74 PERSPECTIVES, VOLUME 9, NUMBER 3, JULY 2005 perspectives ISSN 1360–3108 print/ISSN 1460–7018 online © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals DOI: 10.1080/13603100500207255 perspect i ve Employee opinion survey as a tool for higher education managers John Hogan, Veryan Johnston and Liz Joyce Taylor and Francis Ltd TPSP120708.sgm 10.1080/13603100500207255 Prespectives 1360-3108 print/1460-7018 online Perspective 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd 9 3 000000July 2005 JohnHogan Registrar, University of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon TyneNE1 7RUUK +44 (0)191 222 6078 john.hogan@newcastle.ac.uk he performance of individual higher education institutions depends fundamentally on the performance of the staff employed. The 1963 Robbins Report argued (p 170) that: The merit of any higher education institution depends on the quality of those who teach and learn in it and the test of its administration and organisation is how well it facilitates the commu- nication of mind with mind. The quote from Robbins emphasises the importance of the staff who contribute directly to the teaching process. By the time of the 1997 Dearing Committee, the same fundamental belief in the importance of staff was still articulated but the defini- tion had become broader to include all staff working in an institution. The Dearing Committee included amongst its terms of reference the principle that higher education should be able to recruit, retain and motivate staff of an appropriate calibre. The Report went on to claim (NICHE 1977: 14.2) that: An effective, fairly remunerated, professional and well motivated workforce lies at the heart of the high quality system of higher education which this country will continue to need. Given the widely accepted view that the success or failure of an institution depends to a large extent on the quality of the staff, the views of the staff on how well the institution is performing, how effectively they can perform in the environment and how well recog- nised and rewarded they are, should matter. It has long been established that competitive levels of perfor- mance cannot be achieved with dissatisfied or disen- gaged employees and that motivated and committed staff are a major determinant of organisational success. …competitive levels of performance cannot be achieved with dissatisfied or disengaged employees … motivated and committed staff are a major determinant of organisational success… T John Hogan is Registrar at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, following a period as Registrar and Secretary at the University of Durham. He was awarded a DPhil in History from the University of Sussex and commenced his career at the University of Warwick, where he held various posts. He is Treasurer of AUA and serves on the Executive Committee. Address for correspondence: Registrar, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. Tel.: +44 (0)191 222 6078; Email: john.hogan@newcastle.ac.uk Veryan Johnston is Director of Human Resources at University of Newcastle upon Tyne. She was previously Head of Human Resources for Northumbrian Water Group PLC and has lectured in HRM for University of Teesside. She was awarded an MBA from Durham University and is a Fellow of CIPD. Address for correspondence: Director of Human Resources, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. Tel.: +44 (0)191 222 6055; Email: veryan.johnston@newcastle.ac.uk Liz Joyce is Reward Manager at University of Newcastle upon Tyne. She was previously employed in the private sector at companies including Berghaus Limited and Britvic Soft Drinks. Liz has a BA Psychology from Liverpool University and is a member of CIPD. Address for correspondence: Reward Manager, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)191 222 3653; Email: liz.joyce@newcastle.ac.uk