Universities have always been primary actors in the creation and utilization of knowledge. Since the age of Plato in Ancient Athens; where people enchanted by the mysteries of life and nature; gathered in Academia and under a strong bond discussed a variety of issues; until the birth of the first European university in Bologna and even today; the pursuit for objective and scientifically documented knowledge along with the need for individual and social development continue to permeate the idea of higher education. The university aims a) at transmitting scientifically documented knowledge through teaching; b) at advancing science through research and c) at engaging in economic development; social prosperity and progress.
The challenges that universities face and the pursuit of quality in mission attainment mark out excellence (to the degree it can be achieved) as a basic objective; a reference criterion and a seal of efficient and effective university management and operation.
In bibliography; there are many articles written regarding excellence in higher education (eg. Ho and Wearn; 1996; Badri and Abdulla 2004; Hides et.al. 2004; Osseo-Assare et.al; 2005; Badri et.al 2006; Sohail and Shaikh;2004; Calvo- Mora et.al 2006); prizes (Baldridge Award; European Quality Award) have been established for institutions that attain high performance level in specific dimensions and roadmaps to excellence have been suggested. The reason for all these actions has been the quality management school of thought and the discussion on its implementation in the university context. However; the concept of excellence is not something recently discovered; it is based on the idea of “good”; it embraces “good” and is a basic presupposition for it in a dynamic circle.
Therefore; the aim of this paper is to present the content of excellence through the parchments of the Ancient Hellenic Philosophy and its application in the university context. Further on; the meaning of excellence (aristeia) is presented and is compared with the main concept and principles of TQM; which is considered as a management philosophy that can lead an organization to excellence.
Aristotle; Ethica Nicomachea; Chapters A1; A2; A4;B1 (in Hellenic)
Aubert; N and De Gaulejac.; (1992); Le cout de`l excellence; Ed.du Seuil; Paris
Badri; M. and Abdulla; M.; (2004); Awards of excellence in institutions of higher education: an AHP approach; International Journal of Educational Management; Vol.18; No.4; pp.224-242
Badri; M.A.; Selim; H.; Alshare; K.; Grandon; E.; Younis; H and Abdulla; M.; (2006); The Baldridge education criteria for performance excellence framework: empirical test and validation; International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management; Vol.23; No.9; pp.1118-1157
Barr; A.;(1952); The measurement of teacher characteristics and prediction of teaching efficiency; Review of Educational Research; Vol.22; No.3; pp.169-174
Calvo-Mora; A.; Leal; A and Roldan; J.; (2006); Using enablers of the EFQM model to manage institutions of higher education; Quality Assurance in Education; Vol.14; No.2; pp.99-122
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Dahlgaard; J.J and Dahlgaard-Park; S M; (2005); In search of excellence-past; present and future; Paper presented at the 8th QMOD Conference; 29/06-01/07/2005; Palermo; Italy
Dahlgaard; J.J and Dahlgaard-Park; S M; (1999); Core value and core competent deployment-a precondition fro achieving business excellence; International Conference on TQM and Human Factors; Linköping Universitet; Sweden
Dahlgaard; J.J and Dahlgaard-Park; S M; (2003); The 4P model: quality strategy from breakthrough and sustainable development; 7th QMOD conference; Monterrey; Mexico
Evans; J.R and Lindsay; W.M.; (1999); The management and control of quality; South Western
Evans; J.R. and Dean; J.W.; (2000); Total Quality Management; Organization and Strategy; South Western
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Hemlin; S.; (1993); Scientific quality in the eyes of the scientist; A questionnaire study; Scientometrics; Vol.27; No.1; pp.3-18
Hermel; P and Ramis-Pujol; J.; (2003); An evolution of excellence: some main trends; The TQM Magazine; Vol.15; No.4; pp.230-243
Hides; M.; Davies; J. and Jackson; S.; (2004); Implementation of EFQM excellence model self assessment in the UK higher education sector-lessons learned from other sectors; The TQM Magazine; Vol.16; No.3; pp.194-201
Ho; S. and Wearn; K.; (1996); A higher education TQM excellence model: HETQMEX; Quality Assurance in Education; Vol.4; No.2; pp.35-42 Homer; Iliad; Rhapsodies D 260 and B768 (in Hellenic)
Johnes; G.; (1990); Measures of research outputs: university departments of economics in the UK 1984-1988; Economic Journal; Vol.100; pp.556-560
Jones; R.; Dent; L.; Jenkins; K.; Cronin; C.; House L.; Jenkins; K.; (2003); Assessing performance and self efficacy of student teachers; Annual Meeting of the Mid South Educational Research Association; pp.2-42
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Korhonen; P.; Tainio; R. and Wallenius J.; (2001); Value efficiency analysis of academic research; European Journal of Operational Research; Vol.130; pp.121-132
Kurz; R.S.;Mueller; J.J.;Gibbons; J.L.;DiCataldo; F.;(1989); Faculty performance: suggestions for the refinement of the concept and its measurement; The Journal of Higher Education; Vol.60; No.1; pp.43- 58
Lagrosen; S; (2003); Exploring the impact of culture on quality management; International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management; Vol.20; No.4; pp.473-487
Likert; J.; (2004); The Toyota Way-14 management principles from the world`s greatest manufacturers; McGraw-Hill; NY
Lomas; L.; (2004); Embedding quality: the challenges for higher education; Quality Assurance in Education; Vol.12; No.4; pp.157-165
Martin; T.; Berry; K.;(1969); The teaching-research dilemma: its sources in the university setting; The Journal of Higher Education; Vol.40;No.9; pp.691-703
Newman; J.H.; (1854); The idea of a university; Essay
Osseo-Assare; A.; Longbottom; D. and Murphy; W.; (2005); Leadership best practices for sustaining quality in UK higher education from the perspective of the EFQM excellence model; Quality Assurance in Education; Vol.13; No.2; pp.148-170
Pascale; R.T and Athos. A.G.; (1981); The art of Japanese Management; Simon and Schuster; NY
Peters; T and Waterman; R.H (1982); In search of excellence; Lessons from America`s best run companies; Harper and Row
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Peters; T and Austin; N. (1985); A passion fro excellence-the leadership difference; Harper and Collins Publishing; London
Plato; Politeia; 6th Book; 505a-511e; 509e-511e (in Hellenic)
Sadiq-Sohail; M. and Shaikh N.M.; (2004); Quest for excellence in business education: a study of student impression of service quality; The International Journal of Educational Management; Vol.18; No.1; pp.58-95
Santas; G.; (1997); Socrates; Ellinika Grammata (in Hellenic)
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Tijssen; R.J.W.; Visser; M.S.; Van Leeuwen; T.N.; (2002); Benchmarking international scientific excellence: one highly cited research papers an appropriate frame of reference?; Scientometrics; Vol.54; pp.381-397
Wise; A.; Hammond; L.; Mc Laughlin; M.; Bernstein; H.; (1985); Teacher evaluation: a study of effective practices; The Elementary School Journal ; Vol.86; No.1; pp.60-121
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Wotruba; T.; Wright; P.;(1975); How to develop a teacher-rating instrument: a research approach; The Journal of Higher Education; Vol.46; No.6; pp.653-663
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