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Title

How can IR Support the Management of Japanese National
Universities on the Mid-Term Plan Related to Globalization?

Authors

Tetsuya Oishi, Eiichi Takata, Noriko Kuwano, Takahiro Seki, Masao
Mori, Masashi Sekiguchi

Citation

Proceedings of The 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference, pp. 303-309

Pub. date2017, 9Powered by T2R2 (Tokyo Institute Research Repository)

How can IR Support the Management of Japanese National Universities on
the Mid-Term Plan Related to Globalization?
Tetsuya Oishi1, Eiichi Takata2, Noriko Kuwano3, Takahiro Seki4, Masao Mori5, and Masashi
Sekiguchi6
1

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (oishi@irds.titech.ac.jp)
2
Kobe University, Japan (etakata@people.kobe-u.ac.jp)
3
Kyushu University, Japan (kuwano@ir.kyushu-u.ac.jp)
4
Niigata University, Japan (tseki@adm.niigata-u.ac.jp)
5Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (mori@irds.titech.ac.jp)
6
Kyushu University, Japan (masashis@law.kyushu-u.ac.jp)

Abstract
Japanese national universities should promote their globalization plans. However, there are some unsuitable
management plans. While institutional research (IR for short) is expected to help in drawing mid-term plans up,
there are no methods to contribute it by IR at present. The mid-term plans are drawn up by Japanese national
university corporation in order to achieve their mid-term objectives. 56 mid-term plans are related to globalization
among the plans drawn up by the universities adopted in Top Global University Project in Japan. We will analyze
these plans based on formally and virtually criteria. Some plans don't have essential elements: inputs, activities,
outputs, and outcomes. For these plans, IR can show some processes based on data in order to draw mid-term plansup based on logic model. IR can also show data which can indicate present conditions for inputs, can realize
objectives for activities and outputs, and can predict future conditions for outcomes. On the other hand, there areplans which have no or unsuitable numeric targets. The plans with no numeric targets are basically unsuitable forplans of action. The other plans with unsuitable numeric targets may be unachievable. As a result, such university
will suffer a loss. IR should provide the executive with numeric data which can show present and future
circumstances. Especially, it is very important to maintain the systems for sharing inter-university data in order tocollect the data outside the university and compare one another. In this research, we will not only clarify the
problems of the management plans but also study how IR can support these plans concretely.

Keywords
Institutional Research, Japanese National University, Mid-Term Plan, Globalization

1. Introduction
In recent years, Japanese national universities have to promote their globalization plans to correspond to
the world that is developing the internationalization rapidly. In the severe situation of management
resources, these universities should draw up appropriate plans of action and accomplish them efficiently
and effectively. However, there are several inappropriate plans among the management plans drawn up
by Japanese national universities.
IR is expected to support the management decisions which are based on various data. Unfortunately, forthe present, no ways to support them by IR are established in Japan. We will not only clarify the problems
with the management plans drawn up by Japanese national universities but also study the ways tosupports the plans which have something problematic.

2. Methodology
In this paper, we promoted our study by observing following methods.
The 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore

3032-1. Analysis of Problems of Mid-term Plans
2-1-1. Targets
In Japan, 11 national universities were adopted as the Top Global University by The Ministry of
Education of Japan. We analyzed 56 mid-term plans (Mid-term Plan, 2015) which were drawn up by
these 11 universities. These mid-term plans were also related to globalization.
The mid-term plans are drawn up by Japanese national university corporation in order to achieve their
mid-term objectives in 6 years. All Japanese national universities have to achieve the mid-term objectives
which they drew up. These objectives are concerned with business operations. These mid-term plans
have to be evaluated every 6 years. If these plans are not achieved, the university may suffer disadvantage
because the result of the evaluation are reflected on its budget.

2-1-2. Viewpoints
2-1-2-1. Components of Plans
We confirm whether all mid-term plans have essential components. There are some ways to establish
components of logic models. We divide all mid-term plans into (1) inputs, (2) activities, (3) outputs, and(4) outcomes based on (Sakano, 2012). The difference between outputs and outcomes is not defined
clearly. In this paper, we follow the definition described in (Sakano, 2012). He explained as follows:“Outcomes mean the goals which are set what and how the targets will change. Activities provides
various services for the targets to occur such changes. There are many cases that outputs are the targets
who were provided the services as a result of activities.” We give a plan “Improvement of English ability
by increasing of class subjects” as an example. In this plan, increasing of class subjects is the activity,
the number of students attending these classes is the output, and improvement of English ability is theoutcome.

2-1-2-2. Appropriateness of Contents of Components
Next, we confirm whether the contents of the components are appropriate substantially. Especially, thenumeric targets are important to achieve the plans efficiently and effectively. So, we confirm whether
the numeric targets exist.
Table 1: Situation of Each Component Based on Logic Model
Number of mid-term plans related to globalization
Number of mid-term plans with Inputs(1) Inputs(Including numeric targets)
Number of mid-term plans with Activities(2) Activities(Including numeric targets)
Number of mid-term plans with Outputs(3) Outputs(Including numeric targets)
Number of mid-term plans with Outcomes(4) Outcomes(Including numeric targets)

value
56
0
54
10
4
4
22
17

rate
100.0%(56/56)
0.0%(0/56)
96.4%(54/56)
18.5%(10/54)
7.1%(4/56)
100.0%(4/4)
39.3%(22/56)
77.3%(17/22)

2-2. Way of Support Problems of Mid-term Plans by IR
We study the ways to support the problems of the mid-term plans, which are clarified in Section 2-1, by
IR.
The 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore304

3. Analysis of Problems of Mid-term Plans
In Table 1, we show how the mid-term plans, which are related to globalization, contains the components
based on the logic model. In the following parts, we analyze each component.

3-1. Inputs
3-1-1. Situation
There were no mid-term plans which contains input components. The inputs show the resources invested
for putting the plans into practice. Then we have to understand, analyze, and allocate these resources forcarrying out the plans effectively and efficiently.
Especially, the mid-term plans, which are related to globalization, influence not only the resources toown university but also domestic and foreign situations. It is very important to understand and analyze
the data of own university, other domestic universities, and foreign universities, but it is also very difficult.
What there are no mid-term plans which contains input components means that various data are notunderstood and not analyzed in all universities.
Needless to say, it is not necessary to describe all the inputs in detail in the statement of mid-term plans.
However, the policy of university resource allocation is unknown for the outside in the situation that
there are no inputs in the mid-term plans. Moreover, a shared awareness is lacking. From the point ofview of an accountability for the world, it is very problematic though the universities are taken notice by
the world.

3-2. Activities
3-2-1. Situation
Activities are appeared in 54 mid-term plans which is 96.4% of 56 mid-term plans. The mid-term plan
is a plan for action. Then, it is necessary of establishing the activities “which provide various services
for the targets to occur such changes”.
There are a few mid-term plans which are not appeared activities. For example, there is a mid-term plan
“we increase the faculty who had schooling and researching history abroad up to x % of all faculty so as
to respond the development of globalization”. This plan is inappropriate as a plan of action because it
does not become a specific guide for activities.

3-2-2. Appropriateness of Numeric Targets
There are 10 mid-term plans which have numeric targets. This is 18.5% of 54 mid-term plans which
activities are appeared. If the mid-term plans with impossible numeric targets were drawn up, these plans
will be evaluated as “not achieved” and disadvantaged. Therefore, many mid-term plans seem to haveno numeric targets.
For example, there are the mid-term plans with numeric targets for course establishment and overseas
bases establishment. The examples of the former are “we expand the rate of international course
establishment to 75 %”, “we have 500 classes using foreign languages”, and “we expand the rate ofclasses using English to 54.0% until 2021”. The examples of the latter are “we establish more than 7
foreign offices as the bases of our university until 2021”, “we establish more than 5 new global station”,
and “we establish more than 20 alumni associations for foreign students”. These mid-term plans areachievable in own university and not related to foreign countries or foreign universities though theseplans are related to globalization. Therefore, it is not clear whether these plans enable to achieve final
outcomes. Such mid-term plans were drawn up because it seemed difficult to analyze the data from theother universities or the other countries.
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305

3-3. Outputs
3-3-1. Situation
Outputs are appeared in 4 mid-term plans which is 7.1% of 56 mid-term plans. Outputs are “the targets
who were provided the services as a result of activities”. It should be easy to appear the outputs in the
mid-term plans because the outputs are the effects of activities. However, the number of mid-term plans
with outputs were small because the process which is based on logic mode was seemed not to berecognized enough.

3-3-2. Appropriateness of Numeric Targets
All 4 mid-term plans which outputs are appeared have numeric targets. For example, there are the midterm plans with numeric targets for the conclusion of academic exchange agreement and the student
attending classes. The examples of the former are “we conclude the campus-in-campus agreements with
10 partner universities until 2021”, “we conclude the whole university agreements with more than 80
foreign universities”, and “we conclude 120 academic exchange agreements”. The example of the former
is “we make 5 students take the course every year”.

3-4. Outcomes
3-4-1. Situation
Outcomes are appeared in 22 mid-term plans which is 39.3% of 56 mid-term plans. Outcomes mean “thegoals which are set what and how the targets will change”. They are real purposes of mid-term plans.
The Ministry of Education of Japan demands all universities to include numeric targets into mid-termplans. Also, when public offering of Top Global University Project in Japan, the application documents
had to include numeric targets.

3-4-2. Appropriateness of Numeric Targets
3-4-2-1. Situation of Appropriateness of Numeric Targets
There are 17 mid-term plans which have numeric targets. This is 77.3% of 22 mid-term plans which
outcomes are appeared.
For example, there are the mid-term plans with numeric targets for increasing foreign faculty, students
from overseas, and students studying abroad. The examples of the former are “we increase the foreign
faculty up to about 400” and “we increase faculty who are from foreign countries or have schooling andresearching history abroad up to 47 %”. The examples of the latter are “we make the number of students
from overseas more than 2,200 every year”, “we make the rate of the students from overseas for graduate
students up to 22.0% until 2021”, and “we make the number of students who had studied abroad morethan 1,250”. Moreover, for the abilities of students and staffs, there are “we increase the rate of thestudents who gains about 750 points of TOEIC to 15%” and “we add the staffs corresponding to 30% of
the staff who gains about 800 points of TOEIC to the present staffs”, and for research results, there is“we increase the rate of the papers created by international coauthors to 10%”.

3-4-2-2. Study of Appropriateness of Numeric Targets
The numeric targets are appeared in several mid-term plans as mentioned above. It is doubtful whether
these numeric targets are appropriate or not considering that outcomes are not only important but also
influenced by the other countries and universities greatly. If the numeric targets are incorrect, the midterm plans including these numeric targets are inappropriate as plans of action. Moreover, if the midterm plans with impossible numeric targets were drawn up, these plans will be evaluated as “not achieved”
and disadvantaged.
The 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore306

We confirmed the appropriateness of the numeric targets. We compare 2 mid-term plans which has
characteristic numeric targets. The first one is “we add the staffs corresponding to 30% of the staff who
gains about 800 points of TOEIC to the present staffs” and the second one is “we make the rate of thestudents from overseas up to more than 16.0%”.
The first mid-term plan uses the term “add the staffs corresponding to 30% to the present staffs”. If thenumber of “the staffs who gains about 800 points of TOEIC” is 100, the mid-term plan will be achieved
when the number will become 130. Even if the number of such staffs is 200, it will be achieved when
the number will become 260. Next, we consider the case that this mid-term plan is changed to “weincrease the rate of the staffs who gains about 800 points of TOEIC to 30%”. We assume that the numberof all staffs is 1,000. Even if “the staffs who gains about 800 points of TOEIC” is 100 or 200, the midterm plan will be able to be achieved when the number of such staffs will be over 300. This mid-termplan can be achieved by the efforts of the university staffs. In other words, this mid-term plan is anachievable goal with a concrete numeric target.
The second mid-term plan uses the term “make the rate up to more than 16.0%”. The target number
becomes 160 if the base number is 1,000. In the same way, the target number becomes 1,600 if the basenumber is 10,000. In other words, the greater the base number is, the more difficult to achieve the midterm plan. The number of students who will be admitted will be adjusted in order to achieve the midterm plan. It means that the mid-term plan will not be achieved by the efforts of the students. While thetotal number of the overseas students who belong to Japanese national universities which are adopted as
Top Global University Project Type A is 17,462 on 2013, the same number on 2023 will become 31,977(SGU, 2014). Moreover, the total number of the whole overseas students who are undergraduates,
graduate students, and junior college students is 108,906 on 2013 (Overseas Student, 2017). Even if theoverseas students will be increased by the effect of “a plan for 300,000 exchange students” (300,000
Exchange Student, 2008) by the Ministry of Education of Japan, it will be difficult to achieve the numerictargets at all universities. Even if these numeric targets will be achieved at all universities, we worry
about a decline of quality of overseas students.
There are the mid-term plans which will be achieved by the efforts of the constituent members, and the
mid-term plan which will be effected by base number. Especially, the second mid-term plan is very
difficult to achieve because overseas students are related to other universities.
In the universities which are adopted as Top Global University Project, as prioritizing the adoption oflarge-scale competitive funding, the mid-term plans had inappropriate numeric targets because thepresent data were not surveyed or the achievability of the numeric targets were not considered. In thestrict finances in each university, competitive funding is very important. However, universities have to
do educational and research activities. Globalization is necessary but we should consider the effect towhole organization.

4. Ways to Support Problems of Mid-term Plans by IR
We should show the process based on the logic model from putting the plan into practice to achievementof goal by clarifying various data and support executives to import appropriate elements to mid-termplans. In following parts, we show the concrete ways of each element.

4-1. Inputs
Almost all inputs were not appeared in mid-term plans. As understanding, analyzing, and allocation of
resources were not adequate, we should show the executives the data related to management assets inorder to draw mid-term plan.
Especially, the mid-term plans related to globalization need the data not only inside each university but
also outside them, and it is difficult to collect these data. If we can establish an inter-university
consortium to collect and share various data, we can analyze inter-university data and support theThe 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore

307executives based on the analyzed data.

4-2. Activities
There were a few mid-term plans with activities and they were able to be conducted themselves. For the
mid-term plans including activities without numeric targets, we can show a correct achievability byvarious data. Moreover, we should prepare the data which shows the situation of the other universities
and the other countries in order to draw up mid-term plans including activities considering the otheruniversities and the other countries.

4-3. Outputs
For the mid-term plan including outputs, we can show what kind of activities produce what kind of
outputs and finally lead to what kind of outcomes by using data. In other words, we can make theexecutives recognize the process based on the logic model.

4-4. Outcomes
For the mid-term plans including outcomes, we can provide the data related to achievability and future
estimate. Especially, if the political decisions are required, we should introduce the process and involvein it. Then, we can support the executives to decide politically considering the effect to whole
institutional activities about globalization.

5. Conclusion
Mid-term plans are essence of Japanese national universities’ management. However, some mid-termplans are drawn up without adequate data as evidences, others are drawn up by taking priority politically.
Japanese IR supports to educational activities but there are few examples which support management
activities such as drawing mid-term plans up. Then, we need to study how to support drawing mid-termplans by IR in order to prevent the mid-term plans from being inappropriate. In our paper, we surveyed
the mid-term plans related to globalization by taking notice of inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
which were based on logic model. Moreover, we studied the way of support the executives by IR. We
can help to support to draw the mid-term plans by using various data. That is to say, these data can clarify
the goals of four elements of logic model and it will be easy that the mid-term plans with clear goals will
be judged whether they will be achieved or not. The role of IR is to provide appropriate data to draw up
the mid-term plans. We should keep appropriateness of “management plan” as considering politicaldecisions.

References
Mid-term Plan. (2015). Mid-term objectives and mid-term plans at each national university in 2015.
Retrieved from http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/houjin/1356357.htm
Sakano, Tatsuro. (2012). Viewpoint and method for evaluating plan. In Hattori, Eiji., Kudo, Asahiro.,
Ninomiya, Shinji. & Ishikawa, Izumi. (Eds.), Handbook for drawing up social educational plan (pp.623). National Institute for Educational Policy Research, Japan.
SGU. (2014). Top Global
sgu/h26_kekka_saitaku.html

University

Project.

Overseas
Student.
(2017).
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http://www.jasso.go.jp/about/statistics/intl_student_e/

Retrievedfromhttps://www.jsps.go.jp/j-overseas

student.

Retrievedfrom

300,000 Exchange Student. (2008). A Plan For 300,000 Exchange Students. Retrieved fromThe 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore308http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/20/07/08080109.htm

Acknowledgement
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 15K04305.

The 17th Annual SEAAIR Conference 6 – 8 September 2017 PSB Academy, Singapore309