Iranian Higher Education System

Purpose: The research is conducted to provide a model for improving the students' satisfaction from governmental and non-governmental universities in Zanjan province. Methodology: The research method is mixed (quantitative-qualitative) exploratory-confirmatory. The statistical population of this research is of higher education professionals active in governmental and non-governmental universities in the qualitative section. Purposive sampling method by using snowball technique and applying theoretical saturation grounded theory of semi-structured interviews for 20 experts was used. The statistical population of the quantitative part of the research included all active students in public universities and nongovernmental universities in the second semester of the academic year 2017-2018. The data collection method of the quantitative section is a researcher-made survey questionnaire. Findings: Final model -which consists of dimensions (educational, research, administrative /financial, welfare, cultural, political, technology, virtual, and international), and 23 components and 70 indices about the field of improvement of the student satisfaction- was confirmed by the results of the research. Conclusion: The results showed that all these factors should be addressed in Improving the Students Satisfaction.

The present study aimed to identify the indicators and components of knowledge capital and human resource strategies in the Iranian higher education system. Participants in the present study were managers and deputies of human resources in the higher education system and university professors. Sampling was performed in a purposeful and theoretical manner. Theoretical saturation of the samples was obtained after interviewing 10 people. The number of samples was not determined before performing the study and the sampling process continued until some kind of information saturation was obtained, i.e. no new information was extracted from the data during the interview. The instrument of the present study was semi-structured interviews whose validity and reliability were confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha test. Three coding steps were used to analyze the data. Using open coding, model categories were identified. Then, in the axial coding stage, the link between these categories was determined in the form of a coding paradigm. In the selective coding process, the conceptual model was determined in the form of three dimensions and including 14 components as follows: knowledge process capability (knowledge application, knowledge transfer, knowledge integration, knowledge production), human resource strategies (recruitment, human resource development, employee performance, service compensation, working relations), and knowledge capital (human capital, structural capital, innovative capital, social capital, and process capital) were identified. According to the findings of this study, suggestions are presented so that the officials, decision-makers, and educational planners in the higher education system be familiar with the dimensions, components, and mechanisms of knowledge acquisition and human resource strategies in the higher education system and take necessary executive measures while planning and making the necessary policies.