has
not interfered with tuition policy of each university since (Lin & Ke, 2009). Universities set
their own tuition and fees based on broader guidelines set by the MOE, such as the maximum
annual increase rate of tuition. Public universities are allowed to increase tuition by 10%
maximum per year and private universities are allowed to increase 5% per year. Although the
structure of tuition and fees were mostly self-directed in each university, these strictures have
limited changes in the past 10 years.
Current Challenges
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Facing globalization and massification in the context of education, other influences such
as the low birth rate have made the education related tasks more complicated and challengeable
to educational leaders. The average number of children born per woman has been dropping
sharply in the past two decades in developed and advanced-developing counties, except for most
countries in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia (Keller, 2001). There has been a
continuous decrease in birth rate from 2.29 in 1981 to 0.86 in 2008 (Ministry of Interior, 2009).
Taiwan, for example, had a fertility rate of 3.55 in 1975 but only 2.01 in 1995. (To reproduce a
nation’s population a fertility rate of 2.1 is necessary.) In 2011, Taiwan reached the lowest
fertility rate in the world, 0.9 (VOA, 2013), followed by Macau (0.92) and Hong Kong (1.07).
Singapore, Japan and South Korea are also in the group of the world’s lowest birth rates. If the
trend continues, it is predicted that a decrease of 80,000 enrollments overall among universities
will occur in 2015 (Wu & Lin, 2010). Moreover, low birth rate and global completion have the
most influence on vocational colleges and universities of technology (Wu, 2012). A continuous
decrease in youngsters may also result a shortage in productive-aged population and increase the
burden of caring for elders on each individual (Mou & Lai, 2004). Therefore, these demographic
changes will bring significant changes to the higher education industry in Taiwan (Wu & Lin,
2010). Evidence has shown that 65 percent of private universities in Taiwan downsized between
2002 and 2007 (IJVTE, 2013). Keller (2001) identified several causes for the low birth rate
phenomena around the world. First, more people are moving into cities where children and daily
expenses cost more. Second, more and more people are adopting the concept of birth control and
the use of contraception. Third, women are getting educated and earning more opportunities in
the workplace. As a result, childbearing is no longer the priority for women but a life choice.
Some women may choose not to have children.
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With the significant decrease in birth rate, private universities that rely heavily on student
enrollments and tuition have to seek for other financial sources. However, the long-standing
tradition of centralized state control still applies to the higher education in Taiwan (Chiang,
2004). Universities are managed independently strictly but regulated by the government. The
government makes the most critical decisions about enrollment distribution, curricula, degree
requirements, as well as the tuition and fees universities are allowed to charge. (Altbach, 1999;
Chang & Lin, 2011, Chiang, 2004; Woo, 1991). Until late 1980s, the allocation of government
funding to higher education was still politically decided. The decision was made based on the
universities’ compliance with government political interests and policies rather than their
academic performance (Chiang, 2004). In the 1990s, the policy of deregulation started
unfreezing the government’s authoritarian control over universities. However, heavy regulations
and laws have been in place to restrict higher education institutions from doing something
different than what the government has required, even though they have their own resources
(Chiang, 2004; Chen, Yang & Shiau, 2006).
Current University Marketing Strategies
Domestic students represent the dominant nationality in the higher education market.
Hsiao (2006) stated that a low percentage of international students attend universities in Taiwan,
leaving room for international student enrollments to grow. There were only 1.1% of
international students studying at the National Taiwan University, 1.3% at the National Cheng
Kung University, 0.5% at the National Tsing Hua University and 1% at the National Chiao Tung
University. Compare to 8% in the University of Hong Kong, 6.1% in Beijing University, 3.8 %
in the University of Seoul and 7.8% in the University of Tokyo. If recruiting domestic students
is not effectively practiced locally, facing greater competition at the international level is
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predicted to be more challenging. Many universities in Taiwan, especially the private ones, have
started to recognize changes occurring in the context of education. Realizing the need for
innovative marketing, universities open up fto new concepts and accept challenges (Chen, 2007;
Lin, 2007; Kotler & Andreasen, 1996). In order to survive the growing competition and
decreasing market share, universities no longer operate as just educational institutions but also
business entities that provide services (teaching and learning), quality products (programs) and
demonstrate successful results (alumni and career development). As an educational institution,
differentiation from others in terms of facilities, curriculum, faculty, university culture, support
and future development is an urgent task to be completed. A variety of marketing methods have
been introduced by universities such as offering fee waivers, scholarships, future job security and
exchange student opportunities (Chen 2007). In general, the current marketing strategies
commonly used can be categorized as five directions as stated below (Chen, 2007; Wei, 2006).
1. Advertisement. Universities demonstrate facts and statistics such as graduation rate,
dropout rate, average grades and achievements through press release, public speech,
job fair, broadcast, magazine, flyer, poster and periodical journals to enhance the
university image and brand.
2. Promotion. A promotion is offered with incentives for a student. For example,
providing free accommodations, scholarships and internship opportunities for
qualified students.
3. Public relation. Community support can sometimes be very powerful for student
recruitment. Universities develop closer connection with the community through
participation in volunteered activities and sharing resources (classroom, sport
facility).
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4. Face-to-face marketing. Universities take advantage of the face-to-face
opportunities such new student orientation and campus-tour to market the school.
Other demonstrations are done through public seminars and the alumni network
5. Social media. Website, email, cold calls and instant messages are all popular
methods used by universities to spread information. The concept of marketing also
shifted from the product-focused era in the 80s to service and branding age
nowadays (Wei, 1996).
Despite of the various marketing strategies incorporated by universities, common
challenges existed in many private vocational universities such as Kao Yuan University. These
include the passive attitude among university staff and faculty, insufficient performance of the
recruitment office, similar recruitment strategies across universities in the same region,
inadequate recruitment training, lack of financial and human resources and lack of
comprehensive marketing strategies, implementation and evaluation (Chen 2013 & Wei 2006).
It is essential for university leaders to overcome internal obstacles before they face even greater
tests. While lack of financial and human resources is the existing condition, how to develop the
university’s uniqueness and apply effective marketing strategies according to different market
segments (student needs) is the key to succeed in recruitment competition (Lin, 2002).
Private Universities
The growth of private universities worldwide has been one of the most remarkable
developments in the history of higher education. Approximately 30% of the global higher
education enrollment is in private institutions. Countries with over 70% enrollment in private
institutions include Indonesia, Japan, The Philippines and the Republic of Korea. Other
countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Chile have more than half private enrollments. Moreover,
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private universities are rapidly expanding in Central and Eastern Europe, and in the countries of
the former Soviet Union, as well as in Africa (Altbach, 1999; Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley,
2009). This exceptional growth is mainly due to the inability and unwillingness of governments
to provide the necessary support for public higher education (Altbach, 1999; Altbach, Reisberg
& Rumbley, 2009). Although private universities share the same roots with the public ones, they
have some unique features. The most important characteristic is their financial structure. Most
private universities are responsible for their own funding while in some counties, India for
example, large numbers of private universities (more than 2,000) are financed by the public
funds (Altbach, 1999). Tuition payments represent the majority of financial resources in many
private universities. This requires careful planning regarding student enrollments, the cost per
student and expenditure. Miscalculation may lead to severe survival problems (Altbach, 1999).
Other sources of income include research funds, sale of university-related products, endowments,
consulting and research services and the university-industry linkage (Altbach, Reisberg &
Rumbley, 2009). Educational institutions are mainly non-profit. The concept of making profit
has not been accepted in most of countries. Traditionally, private universities were founded by
religious groups whose major motivation was to entrench Christianity. In other cases, private
universities may be established by wealthy individuals, often family dominated, through boards
of trustees. Ownership groups such as trustees or governors have the power to appoint their own
descendants and their authority often persists over an extended period of time (Altbach, Reisberg
& Rumbley, 2009). In the United States, private universities are ranked from the top prestigious
universities to some of the bottom for-profit unaccredited ones. However, 80% of the high
education students attend public higher education institutions and that number has been stable
over the years. Conversely, in many Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, the Republic of
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Korea, Indonesia and The Philippines, public universities dominate the most prestigious levels of
the system while private universities have the most share volume (Altbach, 1999).
Private universities dominate Taiwanese higher education in terms of student enrollments
(80% of students in higher education) and faculty numbers (Chang & Lin, 2011; Altbach, 1999).
However, these universities lack autonomy even though the dominant source of their revenue is
self-funded. Private universities receive funds from the government in much lower per capita
amounts. They get only 26.4% of the higher education budget in contrast to public universities
(Altbach 1999; MOE n.d.). In order to stay sustainable, private universities are forced to think
and act like companies in order to enhance competitiveness and to keep business (IJVET, 2013).
However, since private universities have been protected and restricted by the government in
Taiwan, educational providers have become very conservative, and faculty performance has
become quite inefficient in teaching and researching; impacting the universities’ reputation and
education quality (Chen, Yang & Shiau, 2006). Despite these factors, private universities now
facing severe competition and there is a need to reform university operations and develop
strategic management tools if they want to stay in business (Binsardi & Ekwulugo, 2003; Mok,
2003; Chen, Yang & Shiau, 2006; Diaconu & Dinescu, 2012; IJVET, 2013). Yeh (2011) stated
that the private sector often applies similar management strategies and marketing tools in
competing with each other, and colleges can only survive by creating core competencies. Hence,
private universities are eager to position themselves well in the academic system since their
survival depends on being able to attract students and offering programs that are appealing and
appropriate (Altbach, 1999). However, it takes a long time to build up an academic reputation
and status, especially in developing countries where newer private universities cluster at the
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bottom of the hierarchy. As a result, organizations need to have the flexibility to accommodate
complex challenges and seek for a balance between stability and change (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Instructors’ Evaluations
Along with the increasingly competitive higher education environment, it is many private
universities’ priority to maintain (or increase if possible) student enrollments in order to stay
financially sustainable. In Taiwan, the average number of student enrollments in private
universities ranges from 5,001 to 10,000 (IJVTE, 2013). According to Maringe (2006), post-
graduate applicants are no longer passive consumers but rather discerning consumers in the
higher education marketing place. Universities seeking to reposition themselves in the new
higher education environment must demonstrate sensitivity to all possible variables that may
relate to economic, social and global changes. The objective has driven university leaders to
focus on recruitment and marketing strategies; and to involve more staff, including instructors, in
recruitment related tasks (UDN, 2013).
In 1994, the university system in Taiwan underwent a major change. The Legislative
Yuan (Taiwanese congress) passed a new University Act in January, 1994, which changed the
traditional faculty ranking and tenure system (MOE, 2013). The new system was consistent with
the American system, with a sequence where candidates are Instructors, Assistant Professors,
Associate Professors and Professors (Li, 1997). There was no tradition of a tenure system,
although faculty had significant job secuirty. Instead, faculty contracts were annually based. If a
faculty passed two renewals, the university provided the same annual contract continually unless
the faculty resigned or exhibited intolerable conduct. In other words, faculty would be virtually
tenured after two renewals and it was virtually impossible to terminate a faculty member even
with poor performance. The new University Act abandoned this benefit and allowed individual
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universities to form their own tenure systems. With the newly developed tenure systems in many
universities, the criteria for being hired or promoted to Associate or full Professor became more
strict. Only full Professors, who pass the entire promotion review process, become officially
tenured.
Generally, the three missions of a modern university include teaching, research, and
public service, and these are applied as the evaluation indicators to faculty’s performance (Li,
1997; Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). In Taiwan, the Ministry of Education (MOE)
oversees every faculty appointment or promotion in a higher educational institution. The
Departmental Faculty Evaluation Committee (DFEC) evaluates the promotion of a faculty based
on a point system. In general, the system assigns 60 percent of the evaluation to research work,
20 percent to teaching, 20 percent to service (Li, 1997). The work of research may include
published papers, books, and project reports during the last five years or less. Teaching involves
years of teaching, instructional contents, teaching award received and student evaluation, and so
on. Service is based on the years of service provided by the applicant during his/her current rank
position, as well as the types and outcomes of volunteer work relating to one’s university,
college, department, or own profession (Li, 1997). Many private universities now incorporate
recruitment-related tasks as part of the service component of the evaluation, challenging the
perception and willingness of university faculty to contribute to these activities. Traditionally,
faculty have been viewed as individuals whose duty is to teach and pursue research (Chen, 2007).
Therefore, marketing the university was never a concern for faculty in the past.
Gap Analysis Framework
The gap analysis framework is designed to assess problems through a review of
knowledge and skills, motivation and organization (Clark & Estes, 2008). A gap is the
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comparison of actual performance with goal performance in any of these categories; it reveals
areas that can be improved (Clark & Estes, 2008). Gap analysis involves identifying the root
causes of the gap(s), determining, documenting and approving the difference between the goal
requirement and current stage of performance. Recommendations are made to address the root
causes and improve individual and group performance that will provide a greater return to the
organization (Clark & Estes, 2008). In the case of KYU, the university can identify the
instructors’ performance deficiencies through gap analysis in knowledge and skills, motivation
and organization areas. Literature review and benchmarking based recommendations and
implementation plans will be applied to the organization for performance improvement.
Knowledge
Knowledge refers to the ideas or understandings that an entity creates and/or possesses
that are used to take effective action to achieve the entity’s goals (Yeh, 2011). It can be
categorized as factual, conceptual, procedural or metacognitive dependent upon the complexity
needed to process information (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Identifying knowledge gaps in
instructors’ recruitment performances allows KYU to understand the type of knowledge based
resources that are missing and needed to be enhanced among instructors’ during their recruitment
trainings. Knowledge is considered the most strategically important resource and learning the
most strategically important capability for business organizations. However, being able to
explicitly articulate the link between knowledge and strategy has always been challenging (Zack,
1999). Therefore, in the case of KYU, particular attention was paid to procedural and
metacognitive knowledge domains such as strategic recruitment mechanism, assessment and
evaluation ability, since instructors’ were not traditionally trained to be recruiters who work with
sales and marketing related tasks. Instructors should be encouraged to understand the strength of
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KYU such as faculty specialties, practical programs offered, industry cooperation and internship
opportunities.
Motivation
Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors
(Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett & Norman, 2010). It is what causes us to act, whether it is
a small goal like exercising to lose few pounds or a long-term objective such as completing a
degree. Motivation is comprised of three major aspects of active choice, persistence and mental
effort, and should be shaped by sociocultural, environmental and internal factors (Clark & Estes,
2006; Dembo & Seli, 2012). Employees are motivated intrinsically as well as extrinsically.
Intrinsic motivation is crucial when tacit knowledge in and between teams must be transferred
(Osterloh & Frey, 2000). Recognizing key mediators that will act as stimulus to encourage
instructors at KYU for mental efforts in recruitment services is essential. Especially when large
amounts of knowledge are involved and need to be transferred between individual instructors,
intrinsic motivation cannot be overlooked. According to Locke (1996), goal-setting effects are
quite robust, typically yielding a success rate of 90%, even including studies that made
methodological and/or theoretical errors. As an organization leader, identifying the correlations
between individual goals and organizational goal may increase intrinsic motivation as well as the
overall performance from an individual level to the organizational level.
Organization
An organization is a social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need
or to pursue collective goals. It also involves an assessment of the external environmental
factors within which the organization operates (Rueda, 2011). For Asian countries like China,
Taiwan, Japan and Korea, cultural influences are usually highly involved in the daily operations
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and management. Ravasi & Schultz (2006) stated that organizational culture is a set of shared
mental agreements that guide interpretation and action in organizations by defining appropriate
behavior for various situations. Based on this concept, instructors are viewed as prestigious
academic individuals who contribute an area of expertise in education in Taiwan, and they are
expected to teach. For KYU to challenge the concept of being an instructor and enforce
recruitment related tasks as part of the instructors’ duty, it is essential to promote its own
organizational culture.
The gap analysis framework informed recommendations, implementation plans and
evaluation approaches to address goal discrepancies and improve instructors’ performance in
recruitment services at KYU. By looking into root causes related to knowledge and skills,
motivation and organizational perspectives, literature based solutions are provided in Chapter 5
to close the identified gap(s) and strengthen the university’s sustainability.
Conclusion
As the world changed into a knowledge-based economy, the achievement of a nation’s
higher education system has become one of the indicators for international competitiveness
(Altbach, 2004; Yang, 2003). In order to meet the new challenges, universities must reconstruct
their operations, management and policies to accommodate the changes. Taiwanese universities,
as part of the competition, need to consider a number of internal and external influences that may
challenge the university’s sustainability. The use of gap analysis model (Clark & Estes, 2008)
identified gaps of knowledge, motivation and organization in recruitment services among
instructors at KYU while offering possible solutions to increase student enrollment and sustain
the university’s operations. Chapter 3 addresses the methodology, assumed causes and the
context in which KYU finds itself suffering from low student enrollment.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study was to identify strategies to increase instructors’ performance
in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University (KYU) through gap analysis (Clark & Estes,
2008), a systematic analytical method that helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the
gap between the actual and the preferred level of performance by focusing on knowledge and
skills, motivation and organizational barriers within an organization. As a private, self-
supporting university, the number of enrolled students is critically related to the financial
viability of KYU. Tuition income represents 80% of operating revenue at KYU. In other words,
if the expected enrollment is not reached, operations at KYU will most likely need to be
terminated by the board of sponsors in the current economic climate. Recruitment service
represents one-third of an instructor’s performance in additional to teaching and research. If the
instructors’ performance in recruitment service is increased, the number of enrollments will also
likely increase. As a result, it is critical to validate possible causes that may affect instructors’
performance. Instructors at KYU are stakeholder group at the heart of this study.
Guiding Questions
For practical purpose, a combination of methodologies was used for the study. Patton
(1999) suggests that triangulation enhances accuracy of a study. Therefore, quantitative and
qualitative methods were both utilized to validate knowledge and skills, motivation and
organizational causes of instructors’ performance gaps at Kao Yuan University. As such, the
questions that guide this study were the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational causes that might inhibit
instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
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2. What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge, motivation, and
organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services
at Kao Yuan University?
Project Approach
The gap analysis framework was used to guide the study. The process included
understanding and diagnosing performance gaps, as well as implementing solutions and
evaluation afterwards (Clark & Estes, 2008). Assumed causes for the performance gap were
generated based on personal knowledge and related literature. These causes were validated by
using surveys, focus groups and interviews, literature review and document analysis. On this
basis, research-based solutions are recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive manner in
the chapters below. The gap analysis process is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Gap analysis model. Adapted from Clark and Estes (2008)

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Assumed Causes of the Performance Gap
When seeking solutions to problems, individuals tend to rely on their folk knowledge of
the problem and jump to solutions without validating their presumed causes. As a result of their
assumptions, people often omit root causes for performance gaps. The gap analysis framework
(Clark & Estes, 2008) evaluates causes in an evidence-based manner. This involves identifying
information based on a) personal knowledge or interviews, b) learning, motivation and
organizational/culture theory, and c) review of the literature on the specific topic under question.
Through each of these categories, the knowledge, motivation and organizational causes are
identified.
Scanning interviews / personal knowledge. Based on conversations conducted with
current instructors at KYU, the assumed causes impacting instructors’ performance are identified
in three categories: knowledge and skills, motivation and organization.
Knowledge and skills. Instructors at KYU have never been trained for recruitment-
related tasks. Thus, they lack necessary knowledge and skills to promote the university by
utilizing marketing tools or creating recruitment channels. Moreover, instructors lack knowledge
to identify potential student groups. They may not understand the interests and demands of
current high school students since instructors are accustomed to teaching and interacting with
university students. It may be a challenge for instructors to raise topics and address issues that
attract the attention of high school students. In addition, instructors have limited knowledge
about the strengths and weaknesses of competitors institutions. Vice versa, they are not aware of
KYU’s characteristics such as the program varieties, geographic advantages and student
performance in comparison to other universities. Therefore, they may not be able to give
effective speeches that encourage more feedback and acknowledgement from the audiences.
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Instructors may also lack knowledge to efficiently evaluate their own performance in order to
achieve a better result.
Motivation. Since the management team of KYU has made a decision to include
recruitment service as part of the instructor evaluation indicators three yeas ago, instructors have
no choice but to recruit as part of their service commitment. Each instructor, including the
director of each department, is asked to fulfill 30 points related to recruitment tasks on their
performance sheet. Each point represents recruitment activities such as “visiting two
neighboring high schools” or “conducting an introductory speech”. However, performance
evaluation is quantity based rather than quality based. Instructors may receive all the necessary
points on a performance card without delivering a meaningful message that will affect a potential
student’s decision when choosing university programs. Based on informal conversation and
personal knowledge, instructors have no interests in recruitment related tasks. They perform to
fulfill the school requirement and gain desired points on evaluation sheets. In other words, the
organizational goal does not align with the stakeholders’ goal. As a result, instructors may have
difficulty in maintaining good performance. Instructors may also have no confidence in
achieving the objective since recruitment is not their expertise.
Organization. With limited financial support from the government, it is essential for
KYU to operate with current resources without incurring additional costs. One of the operational
strategies is to maximize the use of human resources by assigning recruitment related tasks to
instructors in addition to recruitment officers. However, further training was not provided while
extra workload was assigned. Although periodic meetings and workshops have been conducted,
the use of rewards and recognition is limited. Moreover, neither an effective grading system nor
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task guidance is provided to enhance performance, so instructors are demotivated to give
additional mental effort and improve their performance.
Learning and motivation theory. There is a range of factors that may affect
organizational performance. For example, Clark and Estes (2008) identify choice, persistence
and mental effort as the behavioral manifestation of motivation. In the following paragraphs,
knowledge, motivation and organization barriers will be discussed further to address a variety of
challenges faced by organizations.
Knowledge and skills. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) divide different types of
knowledge into four general scopes including the factual, conceptual, procedural and
metacognitive dimension. In order to effectively identify the possible causes and generate
solutions to close the instructors’ performance gap, it is essential to focus on all knowledge types.
Factual knowledge. Factual knowledge refers to knowledge of specific terminology,
basic details and elements required to solve problems within a discipline (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). In a classroom setting, teachers often use multiple choice and matching
exercise in order to assess students’ ability in recognizing basic elements within a particular
subject. As a result, assessment through survey questions will be used to determine whether
improvement of factual knowledge is needed. Instructors mush be familiar with basic data such
as programs types, demographic information and graduation rates in order to communicate
effectively during recruitment events with the audiences. The school cannot assume that all
instructors are familiar with basic data, especially since instructors have never been trained for
recruitment services. Factual knowledge also includes information such as competitors’
characteristics and their advantages and disadvantages in comparison to Kao Yuan University.
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Conceptual knowledge. Conceptual knowledge includes the knowledge of classifications,
categories and knowing how to organize these forms and the relationships between them
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Instructors at KYU may not be able to identify characteristics
of potential students as well as using different types of strategies to attract potential students.
Although instructors have a great amount of prior knowledge in teaching, lecturing and
interacting with students, how to activate the most accurate prior knowledge that fits recruitment
presentation is quite critical. Furthermore, learning can be hindered by prior knowledge,
especially when prior knowledge such as personal beliefs, values, perceptions and concept
models are insufficient or inaccurate to the learning requirement (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro,
Lovett, & Norman, 2010). Hence, a survey and in-depth interviews were conducted to validate
the instructors’ conceptual knowledge.
Procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge refers to knowledge of skills, algorithms,
techniques and methods. In other words, it is the knowledge of how to do something (Anderson
& Krathwohl, 2001). Instructors may lack procedural knowledge to develop relationships with
neighboring high schools and they may not know how to conduct cooperative events. Most
importantly, they may not know how to seek help when needed. Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro,
Lovett and Norman (2010) noted that stereotypes arise within a group of where everyone is
being judged according to stereotypes. Regardless of ability, the sense of threat will negatively
affect individual performance, self-confidence and prior-task preparation. Instructors may feel
embarrassed to acknowledge their worries and weakness among peers or to bring it up during
group meetings. Therefore, in order to retrieve more precise answers, forming questions that
make the interviewee more comfortable is important. It will be helpful to address questions by
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asking an individual’s opinion about others’ behavior such as “tell me about how your colleagues
seek for help when needed?”
Metacognitive knowledge. Knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses on particular tasks
increases learning. In other words, it is important for learners to have accurate perceptions and
judgments of their knowledge base and expertise than to have inflated or inaccurate self-
knowledge (Pintrich and Schunk, 1996). For example, if a learner does not recognize the
existence of missing factual knowledge, it is unlikely he or she will make additional effort to
learn new materials. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) suggest that accurate assessment
associated with metacognitive knowledge must be conducted through group activities and
discussions rather than paper and pencil measurements. Consequently, informal conversation
and interviews will be conducted as assessment to metacognitive knowledge.
Motivation. Motivation refers to the degree of investment and engagement of an
individual in reaching a desired goal (Meyer, 1997). The following discussion focuses on
validation of motivation causes based on motivational pyramid model outlined by Clark and
Estes (2008). The framework includes active choice, mental effort and persistence. A summary
of the motivational causes is listed in Table 10.
Active choice. Instructors have made a choice to recruit in a passive approach since
recruitment service represents one-third of the instructors’ performance and acts as an indicator
on the performance evaluation. However, instructors may not value recruitment as much as
teaching and research in terms personal responsibility and achievement. In other words,
instructors may not consider themselves accountable for recruitment related tasks and may not
have common goals aligned with the organization. Further validation occurred through survey
questions, informal conversations and interviews.
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Mental effort. Bandura (1997) defined perceived self-efficacy as personal judgment of
one’s capability to reach designated goals focusing on result and outcome measurements. The
concept of self-efficacy has long being recognized by educators in the school setting where a
student’s academic performance is highly related to his/her belief in their own academic
capabilities (Zimmerman, 2000). It was assumed that instructors at KYU have low self-efficacy
in achieving the performance goal regarding recruitment practice, since they have never been
trained for related tasks. Instructors may attribute their failure to uncontrollable causes such as
low birth rate and limited financial resource. Therefore, instructors are less likely to seek help
when needed. Self-efficacy and attributions can both be powerful impacts on one’s success and
failure; the two also closely affect one another (Dembo & Seli, 2012). Thus, informal
conversation, survey questions and interviews will be needed to further confirm the assumed
causes.
Persistence. Persistence indicates one’s willingness to continuously practice or perform a
particular task when it becomes boring, difficult or unchallenging. The challenge is how to
control persistence when the given task may be varied in a practical situation. For example, in
an academic setting, students have to learn how to persist when a variety of academic tasks are
assigned (Dembo & Seli, 2012). It is assumed that leaders of KYU do not act as role models by
showing effort in recruitment tasks even though the university policy is heavily weighted toward
recruitment and marketing focus. Instructors may not be motivated with limited commitment
and support.
Organization. The designated goal cannot be achieved without adequate process and
tangible materials, even though exceptional knowledge, skills and motivation are in place (Clark
& Estes, 2008). This following paragraphs focus on the assumed organizational causes
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regarding work process and material resources; further analysis into areas such as organizational
culture and organizational changes is discussed below.
Work processes. Processes are performed and managed by individuals doing various jobs
(Rummler & Brache, 2012). The organizational goal can be achieved by a system of interacting
processes that involve people, equipment and materials to operate successfully (Clark & Estes,
2008). Instructors at KYU were not trained for recruitment services; therefore, they have limited
knowledge, skills and motivation in achieving the goal. Moreover, it was assumed that clear
guidance of how departments work together or how instructors assist each other was not
provided. Further validation through survey questions, informal conversation and interview
were conducted.
Material resources. An organization needs tangible supplies and equipment to achieve
the goal. It was assumed that instructors at KYU received limited support in recruitment
materials and equipment. For example, most of recruitment materials and equipment are not
portable. If the on-campus tour (KYU campus) is arranged for a group of potential students,
instructors will be able to present student portfolio, demonstrate the integration between
curriculum, equipment and technology. Conversely, instructors who recruit off campus have no
advantages in showing the KYU facilities and learning environment, besides describing it
verbally.
Organizational culture. Organizational culture can be described as the beliefs, values,
goals, feelings or an understanding of who we are, what we value, how we do and what we do
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Cook & Yanow, 1993). This study occurred three years after the
implementation of instructors’ roles in recruitment service; however, instructors at KYU seemed
to have difficulties in accepting this particular task as part of their responsibilities. It was
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assumed that negative sentiments stemmed from the lack of incentives for instructors doing
additional work, especially when they had no authority over the university policy change.
Passive involvement and low levels of commitment demonstrated by the university leaderships
may also lead to discouragement. Further validation occurred through interviews and surveys.
Organizational change. There is no best process for all organizations at all stages of
development. Organizations need to have the flexibility to accommodate complex challenges
and seek for a balance between stability and change (Clark & Estes, 2008). It was assumed that
the value of the recruitment service was not properly articulated for the instructors at KYU; top
management was not involved in the recruitment service to the extent expected and adequate
support such as knowledge, skills and feedback were not provided while the new policy
implemented. Therefore, instructors at KYU were not enthusiastic about recruitment services.
Through observation, interviews and surveys, the assumed causes will be further validated.
Assumed causes from the review of the literature. The following section summarizes
the assumed causes found for knowledge, motivation and culture based on the literature review.
Knowledge and skills. According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), the first two
stages of the cognitive process are recognizing and recalling, which are also closely related to
factual knowledge. Techniques such as providing hints to given questions help students retrieve
prior knowledge or learned information from their long-term memory. As a result, integrating
small quizzes and matching-board exercise into the recruitment training sessions could be very
helpful in strengthening memorization of facts, statistics and other factual information. Other
graph organizers such as a checklist including performance criteria or a guidance addressing
what to do and what not to do during the recruitment events will also help instructors better
assess self-knowledge and make adjustments accordingly.
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On the other hand, how to activate the most useful prior knowledge is quite critical to
learning. Rehearsal enhances instructors’ understanding of what strategies to use for different
tasks. Developing trust in the university, especially between instructors, is another useful
method to reduce learning problems. Instructors may be more comfortable sharing personal
experience in group meetings, if university leaders take the initiative by asking leading questions
and addressing difficulties they have encountered during recruitment services.
Motivation. According to Dembo and Seli (2012), research indicates that internal factors
such as personal beliefs and perceptions are key factors in understanding motivation behaviors.
If instructors value recruitment and believe they can perform well, they are more likely to try
hard and make progress until a satisfactory result is achieved. As a result, value enhancement in
recruitment service is recommended. It is essential for KYU leaders to deliver the message of
how recruitment service and its outcomes relate to the instructors’ lives. Although there are
many applications that can be used to increase value, providing rewards and setting common
goals may be more suitable to the KYU scenario.
Several methods focusing on self-efficacy improvement can also be applied to increase
learning. KYU leaders may start providing training lessons, acknowledging successful
individuals among instructors, and building a monitoring system that divides recruitment
services into small phases. Once the short-term goals are achieved, self-confidence and self-
efficacy will most likely to be increased. Instructors will also learn to make adjustments and
request help when necessary. Furthermore, instructors will be able to interpret success and
failure in a more corrective way in the future when challenges occur. As mentioned above, more
recognition on individual performance is recommended in order to encourage additional mental
efforts. More commitment by leadership is also critical to the university spirit. Instructors will
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be more interested in joining recruitment services if KYU leaders take the leading position and
demonstrate their effort in recruitment related tasks.
Organization. According to Clark and Estes (2008), part of the performance
improvement task is to identify and fix the process barriers. Tangible supplies and equipment
are also needed to achieve the goal. It is suggested that directors of each department take the
leading position and divide fellow instructors into teams of separate responsibilities. Teams will
then work together following a guided procedure. Regarding material resources, it is
recommended to design student testimonial videos, printed handouts and establish an account on
Facebook, Twitter or other social networking platforms that allow students to view and
experience KYU. These material resources will also enhance standardization of each instructor’s
recruitment presentation in terms of quality and content.
On the other hand, trust increases the spread of commitment (Clark & Estes, 2008). If
the circle of trust is further developed in the organization, stakeholders will be more willing to
adapt the new process and change their behaviors in order to reach the expected result. Giving
rewards and recognition periodically, providing immediate feedback and encouraging teamwork
will smooth the hierarchical structure at KYU. More involvement in recruitment service by the
university leadership can also be inspiring. Instructors will be more interested in joining
recruitment service if the KYU leaders take the leading position and demonstrate their effort in
recruitment related tasks.
Summary
Summary tables of knowledge, motivation and organizational problems and their
corresponding assumed causes are found in Appendix A. These tables include sample and
population size, instrumentation, process of data collection, and the data analysis. Methods used
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to collect data were surveys, interviews, observations, and document analysis. The conclusion of
data analysis provided recommendations and solutions that, when implemented, should increase
instructors’ performance in recruitment services and reach the goal of demonstrating 100%
performance by 2015.
Sample and Population
Kao Yuan University (KYU), located in Southern Taiwan by the Southern Taiwan
Science Park, is a private university that staffed 310 instructors and approximately 8000 students
currently. The primary focus of data collection was to determine challenges instructors face in
recruitment service at KYU and how the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
setting affected their recruitment performances. Therefore, the unit of analysis was the
instructors. In order to triangulate the data gathered from instructors, 310 instructors were asked
to answer survey questions and 10 instructors, including some department directors (among the
310 instructors), were selected by the Chief Secretary of KYU for in-person interview. A link to
online survey questionnaires was sent to instructors’ registered university email accounts. The
result of survey was studied and interviews were conducted based on individual appointment for
in depth information.
Instrumentation
For practical purposes, a combination of methodologies was used for the study. Patton
(1997) suggests that triangulation enhances accuracy of a study. Therefore, a survey was used as
the quantitative approach and in-person interviews were used as the qualitative approach.
Observation and informal conversation were also conducted throughout the process while the
researcher visits Kao Yuan University.
Survey
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In order to gather a broad understanding of the instructors’ perception in recruitment
service, a survey was created. The language used for the survey was the official language in
Taiwan, that is Mandarin Chinese. It was formed in a simple and clear sentence structure.
Completion time was predicted to be no more than 20 minutes. None of the basic demographics
such as gender and age were collected. The survey remained anonymous in order to promote
honest responses and to protect the participants.
Interview
In order to triangulate data, interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. Ten
instructors, identified as the high achievers in recruitment services by the Chief Secretary, were
selected to participate in-person interviews. All interviewees were asked the same set of
questions in order to avoid leading perceptions. The questions pertained to potential gaps
identified in the literature review with regards to motivation, knowledge and organization. In
addition, a brief analysis of responses gathered from the survey generated more specific
questions, which were added to the original interview questions and enhanced the accuracy of
the instrument.
Observation
Observations took place simultaneously with the interviews every time when the
researcher visited KYU. Information gathered from informal conversation with the university
staff, students, instructors and leaders was taken into account as a source of data. The researcher
participated, as an observer, in one set of recruitment activities on the KYU campus to collect
first-hand information such as reactions and feedback from the prospective students. The Gap
Analysis Case Validation Method Worksheet, located in Appendix B, lists the instrumentation
type for each assumed cause.
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Data Collection
In late November in 2013, following the University of Southern California’s Institutional
Review Board approval, 310 instructors at KYU received survey questions via email on behalf of
the researcher. Survey questions were uploaded to Qualtrics where all instructors had direct
access to it. An email explaining the purpose of survey was sent out to all instructors
individually through the researcher’s personal account, since all instructors have the skill and
technology needed to enter the online survey. Responses returned in a week for the first phase
analysis. Ten instructors from different departments were purposefully selected to participate in
the conversational interview. The interview guide was limited to ten questions and one hour
maximum, based on the assumed causes and categorized by knowledge and skills, motivation
and organization. Interviews were conducted in person, in Mandarin Chinese, by individual
appoints with the interviewees, and was recorded and transcribed.
Data Analysis
Data was analyzed and coding based on whether the gap was caused by lack knowledge
and skills. Types of knowledge were coded as factual, procedural, conceptual, and
metacognitive knowledge. When examining whether there was a lack of motivation, variables
were identified as active choice, persistence, metal effort, self-efficacy, value, intersest and goal
orientation. When examining organization and culture, work process, material resources,
organizational culture and organizational change were analyzed.

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CHAPTER 4
REPORT OF FINDINGS
Introduction
The case study was developed to investigate assumed causes that may affect instructors’
performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University (KYU). The assumed causes
detailed in Chapter 3 were categorized into knowledge and skills, motivation and organizational
dimensions. In order to validate assumed causes, the study used a mixed method approach,
including both quantitative and qualitative methods. A survey was used to gather quantitative
data while interviews collected qualitative information. Both the survey and interview questions
were designed to seek answers for the identified gaps in knowledge and skills, motivation and
organizational culture. Potential solutions to address validated causes of the gaps are presented
in Chapter 5.
Following the University of Southern California’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)
approval, both the survey and the interviews were conducted in late November in 2013. Ten
interviews were conducted within two days on campus at the Kao Yuan University (KYU). The
survey was distributed to 310 instructors via email a few days prior to the interviews and
continued to collect data over a month. Given the anonymous nature of the survey it provided an
opportunity for participants to express additional comments that could be helpful in triangulating
data collected during the interview.
This chapter begins with an overview of the study population and then presents findings
from the data collection, organized around the themes of knowledge and skills, motivation and
organization. Survey and interview results are presented in separate sections in each theme,
followed by summary and synthesis. In the knowledge domain, the data indicated that most
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respondents are familiar with the university background and potential students. They also have
adequate knowledge and skills in terms of promoting KYU to their targeted students. However,
some instructors may need more assistance to perform effectively in recruitment services and to
evaluate their own performance accurately. In terms of motivation gaps, both survey results and
the interviews revealed that more support and resources are needed to improve recruitment
performance. Data also confirms the importance of developing long-term relationship with a
targeted group of high schools. Lastly, findings suggest that establishing a common goal within
the organization is needed.
Participating Stakeholders
An online survey was distributed to 310instructors including department directors at
KYU. It contained 27 questions that could be completed in twenty minutes or less. For the
purpose of keeping research confidential, the survey did not ask for any information that would
identify respondents. Questions such the participants’ age, sex, nationality, years of university-
level teaching or years of being an instructor at KYU were excluded from the survey.
In terms of responses, 77 participants started the survey and 70 completed the
instrument—representing 22% of the total instructor population. Within the 70 respondents,
24% were from the College of Engineering, 23% from the College of Mechatronic Engineering,
27% from the College of Business and Management, 16% from the College of Informatics, 8%
from the College of General Education and 1% did not indicated their affiliation (see Figure 2).

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Figure 2. Responses by colleges

In addition, Dr. Zong-Han Chang, who is the Chief Secretary of KYU, appointed ten
participants including himself to serve as interviewees for the case study. They were either
senior instructors or department directors identified as high achievers in recruitment services.
The interviews were conducted and recorded in Chinese, and were subsequently transcribed and
translated by the researcher for further study. Each interview lasted approximately 40-60
minutes.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
In Chapter 3, a list of assumed causes was generated. The assumed causes relating to
knowledge gaps were classified according to factual, procedural, conceptual and metacognitive
dimensions (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Informal conversation with KYU instructors
suggested they (a) do not know the advantages and disadvantages of own school and competitor
schools (factual knowledge), (b) cannot distinguish active and inactive recruitment activities
(conceptual knowledge), (c) are unable to identify the characteristics of the potential students
0 10 20 30
Other (1%)
College of General Education (8%)
College of Informatics (16%)
College of Business and Management
(27%)
College of Mechatronic Engineering
(23%)
College of Engineering (24%)
Response Rate by Colleges
% of Respondents
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(conceptual knowledge), (d) do not know how to conduct effective recruitment activities
(procedural knowledge), and (e) are unable to reflect own performances and make adjustments
(metacognitive knowledge). The gap analysis methodology sought to validate these assumed
causes. Survey results indicated a lack of metacognitive knowledge among instructors to
effectively assess their own performance in recruitment services. Although several indicators
were used to assess recruitment performance, instructors’ perceptions of these approaches varied.
The results were further validated through interviews when respondents provide different
opinions on how to assess and improve recruitment services.
Survey Results
The use of a six-point Likert scale survey allowed participants to provide answers based
on their perspectives about the topic inquiry. Survey scale ranged from “Strongly disagree,”
“Disagree,” and “Somewhat disagree,” to “somewhat agree,” “agree” and “strongly agree.” For
statistical and calculation purposes, these categories were also numbered as 1 = Strongly disagree,
2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Somewhat agree, 5 = Agree and 6 = Strongly agree.
Although relatively few survey questions related to instructors’ awareness in assessing their own
performance, the section below presents a synthesis of the key themes in their responses.
One of the assumed causes related to metacognitive knowledge was “Instructors are
unable to reflect own performances and make adjustments”. Table 1 summarizes survey
statements corresponding to metacognitive knowledge in terms of self-assessment methods.

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Table 1
Knowledge Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statement/ Knowledge (I assess my own performance…) M SD
According to the number of students enrolled (M) 4.09 1.13
By asking for others’ opinions (M) 4.07 1.05
According to the number of points earned on the evaluation sheet (M) 3.85 1.18
Through comparisons with colleagues (M) 3.82 0.99

The statement with the highest mean of 4.09 asked if an instructor assesses their own
performance in recruitment services according to the number of students enrolled, followed by
asking others’ opinions (M=4.07), points earned on the evaluation sheet (M=3.85) and
comparing with colleagues (M=3.82). The result suggested that student enrollment was the most
preferable indicator used to assess own performance among instructors. However, other
indicators such as “asking others their opinions”, “points earned on the evaluation sheet” and
“comparing with colleagues” are also taken into consideration. On the other hand, variability of
these statements was relatively high. Instructors have very different perceptions toward these
assessment indicators and none of these statements appealed to be a priority chosen method by
the instructors.
Summary of knowledge survey. Based on the survey results, several indicators were
used to assess recruitment performance according to the respondents. “Number of students
enrolled” appealed to be the most chosen indicator while “comparing own performance with
colleagues” was the least favorable. However, a wide range of variability implied there is a lack
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of metacognitive knowledge among instructors in terms of how to effectively assess own
performance in recruitment services.
Findings from Interviews
The majority of the data collected to validate assumed causes in the knowledge and skills
domain came from interviews. The Interviews asked participants about their knowledge and
understanding of potential students for KYU; how and what to promote during the recruitment
activities; the goal and purpose of imposing recruitment services and ways to enhance individual
performance when needed. Assumed causes were validated through basic questions such as
identifying the strengths and weaknesses of KYU (factual knowledge); categorizing promising
potential students (conceptual knowledge); explaining steps taken and tools used to increase
recruitment efficiency (procedural knowledge) and their goals in recruitment practices
(metacognitive knowledge). The interviews showed common themes in four types of knowledge.
In general, instructors have adequate background knowledge about KYU, they are able to
address the university’s strength and weakness, identify target students, implement effective
recruitment strategies, assess their own performance through useful tools and understand that the
goal of recruitment enhancement is highly related to the university’s sustainability. The findings
are reported as follows.
Knowledge interview question #1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of KYU?
All interviewees were able to point out some characteristics of their program and department
when asked this question. The first common theme revealed from the answers was the
recognition and identification of the university’s position in the market. KYU is a private
university of technology. The course contents are very practical and are designed to help
students with their future career development.
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The second theme wasjob and internship placement services provided by KYU.
Internships and field training are highly integrated in the curriculum. Instead of studying for one
semester and interning for another semester like other universities with which KYU competes;
all qualified senior students are asked to work in their industry for one year prior to graduation.
The full-year training provides not only fundamental knowledge and skills but also job security
for students when they graduate from KYU. One respondent noted that “our students are neither
competitive in English language proficiency nor in academic performance, it is difficult for them
to get a good first job without the university’s recommendation”. With KYU’s assistance in job
placement, students are most likely to be recruited to the university partnered organizations and
enterprises, especially in the neighboring Science Park district. Students in popular majors such
as electrical engineering and computer science start with a higher salary. In addition, most KYU
students are from middle and lower income families; their ability and opportunity to work during
the college years is critical.
When instructors were asked to identify the university’s weaknesses, a third common
theme appeared. Many of them agreed that student quality has been a challenge for the
university, weakening KYU’s reputation and brand. In order to meet the enrollment objective,
KYU admits almost every applicant including students with developmental disabilities who need
special education, as noted by two of the interviewees. These students are grouped into regular
classrooms and it has been very difficult for instructors to teach in such a mixed environment.
The fourth theme addressed by respondents was the impact of the university’s physical
location. “School location can be viewed as both a positive and negative impact” said one
respondent. Seven interviewees talked about the university’s location, four of them looked at it
as a detriment while the others considered it a benefit. Although KYU is next to the Science
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Park district, it is also located in a suburb away from the commercial and downtown area. As
mentioned above, being able to work on the night shift or after school is a major concern to
potential students.
Knowledge interview question #2. What do you think about the characteristics of
promising potential students? As mentioned in Chapter 2, private universities in Taiwan are
typically lower ranked and identified with weaker academic performance. Academic high
achievers prefer to go to public universities with better reputations, lower tuition and convenient
living conditions in the metropolitan cities. All interviewees noted that that 60-70% of the KYU
students are from local area. As one interviewee noted, “our students did not have great
performance in school because schooling was never an important topic in the family”. Two
respondents shared the sentiment that “the majority of KYU students are from middle or lower
class families, being able to work and share financial responsibilities is the priority goal of the
family”. Therefore, local candidates, who are from economically disadvantage families and need
job security, are potential KYU students.
Knowledge interview question #3. Based on your experiences, can you give me
examples of effective and ineffective recruitment strategies? And how do you enhance
individual performance? Seven of the ten interviewees answered that establishing long-term
relationships with the local high schools and vocational schools is the best strategy. For example,
one commented that “continuous contact and interaction is the core method to develop a long-
term relationship with assigned secondary schools”. Another respondent said “visiting the
assigned schools once a year during the graduation day in not effective at all”. Moreover, being
able to make a speech lively and fun is very important, especially to those students who have to
set through several speeches on a mandatory university recruitment day. Some instructors are
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not comfortable marketing KYU and talking to high school students, and yet they received very
limited assistance from the university. “The only training session provided by the university
included a thirty-minute video lesson and a standard recruitment procedure manual; instructors
are also not always assigned to students of their own profession” said one interviewee.
Moreover, the same person suggested establishing a specialized team formed by high-achieving
instructors. These members are required to achieve an expected object while additional
incentives should be provided. According to four of the interview subjects, if the recruitment
strategies are to be effective, instructors have to work together as a team regardless performing
individually or with a team. Another respondent suggested increasing the usage of the internet
and social media (Facebook, Website, Line, and WhatsApp) among the instructors, in order to
communicate with potential students and assigned schools timely.
Summary of Knowledge Interview
Participants provided common responses related to factual, conceptual and procedural
knowledge. KYU prepares its graduates to be career ready while students expect to gain
practical knowledge and skills. The instructors also had adequate knowledge and understanding
of the university’s advantages to conduct recruitment activities. However, instructors did not
provide unified responses to metacognitive knowledge questions on how to enhance individual
performance in recruitment services. Responses included promoting teamwork, offering
incentives, establishing a specialized recruitment team and increasing the usage technology and
social media.
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
Overall the factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge-related interview questions
revealed that instructors have adequate knowledge and understanding about the strengths and
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weaknesses of KYU, the characteristics of potential students and the methods necessary to
effectively recruit students.
The interviews also revealed that participants shared common responses in the
metacognitive knowledge domains. According to responses related to metacognitive knowledge
from the survey and interview results, interviewees are aware of the effectiveness of their own
performance. The majority of instructors evaluated their performance through student
enrollment and peer reviews. On the other hand, interviewees had varied perceptions toward the
accuracy and purpose of evaluation sheets, which implied that they may have different opinions
on how to enhance individual recruitment performance.
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
The assumed causes related to motivation gaps were classified as active choice, mental
effort and persistence dimensions (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Based on observation and
informal conversation with KYU instructors, a few assumed causes related to active choice were
suggested including (a) Instructors have made a choice to recruit in a passive way, (b) Instructors
consider recruitment services as additional loading to their work, (c) Instructors do not see
positive outcomes or value from recruitment services and (d) Instructors fees downgraded in
terms of professionalism and social status by doing recruitment related tasks. Assumed causes
related to metal effort were (a) Instructors’ goals do not align with the organizational goal, (b)
Instructors have low self-efficacy in recruitment related services and (c) Instructor are not
interested in improving recruitment skills. Assumed causes related to persistence included (a)
Instructors do not consider recruitment service as their own responsibilities, (b) Instructors
believe that “low enrollment” is a consequence of uncontrollable impacts such as low birth rate
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and growing universities, (c) Evaluation sheet is quantity based, (d) Limited supports are
provided and (e) University leaders showed limited effort in recruitment services.
Survey results indicated the need for more incentives such as recognition and rewards;
and more organizational supports such as teamwork and feedback could be encouraging to
instructors in performing recruitment services. Similar data were gathered from interviews in
which the majority of respondents request additional resources. In terms of recruitment
approaches, the importance of establishing long-term relationship with potential high schools is
agreed by most of instructors.
Survey Results
Motivation was assessed in the survey through questions about instructors’ interest and
self-efficacy to succeed or fail in recruitment services. Instructors’ interests were assessed
through questions addressing activities such as attending assigned activities, cooperating with
colleagues, and their preferred supports that could enhance their current working conditions.
Regarding self-efficacy, questions were asked related to how confident the instructors are in
assessing oneself, achieving assigned goals, and sharing recruitment experiences with each other.
The use of a six-point Likert scale survey allowed participants to provide answers based on their
perspectives about the topic inquiry. The survey scale ranged from “Strongly disagree,”
“Disagree,” and “Somewhat disagree,” to “somewhat agree,” “agree” and “strongly agree.” For
statistics and calculation purposes, these categories were also numbered as 1 = Strongly disagree,
2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Somewhat agree, 5 = Agree and 6 = Strongly agree.
Although relatively few survey questions related to instructors’ awareness in assessing their own
performance, the section below presents a synthesis of the key themes in their responses.
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Respondents were asked a series of questions, and the section below presents a synthesis of the
key themes in their responses.
Table 2 shows general statements that measure attribution, self-efficacy and performance
goal. Based on the six-point Likert scale, a Mean above 3.00 indicated that the majority of
respondents agreed with the topic of inquiry and vice versa.

Table 2
Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statement/ Motivation (Please respond to below items…) M SD
I have a sense of accomplishment when meeting my recruitment target
(Attributions)
4.46 1.07
I am confident in recruiting students successfully (Self-efficacy) 4.00 1.12
I will see positive outcomes in recruitment if I work harder
(Attributions)
3.92 1.18
My goal in recruitment is to fulfill the evaluation criteria (Performance
Goal)
3.83 1.17

The statement with the highest mean of 4.46 asked if an instructor has a sense of
accomplishment when meeting recruitment target, the result indicated that instructors have
positive perception when meeting the recruitment target. Variability of this statement is also
relatively low (standard deviation = 1.07) in this table. In addition, instructors are confident in
recruiting students successfully, which was indicated in the statement related to self-efficacy
with the mean of 4.00. Although the statement about correlation between positive outcome and
effort resulted in a relatively high mean (3.92), variability of this statement appeared to be the
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highest (standard deviation = 1.18). The result implied that instructors may have different
opinions on the relationship between cause and effect. Similar data was also collected related to
the performance goal regarding the fulfillment of evaluation criteria. The majority of
respondents agreed with the statement but variability appeared to be high (standard deviation =
1.17). Again, the results indicated that respondents have a wider range of understanding on their
goals of recruitment.
Statements in Table 3 were designed specifically to discover what types of incentives
would interest instructors in recruitment efforts. Based on the six-point Likert scale, a mean
above 3.00 indicated that the majority of respondents agreed with the topic of inquiry and vice
versa. The results below showed that the means of all items listed are relatively high (above
3.00), suggesting a lack of incentives appeared to be a common response among instructors.

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Table 3
Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statement/Motivation (What types of incentives would interest you
in your recruitment efforts…) M SD
More teamwork 5.31 0.69
More recognition 4.8 0.96
More feedback 4.76 0.92
Free transportation 4.74 4.41
More autonomy 4.7 0.89
More training programs 4.7 1.01
Leaders’ involvement 4.69 1.06
More multi media materials 4.66 1.06
More advice 4.54 0.96
Extra Bonus 4.44 1.1
More printed materials 4.41 0.94
Increase allowance 4.04 4.44

The first three interest items had the highest mean (5.31, 4.8 and 4.76, respectively) and
thus indicated teamwork, recognition and feedback could be the most powerful influences to
motivate instructors and enhance their recruitment performance. Variability of the first item also
had the lowest standard deviation (0.69), indicating the agreements were more bundled and the
majority of respondents had positive perceptions about working with a group of team members.
Looking at additional items listed in the table, increasing tangible and intangible supports could
have some impact on instructors’ recruitment performance (with means that ranged between 4.76
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and 4.44). However, the results for transportation had a greater variability (Stander
deviation=4.41), suggesting respondents have a broader range of opinions toward this particular
item. Autonomy, on the other hand, had a fairly low stand deviation (0.89), meaning instructors
prefer to have more autonomy in recruitment related tasks and other supports followed by
training programs (SD=1.01), leaders’ involvement (SD=1.06), multi media materials (SD=1.06)
and advice (SD=0.96). The last statement has the lowest mean (4.04) and the greatest standard
deviation (4.44). In other words, increasing allowance appears to have the least motivation
associated with it; and respondents also have a variety of perception towards financial incentives.
As the above table was designed to identify favorable incentives according to respondents’
opinion, Table 4 and Table 5 below were designed to evaluate instructors’ interests in
participating in on and off campus recruitment activities arranged by KYU and assigned high
schools. The survey scale ranged from “0%,” “20%” and “40%” to “60%,” “80%” and “100%”
and allowed participants to provide answers based on their efforts spent on the item inquiry.
Each respondent was asked a series of questions, and the section below presents a synthesis of
the key themes in their responses. These university-organized activities were developed to
enhance recruitment performance. They are required parts of the instructors’ responsibility in
recruitment service.

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Table 4
Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statements/Motivation (Please indicate your effort in the high school
co-op activities off campus) M SD
Periodical visits to teachers 4.9 0.83
Anniversary celebration 3.89 1.63
Commencement 3.8 1.64
Job fair 3.77 1.55
Student work exhibition 3.38 1.53
Extra curricular activities 3.18 1.78
Keynote speech 3.04 1.81
Co-teach high/vocational courses 3.01 1.69
Student club advisory 3 1.79
Develop university preparatory courses 2.32 1.69

Activities listed in Table 4 are the same activities listed on the instructor evaluation sheet.
The statement was designed to examine the instructors’ effort in performing these activities. The
survey result indicated that instructors expended the most effort in periodic visits to high schools
(mean=4.9 and standard deviation=0.83), implying the instructors’ interest and preference in
performing these activities as well as their perceptions on how to achieve the recruitment goal.
Other effective activities that showed strong agreed amongst the instructors are the anniversary
celebration (mean=3.89), commencement (mean=3.8) and job fair (mean=3.77). Developing
university preparatory courses was shown to be the least favorable activity among instructors
with the lowest mean of 2.32 and fairly unified opinions (SD= 1.69). The results also suggested
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that the outcome of the university preparatory courses may be questionable and have led to
instructors’ reluctance in performing this particular activity. Based on the six-point Likert scale,
a mean above 3.00 indicated that the majority of respondents agree with topic inquiry and vice
versa. Other items that had means closer to 3.00 were giving a keynote speech (M=3.04), co-
teaching high/vocational courses (M=3.01) and student club advisory (M=3.00), implying that
four out of ten off-campus recruitment activities listed on the evaluation sheet are not valued the
majority of instructors. In other words, the outcomes of these activities may not be as effective
as expected. The responses also supported previous survey results from the metacognitive
knowledge questions where instructors had varying perceptions of the purpose and accuracy of
the points indicated on evaluation sheet.

Table 5
Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statements/Motivation (Please indicate your effort in the high
school co-op activities on campus) M SD
University tour 4.68 1.38
Co-teach university preparatory courses 3.73 1.83
Freshman Orientation 2.45 1.75

In addition to university-organized off-campus activities, some on-campus activities are
listed on the evaluation sheet as a selection. In Table 5, a university tour (mean=4.68) appeared
to be the most favorable activity among instructors. In contrast, instructors spent the least effort
on freshman orientation (mean=2.45), which is attended by all admitted students. If the off-
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campus and on-campus activities are ranked together, the activity with the highest mean (4.9)
was periodical visits to teachers, followed by university tour (mean=4.68), anniversary
celebration (mean=3.89), commencement (mean=3.8), job fair (mean=3.77) and co-teach
university preparatory courses (mean=3.73). Survey responses showed the location of activities
(on or off campus) had no direct impact on instructors’ willingness and effort.
Table 6 below examines the effectiveness of recruitment activities and their impact on
instructors’ performance. The use of a six-point Likert scale survey allowed participants to
provide answers based on their perspectives about the topic inquiry. Survey scale ranged from
“Strongly disagree,” “Disagree,” and “Somewhat disagree,” to “somewhat agree,” “agree” and
“strongly agree.” For statistics and calculation purposes, these categories were also numbered
as 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Somewhat agree, 5 = Agree
and 6 = Strongly agree. Each respondent was asked a series of questions, and the section below
presents a synthesis of the key themes in their responses. Activities listed in Table 6 pertain to
off-campus recruitment activities organized by KYU.

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Table 6
Motivation Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statements/Organization (High school co-op activities are very
helpful to my recruitment performance) M SD
Extra-curricular activities 4.73 1.04
Co-teach high/vocational courses 4.69 1.14
Keynote speech 4.62 1.03
Student club advising 4.61 1.16
Periodical visits to high school teachers 4.61 0.95
Develop university preparatory courses 4.41 1.28
Job fair 4.27 1.12
Student work exhibition 3.97 1.11
Anniversary celebration 3.41 1.06
Commencement 3.39 1.06

All items had a mean above 3.0, indicating that instructors have confidence in the impact
of these activities. According to the survey results, instructors suggested that participating in
extra-curricular activities has the most positive influence on recruitment performance
(mean=4.73 and standard deviation=1.04). Other effective activities that were strongly
recommended by instructors are co-teach high/vocational courses (mean=4.69), keynote
speeches (mean=4.62) and student club advising (mean=4.61). Periodic visits to high school
teachers again had the most bundled responses (standard deviation 0.95), and the question also
resulted in a relatively high mean (4.61). These responses echoed the previous results where
instructors spent the most effort in visiting high schools. Seven of the ten interviewees also
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responded that establishing long-term relationships with the local high schools is the best
strategy in the knowledge domain. Developing university preparatory courses had the most
variability (standard deviation=1.28) according to participants. Other less helpful activities
suggested by instructors are job fair (mean=4.27), student work exhibition (mean=3.97),
anniversary celebration (mean=3.41) and commencement (mean=3.39). The results again
matched with the knowledge interview responses, which stressed continuous contact and
interaction with high schools as the core method to develop a long-term relationship.
Summary of Motivation Survey Results
Overall, inadequate supports were provided to instructors in recruitment services
including tangible and intangible incentives. The survey results showed that teamwork,
recognition and feedback are the top three motivators while allowance may not have been the
most favorable factor to all instructors. In terms of the effectiveness and value of participating in
recruitment activities, instructors perceived that visiting high schools periodically and
establishing a long-term relationship with high school teachers and students are essential to the
success of their recruitment performance. The physical location of the activities (on or off
campus) did not appear to be a critical factor in terms of motivating instructors, who are willing
to travel even though on-campus activities may be more convenient.
Findings from Interviews
The interview questions asked participants about the types of incentives that would
encourage them, the kinds of support that could be helpful, and what leadership assistance would
lead to a more effective performance in recruitment service. Assumed causes were validated
through three questions. In general, all interviewees were selected by the Chief Secretary and
are high achievers and self-motivated in recruitment activities; they need no incentives to
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improve their performance. However, some suggestions such as the financial benefits,
promotional materials, teamwork, leadership engagement and brand name establishment were
given by several respondents for potential improvements. The findings are reported below.
Motivation interview question #1. What kind of incentives would encourage you to
do more recruiting activities? Since the interviewees were all high achievers and appointed by
the chief secretary, they were highly motivated in recruitment services. Seven out of ten
interviewees were senior faculty members who have been working in the university for more
than twenty years. These instructors were strongly attached to the university emotionally and
professionally. They understood that their careers were tightly bonded with university’s
sustainability. Therefore, they were willing to share recruitment responsibilities with the
university. On the other hand, not all instructors had the same attachment to the university. One
respondent noted that “senior instructors have high pride, they are here to teach and research,
recruitment is definitely not a part of their jobs.” It is hard for these instructors to change such a
mindset and reinforce new behaviors by adding additional tasks to their job duty. In contrast,
younger instructors faced the challenge of low student enrollment as soon as they were recruited
to KYU. If the leadership sets a clear goal and acts as a role model, younger instructors will
mostly likely to follow and act on it. Three interviewees stated that existence of quantitative
assessment such as the evaluation sheet is necessary, even though the function of it may be
limited. It is not hard to achieve full credit on service section since it only accounts 30% of the
total performance. One respondent noted that although the “evaluation sheet is only used for
those who refuse to participate or follow the university’s policy”, the cumulative result could be
handy if termination of the employees is unavoidable one day. Hence, the development of
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common goal and a sense of belonging is essential, if the university leaders expect more
instructors to participate in recruitment services voluntarily.
Motivation interview question #2. What kind of support could help you to be more
effective in recruiting activities? Some suggestions emerged from the interviews. One
interviewee responded that “financial incentives are definitely appealing.” A common sentiment
shared by the majority of interviewees was the willingness to work with a team. It is very
challenging and tiring for an individual instructor to visit high schools periodically. Instructors
have different personalities and preferences, but they could cooperate in a more effective way.
For example, one interviewee responded that “some instructors are great speakers and love to
interact with people; others may be more comfortable behind the scene and prepare for
promotional materials.” Another respondent suggested that promotional materials provided by
the university could be upgraded. “File holders and pens are no longer attractive to high school
students,” feedbacks gathered directly from high schools may be helpful. As a result, it is
helpful if appropriate supplies and strategic recruitment plans are provided to instructors. The
support will increase not only team efficiency but also team confidence in the competition of
student recruitment with other universities.
Motivation interview question #3. What kind of assistance provided by the
university leadership could be helpful to recruitment service? Four out of ten respondents
suggested that appropriate recognition and rewards provided to instructors could be motivating.
“Student enrollment does not increase immediately even though instructors have worked hard”
and “it could be very discouraging sometimes”. Therefore, creating a positive atmosphere and
optimistic attitude at work is important. During the interviews, all interviewees gave credit to
the current principal of KYU and acknowledged his effort and involvement in recruitment
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service. Another common theme suggested by three instructors was the establishment of the
KYU brand. One interviewee argued, “although having adequate numbers of student is essential
to KYU’s sustainability at this point, it is still important to maintain the quality of education,
student service and community contribution.” These features are the fundamental elements to
KYU’s reputation now and to the future. Another aspect that could use more assistance from the
leadership will be media exposure and external affairs. Being able to establish a long-term
relationship with potential high school teachers and students is an essential factor to the success
of recruitment. One respondent said it would be very helpful if the KYU leadership took the
initiative to contact target schools since “breaking the ice” and “bridging with school executives”
are often difficult. Instructors could thereafter do their best to sustain the relationship. In
conclusion, instructors at KYU expect university leaders to act as the front line warriors in the
competition of student recruitment.
Summary of Motivation Interviews
Instructors responded to tangible and intangible motivation factors affecting their
engagement in recruitment services. Responses revealed that the majority of instructors
suggested that increasing some forms of incentives and support including financial benefits,
recognition, rewards, promotional materials and leadership involvement, would be encouraging
in terms of improving recruitment performance. One limitation to the motivation interview
results was that interviewees were all high achievers and self-motivated individuals in
recruitment service. While positive and optimistic perceptions were gathered from the
interviews, hidden opinions from low achievers should also be considered.
Synthesis of Survey and Interview Results
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Survey results revealed that additional supports were needed for instructors to improve
recruitment services. The forms of supports could be tangible, intangible, intrinsic and extrinsic
incentives. A few factors that appeared to be more agreed upon were teamwork effort,
recognition and feedback. Overall, instructors have positive perceptions toward university-
organized recruitment activities. Apparently, periodic high school visits are the most effective
approach in terms of establishing long-term relationships and recruiting potential students
according to the majority of respondents. The survey results were confirmed again in the
interviews, when high achieving instructors suggested sustaining long-term relationships with
high schools was an effective approach to the success of recruitment. Surprisingly, monetary
incentives were not the most appealing factor in either the survey or interview results.
Results and Findings for Organizational Causes
The assumed causes related to organizational gaps were classified as work process,
material resources, organization culture and organization change (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
Based on informal conversation with KYU instructors and observation, the researcher developed
assumed causes for the performance gap: cooperation between departments and divisions are not
promoted or guided by the university leaders (work process); tangible supplies, budgets and
incentives are limited for recruitment related tasks (resources); university leaders showed limited
involvement in recruitment services (organization culture); instructors have no authority over
policy changes (organization culture) and there is a lack of value, clear vision and common goal
in recruitment service (organization change). In this section, survey results reflected a lack of
resources in financial support, training and use of technology. This was confirmed through
interviews where additional resources from the internal talents and external sponsors need to be
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generated. Other recommendations revealed from the interviews include the establishment of
common goal and a specialized team focusing on recruitment services.
Survey Results
Twelve statements in the survey were designed to elicit the organizational factors that
may have an impact on instructors’ recruitment performance. The use of a six-point Likert scale
survey allowed participants to provide answers based on their perspectives about the statement.
The survey scale ranged from “Strongly disagree,” “Disagree,” and “Somewhat disagree,” to
“somewhat agree,” “agree” and “strongly agree.” For statistics and calculation purposes, these
categories were also numbered as 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Somewhat disagree, 4
= Somewhat agree, 5 = Agree and 6 = Strongly agree. Each respondent was asked a series of
questions, and the section below presents a synthesis of the key themes in their responses.
Based on the six-point Likert scale, a mean above 3.00 indicated that the majority of
respondents agreed with statement of inquiry and vice versa. The statements listed on Table 7
received positive responses from the majority of respondents.

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Table 7
Organization Statements, Means and Standard Deviation (descending order by mean)
Statement/ Organization M SD
University leaders are highly involved in recruitment related tasks. 5.18 0.82
I receive recognition when meeting my recruitment target 4.34 1.21
Recruitment related feedback provided by my colleagues is helpful. 4.08 1.14
Recruitment related feedback provided by my supervisor is helpful. 3.89 1.06
The current recruitment expectations of instructors are reasonable. 3.80 0.94
Printed materials provided by the university for recruitment purpose
are sufficient
3.68 1.11
My opinions regarding recruitment related tasks are considered. 3.66 1.19
There is a channel for me to express my opinions regarding recruitment
related tasks.
3.62 1.36
The university gives clear instruction on how to cooperate with my
colleagues in recruitment related tasks.
3.44 1.3
Technology support provided by the university is sufficient. 3.3 1.16
Recruitment related training programs provided by the university are
helpful.
3.3 1.1
Recruitment budgets provided by the university are sufficient. 3.00 1.25

The first statement related to leadership involvement in recruitment service received the
highest mean (5.18) and lowest standard deviation (0.82) according to the survey result,
indicating that the majority of respondents had positive perception toward the leadership
involvement. This result also paralleled with motivation interview result where the leadership
engagement was highly credited by high achieving instructors. While recognition and feedback
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were essential components of recruitment improvement according to the motivation survey and
interview results, the majority of participants gave credit to the current recognition (mean=4.34)
provided by the university, feedback from colleagues (mean=4.08) and feedback from their
supervisor (mean=3.89). In addition, the university's expectations with regard to recruitment
service was considered reasonable according to the majority of respondents in the statement four
(mean=3.80 and standard deviation =0.94). In accordance with this, “achieving full service
credit on the evaluation sheet is not difficult” was noted by several instructors during the
motivation interview.
Other statements that received positive responses from the majority of respondents
included: the university provides sufficient printed materials (mean=3.86 and standard
deviation=1.11), instructors’ opinions are being considered (mean=3.66 and standard
deviation=1.19), there is a channel for instructors to express their opinions (mean=3.62 and
standard deviation=1.36) and the university provides clear guidelines for staff cooperation
(mean=3.44 and standard deviation=1.3). Responses were less bundled in the last two
statements mentioned above, indicating the existence of different perceptions. Sufficient budget
provided by the university was revealed to be the least agreeable statement among instructors
with the lowest mean of 3.00. Other statements that had means closer to 3.00 included ‘the
university provides sufficient technology support’ (mean=3.3) and ‘the university provides
helpful training programs’ (mean=3.3). In this section, intangible supports such as the leadership
involvement and feedback from colleagues, appeared to be satisfactory according to the
participants. In contrast, tangible supports provided by the university, including financial
resources, training and technology were not as sufficient for the instructors.
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Summary of Organization Survey
In general, the majority of respondents acknowledged the general suitability of the current
supports and tools provided by the university. However, the comparatively high variability
results for two statements indicated a need for improvement: recruitment budget and channels to
express individual opinions. As a private university, KYU receives very limited financial
support from the central government; instead, the operational revenue relies heavily on tuition
fees. When the number of enrolled students declines, university leaders become more cautious
in budget distribution. The survey results suggested that a gap exists between the instructors and
university in terms of their perception of adequate budget, training programs and technology
support.
Findings from Interviews
Four interview questions investigated the current assessment system and organizational
support for recruitment services. The interview response varied but showed a need for
establishing a new assessment system, providing additional resources, creating common goals,
implementing an effective recruitment policy to increase effectiveness in instructors’ recruitment
performance, and increasing student enrollment at KYU. Assumed causes were validated
through three questions. The findings are reported as follows.
Organization interview question #1. In your opinion, does the current evaluation
system accurately assess your effort in recruitment services? When the question was asked,
“no” was the answer from all respondents. The evaluation sheet reflected neither the effort nor
the performance in recruitment service. As mentioned above, the interviewees were all high
achievers who never had to pay attention to the pointes earned on evaluation sheet. Moreover, it
does not require much effort to fulfill the points needed on the evaluation sheet. One respondent
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noted, “a one-hundred-point requirement can be accumulated by teaching, administrative tasks,
research and service.” It is quite easy to achieve one hundred points while the service points are
only accountable for thirty; moreover, recruitment service represents only forty percent of the
service section. Therefore, recruitment services may not be viewed as import as it should be
from an instructors’ point of view. The response implied that further communication between
the university leadership and instructors about the urgency of recruitment and student enrollment
may need to be re-addressed. Furthermore, the evaluation sheet reflects only the quantitative
performance, not qualitative factors. One interviewee explained, “conducting a half-day activity
to interact with high school students and teachers is quite different from showing up at the
graduation ceremony for ten minutes”. However, these two efforts both result in one point on
the evaluation sheet. One interviewees stated, “the existence of evaluation sheet is to impose a
minimum participation in recruitment service, especially to those who have never engaged”.
Although the evaluation sheet did not function in as intended, a couple of interviewees
commented that having something is better than nothing and it is quite difficult to control a huge
group of staff. In conclusion, the current evaluation sheet does not reflect actual performance in
recruitment services according to respondents. However, respondents also agreed that some
form of assessment is necessary to keep the instructors on track and encourage them their
performance.
Organization interview question #2. What kind of changes would you make to improve
recruitment activities? Currently, there is no unit in the university fully responsible for student
recruitment. Therefore, establishment of a specialized team that focuses on recruitment service
is needed, as suggested by several interviewees. A second common response gathered from all
interviewees highlighted the lack of financial support. One respondent said: “board members are
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not willing to provide addition investments since the feasibility of university future is uncertain.”
The third suggestion was to share a common goal from the leadership to administrative staff and
instructors. One interviewee noted that “senior instructors who are two to three years away from
their retirement have no motivation to recruit since they share less obligation related to the
university’s sustainability”. It is important for the university to deliver the message of teamwork,
team spirit and the urgency of increasing student enrollment to all instructors. A respondent
stated that “one way to increase communication between the leadership and instructors is
through weekly meetings”. Again, more communication and integration between the university
leaders and instructors are expected by respondents. The results also implied that leadership
involvement is essential to improve team effort and strengthen team spirit.
Organization interview question #3. What kind of initiative would you recommend to
the university leadership? If increasing student enrollment is the priority goal, students from
China and students from elsewhere in the world could also be potential enrollees. According to
the current regulation announced by the ministry of education, all universities in Taiwan are
allowed to recruit full-time foreign students up to ten percent of the total student body. Part-time
and exchange students are not regulated by this policy. One respondent said, “no one had looked
into this aspect before and I thought it might be a chance for us.” A well-developed marketing
plan to enhance the KYU brand name and increase media exposure can also be influential to
recruitment performance. An interviewee noted, “the number of gold metals collected by the
department of electronics was once number one in a national competition; sadly, the news was
not widely announced through social medias.” In terms of increasing financial resources, it is
important to secure education quality and enhance industry cooperation. Good performance will
gradually re-shape the university ranking and reputation. One respondent stated, “thanks to the
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effort of KYU leadership, their proposal and strategic plan for the university had successfully
earned the Governmental Teaching Excellency Award for 2014 and 2015, followed by
approximately US$2,700,000 subsidy.” Based on the results reported in this section, university
leaders are highly credited by the respondents in terms of recruitment effort and initiatives for
future development.
Summary of Organization Interview Results
Three interview questions asked instructors about their views on the current assessment
system, how to improve recruitment performance and what to recommend to the university
leadership as they related to the sustainability of KYU. Three common themes revealed to
accommodate the needs of current condition. To establish a “specialized team” for local and
international recruitment; create a common goal that is shared and understood by all KYU
employees from top-down; generate additional resources from internal talent or external
sponsors. Respondents also had similar doubts about the purpose and function of the current
evaluation system.
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Organization Causes
Survey results indicated that more communication between the KYU leadership and
instructors is needed to shorten the gap of their perception about resources given. So far,
leadership engagement, recognition and feedback provided by the university were highly praised
by the majority of respondents, while financial resources seemed to be questionable according to
variability in responses. Overall, instructors expected some changes at the organizational level
that would drive more resources, tangible and intangible, for recruitment purpose.
Interview results revealed that a majority of instructors have concrete suggestions for the
KYU leadership relating to recruitment performance, university mission and policy
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implementation. In general, instructors perceived a lack of common goals relating to recruitment
policy. Some instructors understood the urgency of increasing student enrollment while others
positioned it as the last task on the checklist. Meanwhile, adding recruitment tasks as part the
instructors’ duty was considered not only a distraction from teaching and research, but also an
insult to instructors’ expertise. As a result, several respondents suggested establishing a team
whose sole focus would be on recruitment. Lastly, the lack of financial resources was a common
response across survey and interviews.
Summary
Knowledge and skills, motivation and organizational causes were validated by data
collected from surveys and interviews. Results identified common themes across three domains.
First, instructors have solid knowledge about the background of KYU, the characteristics of
potential students and ways to recruitment promising students. However, an effective
assessment tool was not constructed to evaluate recruitment services. A common response
gathered from surveys and interviews indicated that current evaluation sheet reflect neither
individual performance nor ways to improve performance. Therefore, instructors used different
methods to assess individual performance. They also lacked instruction, tools and support to
work collaboratively.
Additionally, instructors received limited support from the university. The majority of
instructors responded that more recognition, rewards, financial support, teamwork and personnel
would be helpful in improving recruitment performance. Instructors also recognized the positive
outcomes from building a long-term relationship with targeted secondary schools, additional
resources and continuous support are needed to maintain these relationships in a long run. In
terms of the university’s mission and shared goals, not all instructors perceived recruitment
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service as one of the key issues. Recruitment service represents only a small percentage of the
overall credits; and neither failure to participate nor poor performance deducts many points.
Some resistance also existed due to instructors’ pride and their understandings of an instructor’s
duty. Regarding the urgency of increasing student enrollment and having an adequate number of
students to sustain the university’s operations, more communication and motivation will be
needed to create unity of purpose amongst all stakeholders, especially the university leaders and
instructors.
These findings will be discussed further in the following chapter. Although some
instructors provided suggestions to improve the current condition, empirical evidence will be
provided in Chapter 5 for better recommendations and solutions.

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CHAPTER 5
SOLUTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
The purpose of the case study was to use the Gap Analysis Process Model (Clark & Estes,
2008) to determine why instructors at KYU have not achieved the expected performance in
recruitment services. The study was guided by two research questions:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational causes that might inhibit
instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
2. What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge, motivation, and
organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services
at Kao Yuan University?
Chapter 5 presents recommended solutions to close the identified gaps based on literature
review and empirical evidence. Common findings from Chapter 4 that were categorized in
knowledge, motivation and organization domains are addressed and discussed below. The
findings included quantitative data collected from an online survey and qualitative data collected
from interviews. Some recommendations for policy change and implementation are also
addressed.
Validated Causes Selection and Rationale
Assumed causes in knowledge, motivation and organization domains were validated by
data collection in Chapter 4. Table 8 provides a summary of the key validated causes in three
domains that will be further discussed on this chapter. These key findings were common themes
resulted from surveys and interviews. They represent priority issues and causes that might
inhibit instructors from better recruitment performance.

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Table 8
Summary of Key Validated Causes for Knowledge, Motivation and Organization
Type of Validated Cause
Knowledge Motivation Organizational
Lack of procedural and
metacognitive knowledge.
Instructors were not able to
perform recruitment related
tasks effectively and
efficiently. They were also
not able to reflect own
performance and make
adjustments accordingly.
Lack of incentives to
encourage individual mental
effort and persistence.
Findings revealed that
additional supports such
teamwork, recognition and
feedback are needed to
improve and sustain individual
performance.
Lack of communication
and common goal. Not all
instructors value the
importance of increasing
student enrollment as much
as the university leaders do.
Incorporating recruitment
tasks as part the instructors’
duty also created some
degrees of resistance.

The next sections discuss solutions for key validated causes summarized in Table 8.
Proposed solutions will improve instructors’ performance in recruitment services and eventually
increase student enrollment at KYU. This contributes to the achievement of the organizational
goal. Recommendations for management schemes and recruitment strategies may also act as
references for other private universities in Taiwan.
Solutions for Knowledge Causes
Research Question 2: What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge,
motivation, and organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in
recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) taxonomy guided this investigation and categorized
knowledge causes into factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive dimensions.
Knowledge related results collected in Chapter IV reflected a specific gap in metacognitive
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knowledge. This section proposes solutions for the specific knowledge dimension. Table 9
summarizes the key validated causes and solutions for knowledge domain.

Table 9
Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Knowledge
Causes Solutions
Knowledge & Skills Procedural knowledge:
Limited knowledge to perform
recruitment related tasks effectively
and efficiently.
Metacognitive knowledge:
Limited knowledge to assess
personal performance and make
adjustments accordingly.
Provide observation
opportunities to enhance
possessing skills in achieving
a particular goal.
Facilitate instructors to
become expert learners while
giving them supports and
training in partnership
building and technology
utilization.

Factual and conceptual knowledge gaps: Instructors were able to address the KYU
strength and weakness and identify the characteristics of potential students. The gap
related to factual and conceptual knowledge is limited. Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) stated
that factual knowledge refers to knowledge of specific terminology, basic details and elements
required to solve problems within a discipline; conceptual knowledge includes the knowledge of
classifications, categories and knowing how to organize these forms and the relationships
between them. Instructors at KYU were confident in answering the university background
related questions; they were also very specific in explaining the characteristics of potential
students. As a result, instructors at KYU have adequate foundation knowledge to promote the
university and recruit promising potential students.
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Procedural knowledge gaps: Instructors were not able to perform recruitment
related tasks effectively and efficiently. Procedural knowledge refers to knowledge of knowing
how to do something (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). For example, knowing how to drive. A
person may know which pedal is the accelerator and which is the brake. A person may know
where the handbrake is and what it does. But until the person gets behind the wheel and learns
how to apply all skills necessary to incorporate these components on the road, a person does not
know how to drive. Procedural knowledge involves possessing a skill to achieve a particular
goal through sequences of actions. Being able to do something is very different to merely
knowing a collection of facts. In the case of KYU, instructors are required to participate in
assigned recruitment actives while not all of them are able to give a remarkable speeches or
present significant impression for targeted audience. One way to teach and enhance procedure
knowledge is through learning by observation (Van Lent & Laird, 2001). Several methodologies
listed below serve the purpose to increase observation opportunities and imitation practices.
Center for student recruitment. Lin (2007) stated that 81.55% of the147 higher
educational institutions in Taiwan participated in his study had a specific center for university
marketing and student recruitment on campus, indicating a major concern and a need for
strategic marketing in the education sector. Therefore, one recommended solution for KYU is to
establish a center for student recruitment to advance university marketing initiatives, collect up-
to-date data and provide recruitment related supports to faculty and other university staff
participated in the recruitment practices.
Knowledge management. Knowledge management is the practice of sharing, learning,
developing and utilizing organizational knowledge (Sun, 2003 & Hsiao, 2011). By making the
best use of organizational knowledge, staffs will be able to achieve the organizational goals.
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Based on the objective of increasing recruitment related knowledge among instructors, the
socialization methodology of knowledge management is suggested to enhance teamwork, team
collaboration and build partners (Sun, 2003).
Self-management teams. Performers grouped into self-management work teams and can
be empowered to stop the practice or make adjustments when challenges encountered (Rummler
& Brache, 2012; Sun, 2003). Currently, the majority of KYU instructors recruit individually and
they are evaluated individually. This was also validated through interviews and informal
conversation between the researcher and KYU instructors. It is suggested that directors of each
department take the leading position and divide fellow instructors into small groups of teams.
Team members of different expertise will then work together to achieve a designated goal
followed by a given time frame and procedure. Knowledge sharing can be divided into two
categories. 1) knowledge providers share knowledge through speech, writing, behavior and other
methods to communicate with others; 2) knowledge receivers imitate, observe, listen and read
from knowledge providers to learn the intended knowledge (Sun 2003). Therefore, the actual
interaction between providers and receivers is the key to knowledge transfer.
Being a service oriented recruiter. Education, with rising competition in the new era, has
become a part of the service industry. It is critical for instructors to switch their mindset into a
service-oriented mode when recruiting students (Gyure & Arnold, 2001). Based on the data
collected, the majority of instructors gave credits to the approach of maintaining a long-term
relationship with high school students and teachers in recruitment services, therefore, being able
to anticipate needs and provide assistance are essential to the relationship development. Students
and their families often go through varying degrees of anxiety about university selection,
instructors at KYU can help reduce apprehension by providing accurate information, appropriate
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advice and professional suggestions, thereby establishing the initial relationship in an early phase
(Gyure & Arnold, 2001).
Use of information and technology. Personal contacts are not always face-to-face. In
the technology and Internet booming era, multi communication channels including direct mail,
email, telephone conversations and in personal discussion have become part of the marketing
tools in many industries. However, online interactions, electronic responses and transparent
information available on the website play a major role when establishing relationship with the
younger generations and students. Online access is now a major factor in both the decision to
apply and the decision to attend (Gyure & Arnold, 2001). Colleges and universities cannot ignore
the impact of technology, but must instead incorporate it appropriately into recruitment training.
A broader use of technology can also improve internal training in terms of knowledge sharing
and enhancement. An online platform for instructors to share their personal experiences in
recruitment services will foster creativity, increase autonomy and establish a common goal (Sun,
2003).
Metacognitive knowledge gaps: Instructors were not able to reflect own
performance and make adjustments accordingly. Reflective thinking skill is an essential
component to the development of expert learning. Expert learners integrate the knowledge,
strategies and skills gained from the learning process and selectively use them to achieve the
desired goals of the required task (Ertmer & Newby, 1996). In other words, expert learners
utilize the technique of ongoing reflective thinking that will strategically help control and
monitor the learning process for better results. Schunk (1991a) also stated that expertise requires
more than just knowing the facts and procedures. It is the monitoring and self-regulatory skills
that enable them to apply the right knowledge and action on a specific task. Based on this
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concept, high achieving instructors at KYU are conscious learners who act as problem solvers
rather than just the performers. Instructors at KYU are experts in their subject areas but not in
student recruitment or marketing. Recruitment related tasks are new and challenging for most of
the instructors, therefore, the strategy of learning by doing is exercised among most of them.
However, conscious learners were not able to share or transfer their self-regulatory skills to other
instructors in the department. The majority of instructors recruit individually, they have limited
opportunities to share experiences and observe each other during the recruitment activities.
Several approaches can be done to enhance individual performance. The first step will be
facilitating instructors to become expert learners who know how to plan, monitor, and evaluate
their own performance in a effective and efficient approach.
Facilitating instructors to be expert leaners. Through extensive practice, metacognitive
knowledge can be learned just as most of skills are learned. However, extensive practice will
still be needed for long-term and effective adoption. Self-regulation, which is also a kind of
procedural knowledge, requires hands-on experiences in addition to taught theories and
observation. Beyer (1987) suggested that practice is essential to metacognitive knowledge
development. A learner’s confidence and expertise can be gained through learning environment
where informative feedback and continuous practice opportunities are given. For this reason,
practice and feedback are critical for expert learning. Therefore, the development of expert
learning among instructors at KYU can only be expected from the actual exercise of recruitment
services. The following paragraphs address the important components for self-regulation
practices.
Planning. Anticipatory planning serves three purposes: it reduces unexpected obstacles,
it increases the chance to accomplish the task and it tends to produce a successful result.
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According to Beyer (1987), it is important set a clear goal, select and sequence a series of
strategies and steps taken to achieve the goal and identify the potential challenges that may
inhibit an individual from achieving the goal.
Monitoring. Expert learners constantly and mentally check what they are doing to
ensure that they are making progress during a specific task. One way to execute this step is by
looking backward at the plan to determine if necessary steps are being performed in the correct
order. So they are able to make adjustments immediately if anything happens to be off plan.
Expert learners also evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of these steps and decide whether or
not if the strategy is appropriate to be re-used and developed for further progression (Beyer,
1987). For example, high achieving instructors adjust their tone and use of language in a speech
according to the reaction and facial expression of audiences. Therefore, they are able to make a
speech that is more attractive and impressive during the next visit to high school students.
Evaluating. In order to determine if the goal was achieved, expert learners review
procedures, strategies and any actions that could have done differently to achieve the goal, or in a
more effective way. They also analyze failure or reaction to obstacles that were not anticipated
(Beyer, 1987). By integrating the results of evaluation, a more thoughtful plan will be developed
in the future; good strategies and skills will be carried on as well.
Reflection. Reflection serves as the bridge between metacognitive knowledge and self-
regulation. It transports lesson learned from previous experiences to the learner, so that he or she
will make a better strategic plan in the future. The translating of the known (learned knowledge)
to action is exercised through reflection (Beyer, 1987). Reflection makes it possible for learners
to utilize known knowledge, skills and strategies constantly during each stage of the self-
regulation process, so learners can make assessments and adjustments when necessary. It is a
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sense of awareness in modifying active approach when reaching a specific goal. Moreover,
reflection is not remembering or storing knowledge but rather transforming past experiences into
active plans for future practices. Therefore, facilitating or training instructors to have the ability
to practice self-regulation is a key to improving individual performance in recruitment services at
KYU.
Solutions for Motivation Causes
Research Question 2: What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge,
motivation, and organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in
recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
Motivation refers to the degree of investment and engagement of an individual in
reaching a desired goal (Meyer, 2004). The motivational pyramid model outlined by Clark and
Estes (2008) includes active choice, mental effort and persistence. In this case, KYU instructors
have made a choice to participate in recruitment activities passively, and there is a lack of mental
effort and persistence in achieving the performance goal. Table 10 summarizes the key validated
causes and solutions for motivation domain.

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Table 10
Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Motivation
Causes Solutions
Motivation Lack of adequate incentives and support to
enhance individual mental effort and
persistence.
Findings revealed that additional supports
such as teamwork, recognition and feedback
are needed to improve and sustain individual
performance.
Offer rewards and recognition
periodically, provide
immediate feedback and
encourage teamwork in order
to enhance individual
motivation.

Lack of incentives to enhance individual mental effort and persistence. Findings
revealed that additional supports such teamwork, recognition and feedback are needed to
improve and sustain individual performance. Survey and interview results indicated that
instructors received inadequate resources by doing additional job, especially when they had no
authority over the university policy change. Therefore, motivation mediators such as giving
rewards and recognition periodically, providing immediate feedback and encouraging teamwork
will smoothen the traditional hierarchy structure at KYU. More involvement in recruitment
service by the university leaderships can also be inspiring for faculty. Instructors will be more
interested in joining recruitment service if KYU leaders demonstrate their own involvement in
recruitment related tasks. Recommendations to keep instructors motivated or increase their
interest in conducting recruitment related tasks are listed below.
Assessment in shorter phases. Researchers have identified two factors that increase
motivation: goal commitment and lack of progress (Koo & Fishbach, 2008). Goal commitment
increases motivation by focusing on what people have already accomplished and showing the
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up-to-date results. Conversely, motivation is also increased by showing the goal progress (to-go)
and what people have yet to accomplish. Koo & Fishback (2008) proved that by keeping the
amount of actual goal progress constant (approximately 50%), the focus on what was
accomplished increases goal adherence when commitment is uncertain. Instructors of KYU have
no confidence in meeting the target enrollment number, but it would be very encouraging if the
recruiting accomplishments were announced periodically. Pajares (2010) also stated that self-
confidence and self-efficacy will most likely to be increased if the short-term goals are achieved.
Therefore, providing periodical training lessons, acknowledging successful models among
instructors and building an assessment system that divides the entire recruitment season into
small phases, will help demonstrate continuous improvement and create a motivating atmosphere
at the university. Instructors will also learn to make adjustments and request help when
necessary. Furthermore, instructors will be able to interpret success and failure in a more
corrective way in the future when challenges occur.
Empower instructors. Instructors at KYU, who act as the front line in recruitment
services, should believe in their ability to influence the college’s decisions. Although instructors
are assigned additional tasks such as recruiting travel, high school activities, co-op activities with
high schools, telephone calls and attending receptions, it is suggested that more involvement
with recruitment strategy planning and evaluation system establishment help empower recruiters
(instructors) not only be more effective but also contribute to enrollment objectives (Gyure &
Arnold, 2001).
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Solutions for Organization Causes
Research Question 2: What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge,
motivation, and organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in
recruitment services at Kao Yuan University?
Knowing the needs of potential students is the priority goal for university leaders when
finding a market segment and own position in the competition of student recruitment. The goal
is to aligned with the university’s resources, faculty’s expertise and long-term development plan
(Chen & Hsiao, 2009). In the meantime, knowing the university’s current status in terms of
internal and external resources and capability are essential to future policymaking and
operational strategies. These issues are critical and cannot be ignored when planning student
recruitment programs. Based on the results obtained from this study, the researcher made the
following recommendations, which are designed to enhance KYU’s recruitment strategies.
Table 11 summarizes the key validated causes and solutions for organization domain.

Table 11
Summary of Key Validated Causes and Solutions for Organization
Causes Solutions
Organization
Capacity/Resources
Lack of communication and
common goal. Not all instructors
value the importance of increasing
student enrollment as much as the
university leaders do.
Incorporating recruitment tasks as
part the instructors’ duty also
created some degrees of resistance.
Enhance marketing among
internal stakeholders including
faculty, staff members and
students who are currently
enrolled in the school.
Focus on quality assurance while
developing innovative market-
oriented recruitment strategies

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Lack of communication and common goal. Not all instructors value the importance
of increasing student enrollment as much as the university leaders do. Incorporating
recruitment tasks as part the instructors’ duty also created some degrees of resistance. The
survey and interview results concluded that trust among instructors and the KYU management
can be enhanced. Clear and constant communication increases trust and helps people adjust their
behavior to accommodate unexpected events (Clark & Estes, 2008). Chen, Pai, Liao & Liao
(2014) also suggested that school should work on increasing the cohesiveness among teachers
and developing innovative school operation strategies. The school should encourage more
interaction between teachers and staff; and ask senior teachers to pass down their experience and
school loyalty. By reaching consensus and developing affective interactions, teachers and staff
are more likely to be proud of the university and provide whole-hearted contributors to the
institution. They are also more likely to promote the university when necessary.
Recommendations to enhance the internal bound within an organization and effective
recruitment strategies to target the potential market are addressed as follow.
Common goal. One way to increase cohesiveness internally is to enhance marketing
among internal customers including faculty, staff members and students who are currently
enrolled in the school. Better quality of service and products can be provided to external
customers if everyone in the organization recognizes the core philosophy, feels the importance of
getting job done (Chen & Hsiao, 2009). Therefore, It is quite important for school to secure its
internal marketing before rolling out any external recruitment strategies.
Recruitment strategies that fit the market-oriented environment. Being influenced by
the low birth rate phenomenon, many universities in Taiwan today, especially the private ones,
are providing market driven education rather than the traditional lessons. Chen, Lee, Huang,
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Huang and Ya (2010) also stated “recruiting students from a marketing-oriented perspectives
creates a new value of needs, reshaping competition boundaries as new markets are developed.”
In response to market-oriented demands, universities are pressured to reorganize their
departments and programs according to the popular industries and majors (Chou, 2008).
Instructors are requested to teach broader disciplines rather than focusing on their own expertise,
this phenomenon was mentioned by several instructors during the interviews as well. Students
on the other hand, tend to choose universities that can provide them practical trainings and career
related preparation rather than theoretical foundation courses. Moreover, emphasizing attributes
in promotional materials is a more effective method of attracting the attention of the prospective
students (Rosen & Greenlee, 2001). Once a university has the attention of a perspective student,
it is most likely that the university will become a part of the consideration pool.
Lin (2007) studied the determinants of choosing university for technical and vocational
education in Taiwan; three out five identified schools in the study were neighboring institutions
that share the market of potential students with KYU. The result of Lin’s study indicated that
priority factors that affect a potential student to choose university for technical and vocational
education included location, career development and opportunities, tuition fees, university
ranking, and recommendations, making a solid long-term relationship development with high
schools teachers extremely important. Principle Hsiao from I-Shou University (a private
university in Southern Taiwan) once mentioned “potential students can be categorized as the
domestic and international ones; if the domestic students are reducing, recruiting international
students will be an essential strategy to future expansion.” However, universities in Taiwan
share common characteristics and advantages with universities in Hong Kong and China. How
to create a sense of uniqueness that differentiates universities in Taiwan from other Chinese-
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speaking countries is a crucial assignment. Principle Liao from National Taiwan University of
Science and Technology agreed with the idea of attracting more foreign students, and he also
suggested recruiting additional domestic students from the existing workforce. Universities
focus on providing practical trainings such as KYU, could create more professional development
programs suitable for those who have been working for years and had only high school diplomas.
After all, educational institutions of all levels in Taiwan have to get ready for the demographic
changes followed by the low birth rate impact. Even with some help from MOE, only
institutions that are market sensitive and manage to attract enough students survive from the
battle. Two effective marketing methods are suggested below.
Event marketing and Partnership building. In order to meet the rapidly changing
environment and evolving demand, a deep understanding of the consumer (student) needs should
be developed. A great relationship and ongoing networking with the upstream and downstream
partners can draw attention and build trust from students and thus develop a competitive
advantage (Chen, Lee, Huang, Huang & Ya, 2010).
Reputation and quality. Business leaders believe that the performance of today's
graduates in the labor market is lower than that of earlier generations of graduates (Huang, 2003).
As an educational leader, it is important to keep reminding oneself of the core value of operating
a school. The quality of education should be a priority goal while successful graduates serve as
the best advertisement for recruitment (Elliot & Healy (2001). In addition, long-term
development, school philosophy and social welfare are highly related to a school’s image and
reputation. There is no short-cut to building a school culture that emphasizes a passion for
excellence. Student recruitment and retention activities are interrelated. The word-of-mouth
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promotion that comes from current satisfied students is the most efficient and effective way to
recruit students (Elliot & Healy, (2001).
Future research. Based on data collected, university leaders and instructors have already
identified elements of KYU’s advantage in student recruitment. They are (1) career opportunities
after graduation; and (2) on and off-campus employment opportunities to reduce miscellaneous
fees and provide scholarships. However, many institutions fail to conduct further surveys or
analysis on students with different orientations (Chen & Hsiao, 2009). To avoid this kind of
discrepancy, further survey and market segment studies are encouraged for schools to practice
before annual recruiting activities. Just like other businesses, knowing what the customers’ truly
need is an effective way to attract more customers.
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Solutions
This section examined solutions for validated knowledge, motivation and organization
causes Identifies through the gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008). Findings from Chapter 4
revealed a need for KYU instructors to enhance their procedural and metacognitive knowledge in
recruitment services. Possible solutions to increase knowledge included facilitating the
instructors to become expert learners and equip with the ability to plan, monitor, evaluate and
reflect their own performances in recruitment services. Regarding motivation domain, there is a
lack of incentives to enhance mental effort and persistence in performing recruitment services.
The recommended solutions for increasing performance efficiency included empowering
instructors, establishing short-term goals and providing additional resources. In terms of
organizational solutions, survey and interview analysis validated the need for KYU leaders to
clearly identify common goals, develop small recruitment teams among within each department
and create market-oriented recruitment strategies.
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The next section discusses an implementation plan for solutions to key validated causes
summarized in Table 12. Proposed implementation plan will contribute to the achievement of
enrollment target at KYU as the next recruitment will be starting in less than six months.
Implementation Plan
When the implementation begins, instructors will be introduced to the proposed solutions
directly and indirectly through periodical university-wide meetings as well as small meetings
within the department. Table 12 summarizes the causes, solutions and implementation of the
solutions proposed. Table 13 outlines the university progress goal and performance goal that are
aligned with the university’s mission and ultimate enrollment goal. Table 13 also provides an
overview of the short-term and long-term goals, time frame of the implementation, and how the
performance goal will be measured.
Solution Integration
Integrating knowledge, motivation and organizational solutions is essential to the success
of policy implementation. Forming recruitment teams in each department will increase mental
effort and persistence of instructors’ performance, allow information and feedback sharing,
enhance teamwork, reduce individual pressure and anxiety and address gaps in all three
dimensions for reaching the organizational goals. A stronger bond among instructors will
increase cohesiveness internally, generate a sense a belonging and most importantly, and create a
common goal for the new initiative. Table 12 provides a summary of causes, solutions and
implementation of solutions that will aid instructors of KYU in achieving its goals.
Based on findings from the survey and interviews, evidence from empirical articles, the
above listed solutions and implementation proposed in this chapter represent both short and long
term plans. The lack of university resources, supports and common goal were identified as part
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of the motivation and organization gaps contributing to the instructors’ poor performance in
recruitment services. Instructors on the other hand, need additional help in performance
effectively and self-assessment. Other elements such as enhancing the university image,
increasing education quality and preparing career-ready graduates will all have some degrees of
impact on the result of university recruitment. Multi stakeholders must be involved in achieving
the ultimate goal of increasing student enrollment. While the solutions and implementations
cannot be in isolation of each other, further measurement and a system to assess the proposed
plan must be in place. Evaluation plan and discussion will be addressed in the next chapter.

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Table 12
Summary of Causes, Solutions, and Implementation of the Solutions
Causes Solutions Implementation
Knowledge &
Skills
Procedural knowledge:
Limited knowledge to
perform recruitment related
tasks effectively and
efficiently.
Metacognitive knowledge:
Limited knowledge to assess
personal performance and
make adjustments
accordingly.
Facilitate instructors to
become expert learners
while giving them
supports and training in
partnership building and
technology utilization.
Divide instructors into small
recruitment teams that will be led
by high achievers. Team
members will be able to share
experiences, contribute individual
expertise, provide feedback and
learn from each other.
Motivation Lack of adequate incentives
and support to enhance
individual mental effort and
persistence.
Findings revealed that
additional supports such as
teamwork, recognition and
feedback are needed to
improve and sustain
individual performance.
Offer rewards and
recognition periodically,
provide immediate
feedback and encourage
teamwork in order to
enhance individual
motivation.
Encourage instructors to sustain
mental effort by showing updated
results about what have already
accomplished in student
recruitment.
Increase goal achievement rate by
breaking down performance
assessment into several phases.
Empower instructors by giving
more autonomy and involvement
in recruitment strategy planning.
Organization
Capacity/
Resources
Lack of communication and
common goal. Not all
instructors value the
importance of increasing
student enrollment as much as
the university leaders do.
Incorporating recruitment
tasks as part the instructors’
duty also created some
degrees of resistance.
Enhance marketing
among internal
stakeholders including
faculty, staff members
and students who are
currently enrolled in the
school.
Focus on quality
assurance while
developing innovative
market-oriented
recruitment strategies
Conduct periodical internal
workshops, discussions or online
plat form to share updates about
the school.
University leaders will establish
more partnerships with the
industry enterprises through their
connections and reputation.
Emphasize education quality and
prepare career-ready graduates
through internship opportunities,
manner regulations and
professional development.
Develop an alumni network that
allows students of all time to
share live stories and
achievements.

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Progress Goals and Performance Goals
The timeframe of the organizational goal is one year and the actions are designed to be
implemented as soon as possible, but no later than November 2014. There are short-term goals
and long-term goals embedded in the one-year plan, including progress goals and performance
goals during different phases, and the ultimate goal to increase student enrollment. Based upon
the implementation plan, goals for various stages are summarized in Table 13.
The proposed implementation plan and timeframe focuses on short-tern assessments,
periodic reviews, consistent information sharing, feedback reporting and relationship building
that will minimize the communication and perception gaps between university leaders and
instructors. Through internal marketing and networking, the researcher expects these solutions
to increase instructors’ motivation in recruitment services by January 2015 and see different
attitudes during the next recruitment season (Feb-May 2015). The first and the most important
progress goal is to form recruitment teams in each department. This critical step will foster the
integration of knowledge, motivation and organization solutions to close the knowledge,
motivation and organization gaps. KYU leaders will also enhance internal marketing and
strengthen stakeholders’ loyalty by demonstrating their recruitment effort in partnership building
and media promotion. The alumni network will also tighten the relationship between students
and the university since word-of-mouth is an effective marketing method after all.

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Table 13
Goals of Varies Stages for KYU
Organizational Mission
Prepare students with excellent employability by integrating academic learning and industry
practice in a sustainable approach.
Organizational Goal
The goal of KYU is to operate a university and achieve satisfactory student academic
performance in a persistent financially sustainable condition.
Progress goal Performance Goal Performance Goal Measure
1. Director of each
department will divide the
fellow instructors into
recruitment teams by
October 2014. A high
achiever in recruitment
services will be assigned as
the team leader in each
team.
Team members will visit
assigned schools twice a
month and report the latest
status to the team leader.
Team leader will hold a
discussion meeting 1-2 times
a month to review the current
status of each member,
generate new recruitment
strategies and set a short-term
goal.
Each team will create short-tem
goal evaluation sheet by
October 2015 followed by
university guideline.
Review and conduct team
meetings 1-2 times a month, a
status report should be tuned in
to the department director every
month, starting from November
2015.
2. KYU leaders and board
members will assign
additional budgets to
promote those who present
great performance in
recruitment services by
October 2014. The forms
of rewards include financial
incentives, recognition and
acknowledgement.
First reward will be given out
in December 2014 and
followed by every two
months after. Team leader
will recommend a winner
based on his/her performance
in recruitment related tasks
such as high school visiting,
event arrangements, feedback
sharing and so forth.
The department director will
also recommend a winning
team every semester to
receive recognition from the
university based on team
effort.
A winning member and a
winning team of each
department will be
recommended by the end of
November 2014.
First reward will be given on
December 2015 during the first
workshop and discussion
meeting.

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Table 13, continued
Progress goal Performance Goal Performance Goal Measure
3. KYU leaders will expand
their partnership network,
increase media exposure
and generate more
internship and scholarship
opportunities for the
students. There is no firm
deadline but the target is to
establish at least one new
partnership each semester.
KYU leaders will report their
performance and current
status on partnership building
during the internal workshop
and discussion time.
Workshop and discussion
time will be held on a bi-
week base; at least one
representative from each
department will be required
to attend these workshops
and discussions.
Establish one partnership with
the enterprise (or high school)
by the end of first semester,
January 2015.
Conduct newspaper release
once a month on KYU related
stories, starting October 2014.
Conduct one free online session
for potential students, parents
and partners once a month,
starting October 2014.
Conduct free weekend campus
tour during recruitment season
(February-May, 2015) for
potential students, parents and
partners.
4. KYU will establish an
alumni network to connect
past, current and future
students. There is no firm
deadline but the target is to
begin building the network
within one semester (up to
January 2015).
Assign a representative to
track KYU alumni by
October 2014. He or she will
also be responsible for
website updates, alumni
relations, event arrangements,
inquiry responses and other
alumni related tasks.
Conduct alumni tea party once
a semester, the first one will be
held on January 2015. RSVP
and admission required.
An alumni website will be
established by November 2014.
The first weekly newspaper
will be released in the first
week of December 2014.

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Summary
Chapter 5 provided potential solutions to close the gaps of knowledge, motivation and
organization domain recruitment services. The solutions were developed on the basis of the
survey and interview results reported in Chapter 4 and review of the relevant research literature.
The following chapter provides an assessment and evaluation plan for the proposed solutions. It
will also address the limitation of the study, highlight strengths and weaknesses of the
implementation and evaluation approach, and discuss further research required.

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CHAPTER 6
EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to determine why insufficient numbers of students enrolled
at Kao Yuan University (KYU), focusing on improvement of instructors’ performance in
recruitment services. The research questions guiding this study were:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational causes that might inhibit
instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yaun University?
2. What are the recommended solutions to close the knowledge, motivation, and
organization gaps that might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services
at Kao Yuan University?
Using the gap analysis framework (Clark & Estes, 2006), assumed causes for the problem
were generated around three categories; knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization. The
assumptions were tested and validated through surveys and interviews of all instructors at KYU.
Based on an analysis of the results and findings, solutions were generated and an implementation
plan proposed. In order to assess the outcomes of proposed implementation, an evaluation
program should accompany the recommendations. In this chapter, the proposed evaluation
recommendations are based on Kirkpatrick’s (2007) four level evaluation model and Champion’s
(2002) interpretation of the model towards higher education. Limitations of the study and
recommendations for future studies are also addressed.
Study Overview
According to the Department of Household registration of the Ministry of Interior (2011),
the birth rate of Taiwan has dropped from 2.29 in 1981 to 1.16 in 2001 and to 0.72 in 2010. The
newborn population of 2010 in Taiwan was reported as 166,886 people and the average fertility
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rate was 0.895 births per woman. These data position Taiwan as the nation with lowest birth rate
of the world that year. The dramatic decline of fertility rates affects the demographic structure of
Taiwan, as well as student enrollments at every level of the education system.
The Department of Statistics of Ministry of Education (2011) predicted a reduction of
100,000 students in grade 7 would occur in the next 10 years. As a result, fewer than 200,000
students would be entering high schools in 2021 compare to 284,724 students in 2012.
Accordingly, it will be more difficult for higher education institutions to recruit students from a
smaller population of possible high school students. If the number of students continues to drops,
the number of classes and subjects will be reduced or removed. Some universities may even face
the challenge of downsizing, merging with others, or closing.
Kao Yuan University (KYU), is a four-year private university of technology At which
80% of the operating revenue comes from tuition and fees, which makes it critical for the
university to have sufficient enrollments. In order to secure the university’s sustainability, the
university needs to have 10,000 enrolled students. However, KYU has been enrolling 7,000 to
8,000 students and thus operating with limited financial resources for the past five years. As a
result, the management team at KYU has been focusing on recruitment related tasks. A
performance gap in recruitment services among instructors was identified. The gap analysis
model was selected to explore the assumed causes of knowledge, motivation and organization
domain that might inhibit instructors from achieving the performance goal in recruitment
services. Identification of causes was generated based on informal conversation and with KYU
instructors and the researcher’s observation, a literature review and learning and motivational
theories.
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Survey instruments and interview protocols were created for all instructors at KYU,
seeking to test and validate assumed causes for poor performance in recruitment services (see the
Appendices for complete copies of these instruments). Findings were analyzed around
knowledge, motivation and organization domains. These included a lack of procedural
knowledge among instructors to perform recruitment related tasks effectively and efficiently; a
lack of metacognitive knowledge to reflect own performance and make adjustments accordingly.
Additional supports such as teamwork, recognition and feedback are needed to improve and
sustain individual performance. Incorporating recruitment tasks as part the instructors’ duties
created some degrees of resistance and there is a lack of commonly held goals. Attracting and
enrolling potential students remains a complex process. The interviews revealed that applicants’
decision-making practices are driven by marketing and branding campaigns from multiple
sources, including institutions, alumnus network and high school teachers.
Given the interrelatedness of the findings and results to the instructors’ performance in
recruitment services, the data were categorized into five key themes for solution generation.
These five solutions are 1) Divide instructors into recruitment teams led by a high achiever in
each department; 2) Develop training sessions, discussion workshop, short-term goals and
assessment plan for each recruitment teams; 3) Assign additional budget to promote high
achieving instructors, including financial incentives, recognition and acknowledgement; 4) KYU
leaders will expand their partnership network with local industries and high schools, they will
also increase media exposure and generate more internship and scholarship opportunities for
students; and 5) Begin to establish an alumni network to connect past, current and future students.
Based survey and interview findings and the solutions developed on the basis of this
research, an implementation plan across multiple stakeholders offers a process structure to
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address the five thematic areas. Stakeholders who exercise the implementation plan are mainly
KYU leaders and instructors. Given the nature of the semester cycle, implementation will begin
in October 2014. While various initiatives and policy changes take place continuously,
performance measurements will occur on a short-term base for immediately assessment and
adjustment.
Key Policy Recommendations
Low birth rate impact has become an unavoidable challenge to all educational segments
in Taiwan. Given the background of this study, the priority task to all educational leaders,
especially to those of private universities, is how to sustain the university operation with limited
resources and student enrollments. A decrease of 50,000 freshmen is predicted to occur in 2016
as a result of the dramatic decrease of high school entry in 2013. Some universities may be
forced to merge, downsize or close down. In contrast to public universities, private universities
are less competitive in terms of reputation, government support and financial capability. How to
efficiently and successfully generate additional resources including student enrollment in a
restricted timeline is the key to continuous operation among private institutions.
Based on validated causes in knowledge, motivation and organizational domains from
this study, the ultimate solution recommended for KYU is to create a common goal that brings
university faculty and leaders together and allows them to share a collective value. Key policy
takeaways are address below:
1. Establish center for student recruitment to collect the up-to-date data, provide
resources and supports, conduct internal training and performance assessment;
2. Form recruitment teams in each department. Team members will share resources,
observe, imitate and learn from each other;
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3. Shorten the assessment phases to evaluate team performance in more frequent periods
and make adjustment accordingly;
4. Assign additional budget to promote high achieving instructors, including financial
incentives, recognition and acknowledgement;
5. Expand the current partnership network and media exposure to generate more
internship and scholarship opportunities for students; and
6. Begin to establish an alumni network to connect past, current and future students.
KYU is not the only university in Taiwan facing challenges of low birth rate, low student
enrollment and inadequate resources, threatening the university operation and sustainability.
Resource integration and partnership establishment with the neighboring community, industry
and schools could be a possible break through for the current condition. Along with appropriate
adjustments in organizational structure and knowledge management, the future of KYU is
foreseeable. As a result, the proposed recommendations will impact KYU’s ability to quickly
respond to the current confronts, therefore, enabling KYU to contribute more effectively to the
students, faculty and community as a whole.
Recommendations for Evaluation
Kirkpatrick’s (2007) four level evaluation model evaluates the effectiveness of training
programs including solutions and implementations. The model assesses across four levels;
Reaction (Level 1), Learning (Level 2), Behavior (Level 3), and Results (Level 4) (Kirkpatrick,
2007, p. 5). The proposed evaluation practices below incorporate concepts from the author.
Reactions
The first level measures how individuals respond to a change or program. Tools can be
basic and simple to quickly register responses and reactions. In order to find out what and how
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to improve the current condition, few questions are asked before, during and after the change.
One change that will take place immediately will be grouping instructors in each department.
Following Bandura’s (1997) Social Cognitive Theory, a series of re-designed training sessions,
led by instructors who have been performing exceptional results, is recommended. The training
sessions will reduce the instructors’ knowledge gaps, enhance self-efficacy and address the value
organizational goal. Open-ended questions will be conducted to determine instructors’
expectations for the training session. Question examples include:
• What would you change about the training session, and how would you change it, to
make it more effective for you and for others?
• What features of the training session did you find the most helpful?
• What features of the training session did you find the least helpful?
• Over all, how much did you enjoy the training session? (Scale 1 to 5)
• Will you be able to use what you learned on the job? (Scale 1 to 5)
• How confident are you on the job after the training session? (Scale 1 to 5)
The same concept and method will be used to assess other changes. The key to this level is to
ensure immediacy of feedback and the collection of honest commentary on changes.
Learning
The second level evaluates whether learning has occurred and a change in knowledge,
skills or attitude is observed (Kirkpatrick, 2006). In the case of KYU, the main idea is to
improve the current recruitment practices and reduce performance gaps at KYU rather than
introducing new policies. Therefore, monitoring the learning progress continuously is essential
to determine whether the change has made effective impact on performance improvement. The
recruitment service is a procedural practice in nature; assessment of learning during the training
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is relatively straightforward. According to Clark & Estes (2008), a checklist containing the key
elements of the procedure can be used to diagnose and correct learning problems. Team leaders
can act as the observers to record individual performance based on the checklist. Immediate
improvement of instructors’ performance is expected if the proposed solution (grouping) is
successful.
Behavior
Level three concentrates on information used to evaluate the utilization of new learning
which in this case, leads to sufficient numbers of student enrollment at KYU. However, short-
term evaluation such as collecting feedbacks from campus visits and follow-up phone calls can
also be effective assessments to determine whether the instructors continue to apply gains made
from the training sessions within a certain timeframe after the training. Clark and Estes noted
that “ people tend to revert to previous patterns until new learning becomes stronger than old
habits” (Clark & Estes, P135). In order to persist the performance, motivational stimulus such
incentives, rewards and recognition provided by the university leaders will need to be persistent
as well.
Results
Results are the focus of the final stage of evaluation; whether the change (grouping and
training sessions) has made any difference to the organizational goal achievement. In this case,
the most tangible result will be an increase in student enrollment. By utilizing enrollment from a
previous year to another, KYU can benchmark data against the 2013 outcomes to ascertain an
upward trend. In addition, expressions of interest for the following year would also suggest the
potential for future positive results, and these assessments should be repeated at multiple times.
Other variables such as geographic change (low birth rate) and increasing competition
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(university expansion) may also impact the bottom line result and make it difficult for an
accurate evaluation. Although a positive bottom line result may not be seen immediately,
success can be demonstrated from the first three levels of evaluation. Ultimately, positive
evaluation in this level would produce an increased number of students enrolled at KYU and a
larger pool of potential students for future recruitment cycles.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
The gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008) approach provides both advantages and
disadvantages for problem solving. One advantage of using such an approach is that a problem
is examined from multiple perspectives including knowledge and skills, motivation and
organizational domains, of which casual analysis and practical solutions can be developed
through research-based investigation. The problem is first identified and divided into
manageable blocks of information representing complex assumed causes of all aspects. The
approach then requires sequenced steps that include data collection, data analysis, assumed cause
validation, literature review, solution assessment, implementation and evaluation to complete the
process.
However, the complete gap analysis requires significant time to carry out. Organizational
problems often require quick solutions and responses for policy changes. In other words,
applying a complete gap analysis process to address a real-time problem is challenging and it is
difficult to avoid skipping steps in the process. In the case of KYU, the university’s
sustainability is in question while an immediate increase in operational revenue is needed to
maintain the university operations. The study only focused on increasing student enrollment due
to time constrains while other solutions such as generating external resources or eliminating the
current expanses may also be important aspects to look into.
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Finally, a complete gap analysis requires the identification of all stakeholders in an
organization and their departmental goals. The investment required for this process is
considerable, including time and resource allocation. Additional survey and interview
instruments may need to be created to target all stakeholders. A more complex process in data
analysis and triangulation will be necessary to increase validity. In the case of KYU, avoiding
additional expenses is quite essential to the university operation. It would be a challenging
decision to make in terms of whether a full gap analysis should be applied.
Limitations of Study
There are several limitations to the study. There were no comparable data outside of KYU
that could be used as a benchmark for the survey and interviews. Data collected for this study was
solely based on the perceptions of faculty who participated in the study. With limited time and
resources, the researcher made the intentional decision to apply the gap analysis process only to
KYU faculty. The full Clark & Estes (2008) gap analysis would have included all stakeholders,
including staff and students, as well as faculty. Another limitation was the self-report instruments
developed by the researcher. A wider range of pre-testing process will enhance the instrument’s
reliability and validity. One additional limitation was the pre-assigned interviewees who were
purposely selected by the chief secretary. All interviewees were high achievers form different
departments, according to the chief secretary. As the interviewees were not randomly selected, the
researcher was not able to collect partial data from instructors beyond this small subset. According
to Patton (2002), there are few valid and reliable instruments to measure particular phenomena or
outcomes, such as perceptions. Other measures such as interviews with faculty, would strengthen the
validity and reliability. Pre-assigned interviewees restrained the accuracy of the study. The
researcher believes certain messages related to knowledge and skills, motivation and organization
domains were hidden or limited.
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Future Research
KYU is just one of many private universities in southern Taiwan. While this study adds
to the literature surrounding recruitment challenges and university operations, there are a number
of areas for future research. In general, studies about low birth rate impact in Asia and recent
challenges in higher education, not just those limited to Taiwan, would add further insight into
problems and solutions relative to university recruitment. Other studies focused on stakeholders’
perceptions toward individual accountability and university sustainability would also be helpful
to university operations and policymaking.
Additional research should address feasible solutions for university downsizing and
merging. More supply than demand is a fact in high education in Taiwan today; it is predictable
that some universities will not survive independently. There are a limited number of studies on
how to integrate or transform the existing resources such as equipment, space, human capital and
program to fit a smaller student population. While downsizing or merging with other institutions
is not an option in the study, it could be critical when facing low enrollment challenges, and can
inform practical applications that sustain the university operations.
Further study into other stakeholders is needed to determine whether the current
recruitment strategies contribute to greater student enrollment overall, or contribute toward
number deduction. A full gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008) would include analysis of the
perceptions of all KYU stakeholders: administrators, staff, parents, students, board members and
faculty. Due to time constraints, the current research analysis focused solely on instructors’
performance in meeting the goal. A better picture of the institutional challenges that exist would
be presented with a more in-depth analysis.
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Conclusion
This study may be used to inform other institutions of higher education in Taiwan, and
other Asian countries affected by a dramatic demographic change such as low birth rate impact,
about ways to increase student enrollment through faculty engagement and internal resource
allocation. The decision to use KYU as a case study was intentional. This site provided a unique
opportunity to examine, through the use of gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008), a process to
determine how to identify the barriers among the faculty that could potentially reduce student
enrollment hindering the university operations and sustainability.
KYU has a unique opportunity to close the self-perceived performance gaps among
instructors in knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational aspects. If these areas are
analyzed, addressed, and closed now, they may not become barriers that lead to sustainable
university operations in the future. A well-developed recruitment strategy that involves highly
with instructor engagement may increase competencies and competiveness for many universities
to survive in a diverse and changing society.

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APPENDIX A
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF PERFORMANCE GAP
Table A1
Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Knowledge and Skills
Type of Cause
Knowledge Type Example
Factual Instructors do not know background information such as types of programs
and clubs of the school.
Instructors are unable to list appropriate recruitment strategies.
Instructors do not know the advantages and disadvantages of own school
and competitor schools.
Instructors are unable to list interests and expectations of high school
students.
Conceptual Instructors cannot distinguish active and inactive recruitment activities.
Instructors do not know the types of recruiting strategies.
Instructors are unable to identify the characteristics of the potential
students.
Procedural Instructors do not know how to conduct effective recruitment activities.
Instructors are unable to integrate recruitment techniques such as
communication skills and multimedia.
Instructors are unable to conduct marketing plans and establish marketing
channels.
Instructors do not know how to seek for help.
Metacognitive Instructors are unable to reflect own performances and make adjustments.
Instructors do no know the purpose and reason of doing recruitment
service.

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Table A2
Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Motivation
Type of Cause
Motivation Type Example
Active Choice
Instructors have made the choice to recruit in a passive way.
Instructors consider recruitment service as additional loading to their jobs.
Instructors do not see positive outcomes (value) from recruitment services.
Instructors feel downgraded in terms of professionalism and social status
by doing recruitment services.
Mental Effort Instructors’ goals do not align with the organizational goal.
Instructors have low self-efficacy in recruitment related services.
Instructors are not interested in improving recruitment skills.
Persistence Instructors do not consider recruitment service as their own
responsibilities.
Instructors believe “low enrollment” is a consequence of uncontrollable
impacts such as low birth rate and growing universities.
Instructor evaluation is quantity (points) based rather than quality based.
Limited support including budget and training is provided to instructors.
Instructors do not receive recognition when task is done. Punishment is
used more than encouragement or rewards.
University management and leadership do not take the leading position by
showing effort in recruitment tasks.

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Table A3
Possible Causes of Performance Gap: Organization
Type of Cause
Motivation Type Example
Work Process Cooperation between departments and divisions are not promoted
or guided by the university leaderships.
Materials Resources The university provides limited tangible supplies, budgets and
equipment for recruitment related tasks.
Adequate knowledge, skills and motivation are not provided while
organizational changes occur.
Feedbacks are limited since the performance evaluation is quantity
(points) based rather than quality based.
Organizational Culture The university leaderships did not take the leading position and
show their involvement in recruitment service.
Hierarchy is embedded in the organization; instructors have no
authority over policy change.
Organizational Change The university did not create clear vision, goals and ways to
measure the progress.
The university did not create value for recruitment service before
assigning the task to instructors.

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Table A4
Summary of Assumed Causes for Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Issues
Sources
Causes Knowledge Motivation Organizational
Survey,
interviews and
personal
knowledge
Factual Knowledge
Instructors do not know
background information
such as types of programs
and clubs of the school.
Instructors are unable to
list appropriate
recruitment strategies.
Instructors do not know
the advantages and
disadvantages of own
school and competitor
schools.
Instructors are unable to
list interests and
expectations of high
school students.
Conceptual knowledge
Instructors cannot
distinguish active and
inactive recruitment
activities.
Instructors do not know
the types of recruiting
strategies.
Instructors are unable to
identify the characteristics
of the potential students.
Choice
Instructors have made
the choice to recruit in a
passive approach.
Instructors do not
consider recruitment as
own accountability.
Instructors feel they are
being downgraded in
terms of professionalism
and social status by
doing recruitment
services.
Instructors’ goals do not
align with the
organizational goal.
Mental effort
Instructors have low
self-efficacy in
recruitment related
services.
Instructors do not
consider recruitment
service as their own
responsibilities.
Limited support
including budget and
training is provided to
instructors.
Work Process
University provides
no guidance for
different departments
and divisions to work
together.
Material Resources
University provides
limited supports in
both tangible and
intangible materials.
Organizational
Culture
University does not
provide incentives or
rewards to achievers.
Instructors are not
given accurate
feedbacks on their
performance.
University
leaderships
demonstrate limited
commitment and
involvement to
recruitment services.
Organizational
Change
Instructors have no
authority over policy
changes.

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Table A4, continued
Sources
Causes Knowledge Motivation Organizational
Survey,
interviews and
personal
knowledge
Procedural knowledge
Instructors do not know
how to conduct effective
recruitment
activities.Instructors are
unable to integrate
recruitment techniques
such as communication
skills and multimedia.
Instructors are unable to
conduct marketing plans
and establish marketing
channels.
Instructors do not know
how to seek for help.
Metacognitive
knowledge
Instructors are unable to
reflect own
performances and make
adjustments.
Instructors do no know
the purpose and reason
of doing recruitment
service.
Instructors believe “low
enrollment” is a
consequence of
uncontrollable impacts
such as low birth rate and
growing universities.
Instructor evaluation is
quantity (points) based
rather than quality based.
Instructors are not
interested in improving
marketing skills.
Instructors do not share
recruiting experiences.
Persistent
Instructors recruit only to
fulfill the university
requirement.
Instructors do not receive
recognition when task is
done. Punishment is used
more than encouragement
or rewards.
KYU leaderships do not
take the leading position
by showing effort in
recruitment tasks.
University does not
have a clear grading
system to evaluate
performance
accurately.

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Table A4, continued
Sources
Causes Knowledge Motivation Organizational
Learning and
Motivation
Theory
Knowledge and skills
enhancement are
required for job
performance (Clark &
Estes, 2008).
It is important for
learners to have accurate
perceptions and
judgments of their
knowledge base and
expertise than to have
inflated or inaccurate
self-knowledge (Pintrich
and Schunk, 1996).
Social Learning Theory
(Bandura, 1997).
People learn from one
another, via observation,
imitation, and modeling.
Individual perception
about the value and cost
of a particular task is
critical to motivation
behaviors.
Instructors do not
recognize their
individual contribution
and take advantage of
social loafing.
Goal setting influences
individual attitudes,
motivation and learning
(Dembo & Seli, 2008).
Adequate knowledge,
skills and motivation
must be provided while
organizational changes
occur (Clark & Estes,
2008).

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Table A4, continued
Sources
Causes Knowledge Motivation Organizational
Review of the
Literature
Theory of cognitive
development (Piaget,
1976).
Learning can be hindered
by prior knowledge,
especially when prior
Knowledge such as
personal beliefs, values,
perceptions and concept
models are insufficient or
inaccurate to the learning
requirement (Ambrose,
Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett
& Norman, 2010)
Ambrose, Bridges,
DiPietro, Lovett and
Norman (2010) pointed
that stereotype arises
within a group of
stereotyped members
where everyone is being
judged according to
stereotypes.
When goals are set,
people with high self-
efficacy set higher
goals than do people
with lower self-
efficacy (Locke &
Latham, 2002).
Research suggested
that some learners
experience strong
negative emotions
during cognitive
overload, and when
their emotional self-
regulatory skill is
Low (Clark, Howard,
& Early, 2006).
Self-efficacy is
related to individual
confidence and
persistence in
achieving a goal
(Zimmerman, 2000)
Once the short-term
goals are achieved,
self-confidence and
self-efficacy will
most likely to be
increased What about
the role of feedback?
(Pajares, 2010)
Goal directed practices
coupled with targeted
feedback are critical to
learning (Ambrose,
Bridges, DiPietro,
Lovett & Norman,
2010).
Organizational culture
can be described as the
beliefs, values, goals,
feelings or an
understanding of who
we are, what we value,
how we do and what we
do (Cook & Yanow,
1993).

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APPENDIX B
WORKSHEETS
Table B1
Gap Analysis Case Validation Method Worksheet
Assumed Causes Survey/ Assessment Interview Observation Data Analysis
Knowledge
Instructors are
unable to identify
advantages and
disadvantages of the
school.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that
target the
assumed cause.
Observe recruitment
activities; listen to the
speeches and observe
contents given.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)
Instructors are
unable to
distinguish effective
and ineffective
recruitment
activities.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that
target the
assumed cause.
Observe the recruitment
activities and methods
used to promote KYU.
For example, any
promotional materials
such as printed handouts,
posters, multimedia,
technology and so forth.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)
Instructors are
unable to identify
the characteristics of
potential students.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that
target the
assumed cause.
Observe the interaction
between instructors and
potential students during
recruitment activities
Observe recruitment
activities and draw
differences.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)
Instructors do not
know how to seek
for help
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that
target the
assumed cause.
Observe the conversation
and interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)
Instructors are
unable to reflect
own performances
and make
adjustments.
Ex.Who (your
colleague) has been
doing a good job in
recruitment service?
Why? Please give
me three reasons.
Open-ended
questions that
target the
assumed cause.
Observe the conversation
and interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
Evaluation result
and performance
cards.

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138
Table B1, continued
Assumed Causes Survey/ Assessment Interview Observation Data Analysis
Motivation
Instructors do not
see value of
recruitment
services.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
N/A
Instructors have low
self-efficacy in
recruitment related
services.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
N/A
Limited support
including budget
and training is
provided to
instructors.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)
Instructors believe
“low enrollment” is
a consequence of
uncontrollable
impacts such as low
birth rate and
growing
universities.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
N/A
Instructor
evaluation is
quantity (points)
based rather than
quality based.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
Evaluation
results and
performance
cards.
Instructors do not
receive recognition
when task is done.
Punishments are
used more rewards.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.
Samples of
rewards or
punishments. (If
any).

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139
Table B1, continued
Assumed Causes Survey/ Assessment Interview Observation Data Analysis
KYU leaderships do
not take the leading
position by showing
effort in recruitment
tasks.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
instructors and KYU
Leaderships.
N/A
Organization
Cooperation
between
departments and
divisions are not
promoted or guided
by the university
leaderships.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
departments and
divisions.
N/A
The university
provides limited
tangible supplies,
budgets and
equipment for
recruitment related
tasks.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the facility,
recruitment tools,
technology and
equipment of the
university.
Recruitment
flyers, handouts,
training manual
Adequate
knowledge, skills
and motivation are
not provided while
organizational
changes occur.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
N/A N/A
Feedbacks are
limited since the
performance
evaluation is
quantity (points)
based rather than
quality based.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction between
departments and
divisions
Performance
evaluation card
The university
leaderships did not
take the leading
position and show
their involvement in
recruitment service.
Questions that
request the
respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
N/A N/A

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140
Table B1, continued
Assumed Causes Survey/ Assessment Interview Observation Data Analysis
Hierarchy is embedded
in the organization;
instructors have no
authority over policy
change.
Questions that request
the respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
N/A Organizational
Chart
The university did not
create clear vision,
goals and ways to
measure the progress.
Questions that request
the respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
N/A N/A
The university did not
create value for
recruitment service
before assigning the
task to instructors.
Questions that request
the respondent to give
1-3 examples or
Yes/No answer or
multiple choices.
Open-ended
questions that target
the assumed cause.
N/A

In order to triangulate data and achieve a comprehensive analysis, a combination of research methods will be
administered. Interview, observation and document analysis questions are listed below in Tables A, B, C and D,
respectively.

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141
Table B2
Interview Builder Worksheet
Assumed Causes Knowledge Motivation Organization
Instructors are unable to
identify advantages and
disadvantages of the
school.
Tell me about the
advantages and
disadvantages of KYU
in comparison to
competing universities.

Instructors are unable to
distinguish effective and
ineffective recruitment
activities.
Give me an example of
effective and ineffective
recruitment activities.

Instructors are unable to
identify the
characteristics of
potential students.
Please define potential
student that fit KYU the
most.

Instructors do not know
how to seek for help.
How and where do you
seek for help when
needed?

Instructors are unable to
reflect own performances
and make adjustments.
Who (your colleague)
has been doing a good
job in recruitment
service?
Why? Please explain.

Instructors do not see
value of recruitment
services.
Tell me the reasons
of participating
recruitment
services?

Instructors have low self-
efficacy in recruitment
related services.
How much
confidence do you
have in doing a great
recruitment job on a
scale of 1 to 5 (5 as
the most). Why?

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142
Table B2, continued
Assumed Causes Knowledge Motivation Organization
Limited support including
budget and training is
provided to instructors.
Instructors believe “low
enrollment” is a consequence
of uncontrollable impacts
such as low birth rate and
growing universities.
What are the
limitations that you
have encountered
during the
recruitment services?

Instructor evaluation is
quantity (points) based rather
than quality based.
How do you evaluate
your own
performance?

Instructors are not interested
in improving marketing skills.
Instructors do not share
recruiting experiences.
How do you improve
your recruitment
skills?

Instructors do not receive
recognition when task is done.
Punishment is used more than
encouragement or rewards.
KYU leaderships do not take
the leading position by
showing effort in recruitment
tasks.
What could the
university have done
better in terms of
providing support and
assistance?

Organization
Cooperation between
departments and divisions are
not promoted or guided by the
university leaderships.
Do different
departments work
together to improve
recruitment
performance? If yes,
how?
The university provides
limited tangible supplies,
budgets and equipment for
recruitment related tasks.
Are you satisfied
with the tangible
supplies provided by
the university?
Why?

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

143
Table B2, continued
Assumed Causes Knowledge Motivation Organization
Adequate knowledge, skills
and motivation are not
provided while organizational
changes occur.
Are you satisfied with the
intangible supplies
provided by the
university? Why?
Feedbacks are limited since the
performance evaluation is
quantity (points) based rather
than quality based.
How do you evaluate
your own performance?
The university leaderships did
not take the leading position
and show their involvement in
recruitment service.
How many university
leaderships are involved
in the recruitment
service?
Hierarchy is embedded in the
organization; instructors have
no authority over policy
change.
Have you ever
participated in the
university policy making?
The university did not create
clear vision, goals and ways to
measure the progress.
What is your personal
goal? How does it relate
to the organization goal?
The university did not create
value for recruitment service
before assigning the task to
instructors.
How do you value the
instructor recruitment
seervices?

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

144
Table B3
Survey Builder Worksheet
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Instructors are unable
to identify advantages
and disadvantages of
the school.
Please three advantages of
KYU in comparison to
competing universities.

Instructors are unable
to distinguish effective
and ineffective
recruitment activities.
Recruitment is effective by
talking to potential students
in a classroom setting with
handouts and detailed
information. Yes or NO?

Instructors are unable
to identify the
characteristics of
potential students.
Who will be your potential
students? A) Students
looking for advanced
studies. B) Students
looking for hands
experiences prior to
graduation. C) Students
who live in Taipei.

Instructors do not know
how to seek for help
Where can you get help
when needed?

Instructors are unable
to reflect own
performances and make
adjustments.
Where do you seek for help
when needed?

Instructors do not see
value of recruitment
services.
Please prioritize the
following items: (1)
Teaching (2) Research
(3) Recruitment.

Instructors have low
self-efficacy in
recruitment related
services.
How much confidence
do you have in doing a
great recruitment job
on a scale of 1 to 5 (5
as the most)?

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

145
Table B3, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Limited support including
budget and training is
provided to instructors.
How much support related
to recruitment tasks do
you receive from the
university on a scale of 1
to 5 (5 as the most)?

Instructors believe “low
enrollment” is a
consequence of
uncontrollable impacts
such as low birth rate and
growing universities.
What are the top two
reasons for recruitment
failure?

Instructor evaluation is
quantity (points) based
rather than quality based.
The performance card is
an accurate grading
system, Yes or NO?

Instructors do not receive
recognition when task is
done. Punishment is used
more than encouragement
or rewards.
Do you receive award or
punishment when the
designated goal is
achieved (or not
achieved)?

KYU leaderships do not
take the leading position
by showing effort in
recruitment tasks.
How much support do you
receive from the KYU
leaderships on a scale of 1
to 5 (5 as the most)?

Cooperation between
departments and divisions
are not promoted or
guided by the university
leaderships.
How much
involvement does the
university leadership
demonstrate on a
scale of 1 to 5 (5 as
the most)?
The university provides
limited tangible supplies,
budgets and equipment for
recruitment related tasks.
Do you receive
adequate tangible
supplies, budgets and
equipment for
recruitment related
tasks? Yes or NO.

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

146
Table B3, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Adequate knowledge, skills
and motivation are not
provided while
organizational changes
occur.
Do you receive adequate
knowledge, skills and
motivation while the
organizational changes
occur?
Feedbacks are limited since
the performance evaluation
is quantity (points) based
rather than quality based.
How often do you receive
feedbacks from others?
Never, Average, Often
and Very often?
The university leaderships
did not take the leading
position and show their
involvement in recruitment
service.
How much commitment
in recruitment service
does the university
leadership demonstrate
on a scale of 1 to 5.
Hierarchy is embedded in the
organization; instructors
have no authority over policy
change.
Is hierarchy embedded in
the university?
The university did not create
clear vision, goals and ways
to measure the progress.
Are you clear about the
university vision, goal
and expectation? Yes or
NO
The university did not create
value for recruitment service
before assigning the task to
instructors.
How much do you value
recruitment service on a
scale of 1 to 5?

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

147
Table B4
Observation Builder Worksheet
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Instructors are unable
to identify advantages
and disadvantages of
the school.
Observe recruitment
activities; listen to the
speeches and observe contents
given.

Instructors are unable
to distinguish effective
and ineffective
recruitment activities.
Observe the recruitment
activities and methods used to
promote KYU. For example,
any promotional materials
such as printed handouts,
posters, multimedia,
technology and so forth.

Instructors are unable
to identify the
characteristics of
potential students.
Observe the interaction
between instructors and
potential students during
recruitment activities
Observe recruitment activities
and draw differences.

Instructors do not know
how to seek for help.
Observe the conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and after
recruitment activities.

Instructors are unable
to reflect own
performances and make
adjustments.
Observe the conversation and
interaction between
instructors before and after
recruitment activities.

Instructors do not see
value of recruitment
services.
Instructors have low
self-efficacy in
recruitment related
services.
Observe the
conversation and
interaction
between
instructors before
and after
recruitment
activities.

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

148
Table B4, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Limited support including
budget and training is
provided to instructors.
Observe preparatory
works done prior to
recruitment activities

Instructors believe “low
enrollment” is a consequence
of uncontrollable impacts
such as low birth rate and
growing universities.
Observe the conversation
and interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.

Instructor evaluation is
quantity (points) based rather
than quality based.
Observe performance
card and grading criteria.

Instructors do not receive
recognition when task is done.
Punishment is used more than
encouragement or rewards.
Observe the conversation
and interaction between
instructors before and
after recruitment
activities.

KYU leaderships do not take
the leading position by
showing effort in recruitment
tasks.
Observe the conversation
and interaction between
instructors and university
leaderships.

Organization
Cooperation between
departments and divisions are
not promoted or guided by the
university leaderships.
Observe the
interaction
between
different
departments
and divisions.
The university provides
limited tangible supplies,
budgets and equipment for
recruitment related tasks.
Observe the
tangible
supplies and
equipment
provided by
the university
if any.

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

149
Table B4, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Adequate knowledge, skills
and motivation are not
provided while organizational
changes occur.
N/A
Feedbacks are limited since
the performance evaluation is
quantity (points) based rather
than quality based.
N/A
The university leaderships did
not take the leading position
and show their involvement in
recruitment service.
N/A
Hierarchy is embedded in the
organization; instructors have
no authority over policy
change.
Observe the
interaction
between
university
leaderships and
instructors
The university did not create
clear vision, goals and ways to
measure the progress.
N/A
The university did not create
value for recruitment service
before assigning the task to
instructors.
N/A

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

150
Table B5
Data Builder Worksheet
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Instructors are unable to
identify advantages and
disadvantages of the school.
Training manual and
meeting records (if
any)

Instructors are unable to
distinguish effective and
ineffective recruitment
activities.
Training manual and
meeting records (if
any)

Instructors are unable to
identify the characteristics of
potential students.
Training manual and
meeting records (if
any)

Instructors do not know how
to seek for help
Training manual and
meeting records (if
any)

Instructors are unable to
reflect own performances and
make adjustments.
Evaluation result and
performance cards.

Instructors do not see value of
recruitment services.
N/A
Instructors have low self-
efficacy in recruitment related
services.
N/A
Limited support including
budget and training is
provided to instructors.
Training manual
and meeting
records (if any)

Instructors believe “low
enrollment” is a consequence
of uncontrollable impacts
such as low birth rate and
growing universities.
N/A

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

151
Table B5, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Instructor evaluation is quantity
(points) based rather than
quality based.
Performance card
and other
evaluation
measurements.

Instructors do not receive
recognition when task is done.
Punishment is used more than
encouragement or rewards.
Samples of
rewards or
punishments (if
any).

KYU leaderships do not take
the leading position by showing
effort in recruitment tasks.
N/A
Organization
Cooperation between
departments and divisions are
not promoted or guided by the
university leaderships.
N/A
The university provides limited
tangible supplies, budgets and
equipment for recruitment
related tasks.
Tangible supplies
such as
curriculum,
technology and
equipment.
Adequate knowledge, skills and
motivation are not provided
while organizational changes
occur.
N/A
Feedbacks are limited since the
performance evaluation is
quantity (points) based rather
than quality based.
N/A
The university leaderships did
not take the leading position and
show their involvement in
recruitment service.
N/A

INTRUCTORS’ PERFORMANCE IN RECRUITMENT SERVICES

152
Table B5, continued
Assumed Cause Knowledge Motivation Organization
Hierarchy is embedded in the
organization; instructors have
no authority over policy change.
N/A
The university did not create
clear vision, goals and ways to
measure the progress.
N/A
The university did not create
value for recruitment service
before assigning the task to
instructors.
N/A

Abstract (if available)

Abstract In the context of competition for decreasing numbers of students by more universities, many vocational colleges and universities in Taiwan have suffered from recruitment pressure and financial challenge due to insufficient enrollment, especially private universities whose daily operation relies heavily on the tuition and fees (Tseng, Chang, & Kuo, 2009). The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008) to examine the causes that might inhibit instructors’ performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University. The analysis focused on causes for this problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational issues. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed causes and then by examining these systematically to focus on actual or validated causes. Assumed causes for the performance gap were generated based on personal knowledge and related literature. These causes were validated by using surveys, interviews, literature review and document analysis. 310 instructors at KYU participated in the survey and 10 of them were selected for individual interview. In general, the results indicated that, instructors needed more supports to effectively practice and assess their performance in recruitment services. The forms of support could be tangible, intangible, intrinsic and extrinsic incentives. The result led analysis of the largest gaps in each category, which were then specifically addressed for solutions and implementation plans. The major implication of the study is that when these issues are solved, student enrollment and operational revenue at KYU will most likely increase, leading to university sustainability. KYU will also be able to provide recommendations for management schemes, marketing strategies and act as a role model to other private universities in Taiwan.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Huang, Fang-Ping (author)

Core Title Increasing instructors' performance in recruitment services at Kao Yuan University: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Publication Date 12/08/2014

Defense Date 07/15/2014

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Higher education,instructors' performance,low birth rate,OAI-PMH Harvest,recruitment,Taiwan

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Robison, Mark Power (committee chair), Diamond, Michael A. (committee member), Picus, Lawrence O. (committee member)

Creator Email fangping@hotmail.com,fangpinh@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-521257

Unique identifier UC11297636

Identifier etd-HuangFangP-3104.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-521257 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-HuangFangP-3104.pdf

Dmrecord 521257

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Huang, Fang-Ping

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA